A project's success relies on a designated, trained, and cohesive team—rarely on a single individual.
In this article, I revisit why the team is central to the project, how to assemble it, and above all, how to build a genuine sense of team spirit, even in a cross-functional context.
You never win alone.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.
It is a deeply held conviction of mine: success and achievements are always the result of collective effort (whether conscious or not).
A project team is, therefore, absolutely central.
Another cliché, you might say...and yet!
Let’s revisit a few basic principles surrounding this concept.
"I work alone, I don't have a team"
Even a writer does not work alone. Surrounding them, at the very least, are a publishing house and sources of inspiration.
If you think there is no project team, it is because you have limited the definition to "a team within a single organization."
In reality, there are inevitably business partners, suppliers, clients, and external collaborators involved. Indeed, even in large project teams, they should not be overlooked.
It is therefore crucial to take the time to identify them, clarify expectations, and—if possible—manage them as the team they represent to ensure the project's success.
Casting is everything
Let’s start with team composition, and, to keep the metaphor consistent, let’s set about assembling the world’s best rugby team.
You need props to anchor the scrum: subject-matter experts who have been doing this for 20 years and know exactly what they’re talking about, though they can sometimes be a bit heavy and hard to budge from their center of gravity.
You need fullbacks to kick, restart play, and sometimes field the ball sent by the opposition: agile young recruits who want to be everywhere but aren't yet beefy enough to tackle the really tough challenges.
You need wingers: the ones who score the tries, handling the key tasks without which the project wouldn't move forward.
And, of course, you need a scrum-half: a conductor, or in other words, a project manager (we discuss that role here).
The point here is that you need to take the time to identify the right people and assign them the right roles.
Then, you need to announce the team lineup, first to the key individuals involved (who must agree to the assignment), and then to everyone else.
That’s the theory; in practice, if your team consists of your clients and suppliers, your communication will obviously need to be a bit more subtle than that!
The team has been assigned. All good ?
Well done. But it doesn’t stop there.
A good team needs building: they train together and meet up to prepare for big matches, sometimes even just to foster a positive team spirit.
Because, as we know, projects are full of unexpected twists and challenging moments to overcome.
In that context, team solidarity is going to be a crucial factor and it’s something that can be built, especially at the start when the project is launching and things are going smoothly, while you still have the time to lay that foundation.
Later, When budget, scheduling, or technical issues arise, and pressure and stress levels spike, you will want your team to pull together and score a try, not step away from the try line saying, "Well, actually, it was Pascal’s job to catch the ball there."
And yes, it is entirely possible to build team dynamics among people who hold different roles and do not share the same reporting lines.
As for the "how": there are numerous tools and resources for building team dynamics—so I won’t go into detail here.
The goal is simply to remind you to take this factor into account; it can make all the difference between success and failure in a match, or rather, a project.
Let's sum-up
1. Identify all stakeholders and individuals who can contribute to your project's success right from the start.
2. Whenever possible, communicate each person's role and announce the team composition to the wider group.
3. Again, whenever possible, invest time and energy in building trust and solidarity among team members.
By doing this, you secure one of the most important keys to project management.
You need an outside perspective on your project team?
That's exactly what I offer with the project audit: a quick diagnosis to identify what's missing and give you concrete recommendations.
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I hope this article gave you some clarity, and I'll see you soon to break down another of the 10 keys to running a strong project!