People in Projects

Why Should I Care?

Take the case where a new departmental structure is being considered. A team member might be biased for or against the idea because of previous experiences with individuals in the department, a perception that big departments are ineffective, or a memory of what happened the last time the company tried to do something like this. However, what emerges in the actual meetings might be statements such as, “That will never work,” or “This will cost too much to implement.” It is important when conflict arises or judgments are made that the team address the true issues rather than running around in this smokescreen.

Also, biases can be an impediment to team formation and communication. Recognizing the biases, conflicts, and motivations ...