Team-working

Question 1

What are the characteristics of an effective team?

Answer 1

Trust
Communication
Cooperation
Respect

Question 2

Why are team building exercises important?

Answer 2

They build relationships and trust in a non-working environment, a key element of high performing teams.
E.g. Sporting event (go-karting, football, softball), meals, pubs.

Question 3

If you were brought into a project after the previous PM had been removed from the job, how would you deal with the situation?

Answer 3

I would meet with the client and project team to discuss what went wrong in order to analyse the situation and put in place a recovery plan with buy in from the project team.
I would detail the current status of the project and the methods and actions to get I back on track.

Question 4

What are the difficulties of achieving high performing teams in the construction industry?

Answer 4

 Projects last several years making personnel change inevitable.
 Different engagements required at each stage.
 Lack of trust between client and contractor.

To overcome this I:

 Understand people’s motives
 Setting of short term goals.
 Holding regular team building events even if it is just drinks in a pub after a meeting.

Question 5

How would you go about recruitment for your team?

Answer 5

• Firstly, I would identify the skill gaps, and the level of competency and skill required to fill the gaps.
• I would then look internally, to see if there was an appropriate individual within the team already.
• If not, I would advertise the position.

Question 6

What are the pros and cons of partnering?

Answer 6

Pros
- More teamworking which can share responsibility and efficiency of completing the task
- Increased employee morale
- Less adversarial
Cons
- Conflicts in working styles
- Too many leaders and not enough operatives
- Less pressure and incentive to get work done due to no

Question 7

What were the Latham Report Recommendations?

Answer 7

• That the Government should become a best practice client.
• That the NEC suite of contracts be adopted to improve a less adversarial approach.
• Encouraged Partnering between companies and organisations.
• Risk should be allocated to the party best able to handle it.

Question 8

What needs to be done for effective meeting?

Answer 8

• Agenda
• Brief attendees on their actions from last time
• Timely invitation
• Minute everything adequately
• Make sure agendas do not overrun

Question 9

If a member of your team was disruptive in a meeting how would you deal with it?

Answer 9

• Analyse the situation
• Speak to person and consider reasons for disruption
• If no reason and no progress speak to their manager to try and get resolved.

Question 10

How would you positively motivate your team members?

Answer 10

• Team building exercises
• Make sure their voice is heard
• Provide additional support if they need extra resources
• Clear communication and brief.

Question 11

Benefits of a diverse team?

Answer 11

Different ideas and views

Different approaches

Question 12

What do you understand by inclusive environments?

Answer 12

A culturally inclusive environment requires mutual respect of different genres, cultures, race, background, sex, orientation etc

Question 13

Can you give me an example where you might have been unconsciously bias?

Answer 13

Becoming and having closer relationships with those who have common interests as me but I would like to think i always treat everyone equally and respectfully

Question 14

What is unconscious bias?

Answer 14

Unconscious or implicit bias refers to the associations that are made between different qualities and social categories such race, gender or disability and are judgements that are made without conscious awareness