While staffing is a crucial element in project execution, a team that doesn’t work together is not a team. You must make your team coalesce, come together, work together.

Team building is what you must do to make the disparate project elements work together. If most of your people knew each other and worked together on other projects before, that might not be a problem. They know what to expect, what to do, and what not to do.

People, being people, might not always get along as they should. If it’s the result of dis-familiarity, you can correct that. Get them together as much as possible in an informal – read fun, setting. Let them be themselves. Usually this will work. If it doesn’t, don’t hesitate to replace the ‘flat spot on the wheel’.

The old saying about the one rotten apple spoiling the barrel is appropriate to project cohesiveness. It’s your project, your family. Protect it, nurture it, and let it grow.

As a client PM, you won’t have much say in promotions of contractor staff. When appropriate, be free with public praise. Similarly, let your displeasure be known, immediately, but less publicly.

Another element of team building is to get your customers involved as much as possible and as early as possible. Here your customers are the operators, the crafts, and the home office. Operations and construction involvement is critically important.

More important is your boss, or bosses involvement. If you don’t keep your bosses happy, it will not matter. They might tolerate you for the duration of the project, if they have no other option, but you won’t advance your career. Do not embarrass them, do not surprise them, and do not disappoint them.