Invest In Better Team Launches

A basic, but powerful, model of Integrated Product Development (IPD) would likely include the following components:

• high overlap development process
• constructive senior management practices
• customer-design-process integration tools

• project core teams

All are important, but core teams are arguably the practical foundation of IPD, especially when companies are in the early stages of IPD exploration and evolution. The core team is composed of a small group of professionals from various functions who together make critical decisions from the very beginning of the project. In addition, each core team member serves as a liaison to their functional department or sub-team.

To achieve success, several important activities must occur during the launch of the core team including:

• establishing the right team composition and structure

• clarifying the role of team sponsor, team leader and team members

• developing team member teamwork skills

• defining the project and product vision

These activities are most impactful when they are managed as a choreographed process, not isolated and optional one-time events. Preferably, these activities should be structured into a facilitated Team Launch Process having the following phases.

Team Launch Process Setting Up Team Starting Team Building Team Leading Team

 

Here are some tips for implementing the activities in each of the phases.

Setting Up Teams

Putting the right team together involves representing the key stakeholder groups with technically and interpersonally capable people. In setting up the core team be sure to:

• Limit core team to 5-12 members
• Ensure all downstream functions are represented on the team from the start
• Include key supplier and customer representatives if possible
• Ensure team member managers have committed adequate team member time (preferably more than 80%)
• Carefully select a team leader who has:
  • a General Manager thinking style
  • successful multi-function development team experience
  • excellent people, project planning and leadership skills
• Select an effective executive to be the team sponsor
• Collocate the core team and provide effective facilities:
  • open office area
  • small meeting tables in open area
  • dedicated conference room
  • flip charts
  • electronic chalk board
  • voice mail, email and intranet computer connections for all team members

The members selected for a core team varies by product and where the risks are but as an example, a core team might have the following members:

• team leader
• product marketing
• hardware design
• software design
• test engineering
• manufacturing process engineering
• field servicepurchasing

Starting Teams

Have team members complete a Project Launch Self-Assessment Checklist to assess how clear and agreed to each of the following issues are :

• Product development process to be used
• Target markets
• Customer types to focus on
• Usefulness of current customer needs data
• Project vision
• Product vision
• Core team members needed
• Who is on the "full" team
• Near term customer requirements and product definition steps
• Development strategies and tools
• Supplier relations
• Teamwork operating mechanics

Then, have team members discuss the differences and questions surfaced and agree on how and when to clarify and agree on open issues.

Next, have the team work through and agree on the following key issues (preferably with the help of a very capable facilitator):

• Which team decisions will be consensus based, which won't
• Project mission/charter statement
• Project goals
  • product cost
  • project budget
  • development speed
  • product performance vs. previous product
  • break-even time
  • improving the product development process
• Product positioning statement such as:
  • "catch up to best-in-market"
  • "exceed best-in-market by 20% in performance"
  • "replace current product but with 10% better reliability"
• Project constraints
  • technology to be used
  • manufacturing facilities/processes
  • suppliers to be used

Building Teams

Strategically important core teams should be entitled to team development support activities such as:

• Project leader booster training (1 or 2 days before the team is selected)
  Topics include:

• • project leader role
  • picking the right team member
  • product development process
  • team evolution model
  • dealing with team problems
  • team member discussion facilitatio
  • creativity facilitation
  • consensus building facilitation
  • problem solving facilitation
  • why, when and how to use facilitators

• Project leader coaching (available in person and by phone, fax, email)

• • assistance in thinking through upcoming meetings
  • help in dealing with team or management issues

• Core team training/team building (1 or 2 days at very start of project)
  Topics include:

  • development process orientation/updates/tailoring
  • teamwork skills
  • meeting management
  • team member roles and responsibilities

• Core team facilitation

  • first few working meetings
  • periodically assess team performance
  • provide "as needed" team booster facilitation

Leading Teams

An effective Team Leader will facilitate project direction thinking and team cohesion. He or she should develop a sense of shared leadership among the team members encouraging them to take the lead in dealing with issues that arise during stages of the project.

Effective team leaders should demonstrate these skills throughout the project cycle:

• Project planning skills
• Leadership skills
  • consistent vision
  • getting buy-in
  • staying the course (but not being rigid)
  • motivating and cheer leading
• Team facilitation skills
  • consensus decision making
  • conflict management
  • cohesion building
• Meeting management skills
• Setting and maintaining protective boundaries around the team

Team leaders should also master and insist on the use of team management procedures.

• Meeting ground rules, such as

  • start and end on time
  • no side conversations
  • make point briefly
  • no surprises
• Document team decisions, open issues and action items
• Accountability for duties and action items
• Action item assignment and follow-up at next meeting
• Agendas - available before meetings and used during meetings
• Meeting process check at the end of every meeting
  • What worked well?
  • What should we change next time and how will we do it?

Summary

Core teams are critical for speeding up product development and creating exciting products. Providing them with an effective Team Launch Process is not a major investment but it can provide big dividends in terms of increased teamwork and decreased conflict and misunderstandings. In fact, it's often equivalent to only 1-2% of a project's total expenses. So why not make Team Development & Support a line item in every major project's budget?

Make this investment in better team launches and your company can reap a very substantial return on the investment.

About the Author

Neil Love is a Partner at LBL Consulting, Inc. in San Jose, CA, and has led several best practices studies in integrated product development and quality management for leading firms. He is a Director of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Society of Concurrent Engineering, a national committee member of the Product Development and Management Association, a State of California Quality Award Examiner and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC). He can be reached at - 408-923-9292 or neil@lblconsulting.com or via web site: http://www.lblconsulting.com

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