Software Project Management For Dummies®

Chapter 7. Building the Project Team

In This Chapter

• Putting your WBS to work for you

• Balancing leadership and management responsibilities

• Acquiring the appropriate project resources

• Determining your project roles and responsibilities

• Exploring the various organizational structures

• Associating power and authority with organizational structure

Projects are not solo activities. Projects are performed by people, and these people are the folks on your project team. You need your project team to help you plan, estimate, execute, and complete the project. And your project team needs you to help them complete their work, lead the project to completion, and act as a shield against the stakeholders that may badger them for changes, gossip, and updates. The goal is to build a symbiotic relationship.

As a software project manager, you really must have two personalities: a leader and a manager. The leader in you must motivate, align, and direct your project team. You want to help your project team members reach their goals and aspire to new challenges. The manager in you, however, is concerned with just one thing: getting the project successfully completed.

When you recruit, build, and shape your project team, there must be a balance between leadership and management. On one hand you just want your project team members to get their work done. On the other hand, you'd like to inspire them to achieve great results, grow as individuals, and contribute to the project's success.

This chapter shows you how ...