Four Project Team Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

Finally! Your big project has gotten the green light and you’re ready to hit the ground running. To get started, you round up all of your top performers and just set them to work, right?

Wrong. There are many reasons that the countless new initiatives and special projects organizations take on each year fail to reach their objectives. One that I’ve seen time and again is launching on the wrong foot, with the wrong team. When assembling your team, here are four common pitfalls to avoid:

#1 Starting with people instead of roles

A common temptation when assembling a project team is to default to your top performers or to individuals with spare capacity. Instead, start by identifying the subject-matter expertise and experience that your project requires. When recruiting team members, cast a broad net rather than returning to the usual suspects. This will bring additional diversity of perspective and provide opportunities for development.

#2 Too many seats at the table

Keeping your core team small will help you stay nimble as the project evolves. Those who need to be kept apprised of progress or big decisions are important stakeholders, but they don’t need to be members of the core project team. As you’re setting up the initiative, work with your project manager to explicitly design the cadence and channels you’ll use to keep stakeholders in the know.

#3 Skimping on specificity

Effective collaboration relies on clearly defined roles and responsibilities. While it’s easy to assume the team will just figure it out, you can avoid delays and unnecessary friction by making roles explicit. Take the time to define and document roles from the outset to prevent duplication of effort, drive accountability, and enable effective decision-making.

#4 Going light on leadership

Leading a big initiative is not a “set it and forget it” exercise, even if your best people are on the job. The project leader is the most critical member of the team and as such, has many roles. One of the most important roles is serving as liaison to the project sponsor and proactively advising them of setbacks, seeking guidance and support on removing roadblocks, and aligning with them on critical decisions.

The other key player is the project manager; they keep the initiative motor humming effectively and efficiently. Partner with them to set milestones and timelines, track progress toward objectives, and maintain clear communication across the team and its stakeholders.