Continuing Professional Development Team building • How psychology has become important to team building • Identifying different personalities and their traits • Assessing where your team is at right now


“soul”, and consequently involves the study of both the mind and resulting behaviours or traits. Its history goes back to the times of the great Greek philosophers Thales, Plato and Aristotle. However, for the commercial environment, it was the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries that provided the basis for fresh interest in understanding human resources and why people do what they do, not just what they do. In the mid-20th century, social science


came to the fore and the study of individuals, their behaviour and traits was progressed. A series of studies started in 1924 at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company in Illinois — the manufacturing arm of AT&T — by Edwin Mayo. This work (and others) triggered the notion that understanding individuals, their behaviours, personality and motivations etc, could be used to inform working environments, and the make-up of teams or groups to achieve successful outcomes.


Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky have shown what can be achieved when the right team is assembled and motivated to a common end. Can the ethos be harnessed by construction, asks Erland Rendall


The psychology of team building


DAVID BRAILSFORD is the 48-year-old general manager of Team Sky. Along with head coach Shane Sutton, Brailsford set a course to dominate road cycling and deliver the first British victory in the Tour de France. Brailsford formed his core team around


five cyclists, developing that team through the British Cycling Academy in Manchester and applying strong team principles of talent spotting, skill development, science and nutrition,


winning and sports psychology. With the subsequent financial backing of Sky, Team Sky was formed. On 22 July 2012, Bradley Wiggins was


crowned champion of the 2012 Tour de France, the first Englishman to win the Tour since its inception in July 1903, with Team Sky also taking second place. What lessons can the construction


industry draw from the strategy, approach and ultimate success of Team Sky? Psychology literally is the study of the


Bradley Wiggins celebrates winning the Tour d


e France


in front of the Arc de Triomphe with Team Sky


Psychology and construction So what is the relevance of psychology for construction and the various roles within the industry? Considering the inherent challenges in the construction cycle, including project duration often spread over several years, the changes of personnel within that time, the different engagement at key project stages, the bespoke nature of projects, procurement constraints and lack of integration, trust etc, there is no greater need than to improve understanding, communication and team working to overcome these challenges. Our motives are major determinants of


our behaviour. If we understand our own motives and those of others, we can ensure that our own behaviour and that of others will deliver better performance and outcomes. Using a “profile approach” therefore


encourages sensitivity and understanding of others and their individual differences. Using this understanding, we can adopt differing styles and approaches to achieve positive motivation for individuals and/or teams, develop cohesion and enhance performance. Teams — whether they are “internal” to


organisations, departments or functions, or “external” when delivering a project,


> CONSTRUCTION MANAGER | SEPTEMBER 2012 | 47


CPD


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