Task 1: Team Communication and Planning

1. Setting Team Objectives

Big and achievable goals cannot begin to be achieved without developing a well-articulated course of action, goals that are quantifiable (Probst Jr, J. B., 2021). Course objectives do not only give roadmap but also create motivation for getting things done by the members of the team towards the achievement of organizational objectives. In the case of our civil engineering team the goals and objectives should therefore be clearly stated for all members of the team to understand regardless of the ladder rank in the project what benchmarks are expected of him, her and how his or her contribution will in a certain way shape the success of the civil engineering project. The following are the suggested objectives followed by their relevance and ways of assessment.

Objective 1: To raise the organizations efficiency in the next quarter, it is vital to enhance the communication and improve the project delivery result by 15%.

• Rationale: In construction work especially in modern societies, timely execution of construction work is paramount important (Yap, J. B. H. & Chow, I. N, 2019). When it comes to cost, it means more expenses, dissatisfied clients, and calling into question its reputation. That way, we can aim to have less overspending on projects, and therefore having sufficient evidence of the attainment of the adherence to the deadline goals. This objective thus underlines the importance of efficiency, effectiveness and improved time management of resources.

• Measurement: To measure this we will use the various project management tools in indicating the level of projects that have been delivered within or before the planned time. Measuring and reporting on general timelines and periods of the project will help to define problem areas. Furthermore, we can track data from previous projects to set expectations of how efficiently the project can be completed, creating a goal for the team.

Objective 2: It is essential for the company to enhance it quality control measures and RAC by the aim of minimizing defects by 20%(Levin, M. A. et al., 2019b).

• Rationale: The spotlight is always focused on quality when it comes to civil engineering projects. Apart from the increases in costs required to make correction or redo instances of work, defects are detrimental since they negatively impact structures safety and soundness. Thus, if we made efforts to minimizing defects then we can do some savings and improve more the trust and satisfaction of their clients. This objective equips the team with high standards of quality control and fosters improvement for the team as group members feel capable of detecting and addressing problems that may develop into a major concern.

• Measurement: We will compare the extent to which customers have raised complaints on delivered products, with an expectation of reducing it by 20% by the end of the quarter. This can be ascertained from quality assurance auditions, follow-up and end-use critiques. This was in addition to having a quality complaint system where the team members report some of the emerging quality problems to foster a preventive strategy on quality. Such periodic analysis of defect data will assist the organization in establishing reasons for problems and how to control them.

Objective 3: Improve management of team work and communication

• Rationale: It means that a group work is more capable of meeting challenges and creating solutions (McEwan, D et al., 2017). When there is no free and explicit speech, people may feel isolated, and more importantly, there cannot be improved strategies and recommendations for the projects we are heading. Hence by the implementation of collaboration we are in a position to maximize the talent of employees and in this way improve on the pros and cons of doing projects.

• Measurement: To monitor the group communication and cooperation we will set up periodical meetings and questionnaires concerning the general satisfaction with the working process and the possible manners of its increase. Objective: Key performance indicators could be measured; the frequency of meetings, the results of the feedback on how effective the communications are and how many collaborative projects would have been implemented by the team. Furthermore, to foster hub contact, team members will be allowed some casual interactions in between assignments to get acquainted.

2. Conducting a Team Meeting

In the same team, a meeting agenda will be provided and member expectations towards the objectives discussed (Walter, J. K et al., n.d.). Below is an example of a meeting agenda and minutes to follow the meetings to achieve effective meetings and documents points discussed.

2.1. Meeting Agenda

Date:

Time:

Location:

Attendees:

2.2. Agenda Items:

1. Review of team objectives

2. Discussion of roles and responsibilities

3. Any concerns or suggestions by the team

4. How progress will be tracked

5. Barriers to success and actions to resolve them

2.3 Minutes of the Meeting

Date:

Time:

Place:

Present:

Discussion Points:

a) Objective Review:

• The team discussed the goal of increasing project delivery efficiency by 15%. Everybody reviewed current procedures and got a perspective on what could possibly be done, how to structure the projects, and how to handle the resources.

• Action Item: The individual goals of the individual team members are clear-cut; they all are to come up with one change that is going to happen in the said and discussed workflows at the next meeting. This all brings and instils the element of responsibility in the people and makes them owners of responsibilities as a member of the teams.

b) Roles and Responsibilities:

• Well-defined responsibilities among team members: I would like to make Mr X Project Lead, assign Mr Y with the role of Quality Control, and assign Mr Z for Documentation. This will ensure greater responsibility on the part of every team member and a smooth and well-coordinated process.

• Action Item: The team charter needs to be revised to reflect the inclusion of these roles. All group members should check to see that they are carrying a copy with them.

What was discussed o Types of project update that may lead to a kind of communication breakdown were identified. Objectives A meeting shall be conducted by the team. An example meeting agenda and minutes are outlined below to facilitate the meeting process and make sure everything is covered and done efficiently.

c) Concerns:

• There were discussions on issues concerning gaps in the flow of communication about project updates (Zahedi, M et al., 2016)
  • A number of team members showed that they became disconnected from project activities, which means that they are not in a position to make proper contributions towards the progress of the project.

• Action Item: Initiate a 'Weekly Update' email on the status of projects and forward-looking tasks. This shall be a quick summary of completed work, ongoing tasks, and immediate action items for the team.

d) Monitoring Plan:

• Agreed on follow-up, every two weeks, on the progress regarding the objectives set (Ellenberg, S. S., et al., 2019). This way, the team will know if their goals are on point and utilize the time to brainstorm and solve any issue that may arise.

• Action Item: To provide a date for the next check-in every two weeks and bring a template of the progress report, which will help in moving the process of updating along.

e) Identifying Obstacles:

• The team discussed what probable barriers could impede progress; these included unexpected delays in the delivery of resources and some variability in the level of engagement for team members. They developed ways to overcome these challenges by suggesting increased regular communication with suppliers and activities that would help motivate the team in its morale.

• Action Item: Each to provide ideas on how engagement and participation can be improved in future meetings.

3. Action Items:

a. All members to provide ideas for workflow improvement no later than [insert date].

b. Team charter update no later than [insert date]

c. Weekly update email no later than [insert date]

d. Next bi-weekly check in no later than [insert date]

4. Conclusion

Success in our projects in civil engineering will depend on how well the team members communicate and plan accordingly. Clear objectives are identifying the results desired, giving direction and a sense to our team. These regular meetings, with well-defined roles and open channels for communications, will team people up in order to proactively recognize challenges. These action items discussed will make sure we keep on target toward the accomplishment of our objectives while constantly improving processes and team dynamics.

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