Project Management Tip: Who's Doing What on Your Team?

Just one cyclist stands on the winner's podium with the Tour de France trophy, but it took a whole team to get him there. That's especially true of the "domestique"— the team cyclist who functions as an all-purpose helper.

The Domestique Principle

The domestique does everything from ride in front of the team leader to buffer him from the wind (and other riders) to bringing supplies of water or food from the team car. As one CNN headline says about them, "Domestiques prove there is no 'I' in team."

Team Composition

Just like in the Tour De France, every team is made up of individuals – the indispensable cogs in the overall machine – that work toward achieving goals. However, it's important to remember that those goals are shared goals that ultimately must be attained together, as a team.

Unified Strategy

All that comes down to having a strategy that overarches the project and details what each team member needs to do to make the project successful. Just like the domestiques fully know their role as a team member, everyone on your team should understand their contribution to the overall mission.

Key Takeaways

• Encourage the team to work together on strategy
• Select the role each team member performs
• Realize the project is about team achieving one unified goal