Project Journal: Onboarding a Project Team

Develop a Set of Resources

Develop a set of resources that the team will need. Create a website of these resources using Microsoft Teams/SharePoint, Google Workspaces, or any other location that can be accessed by the team. Resources could include items such as the project charter and description, design documents, software reference manuals, project schedules, and so much more.

Start a Spreadsheet

My last project team was composed of ~130 people. There was a core team and then a set of people that rolled on and off the team. This set of people stayed for about six months. There were five sets of those people. I am currently onboarding a much smaller team.

The first thing that I had to do was to get organized. Getting organized starts with a simple spreadsheet or more technically speaking, a Stakeholder Register. It should include everyone’s name, role, and email at the minimum. But in its more expanded form it might include phone numbers, titles, and companies.

Well, I use it for more and hide the fields if others use it. This is the next part of getting organized. I add columns to track NDAs, submissions to the client for clearances to work, completion of subcontracts if they are subcontractors, which phase of the project they are involved in, and more.

Create eMail Templates

If you have to send the same email over and over, you must make email templates. I have email templates for forms. I have also had emails that introduced the team member to the resources site.

Make a Call

The best thing that you can do for the new team member is to have a one on one call with them to introduce yourself. During the call review all of the tools that they will have at their disposal. Their team members will take care of the rest.

Check Periodically

This isn’t part of day one onboarding, but I just think it’s so important. After a week or two check with each team member to make sure they have the resources and tools that they need to succeed. And of course check on them periodically.

More Tips (1/14/2023)

A Mastodon friend, Kiron Bondale (@kironbondale@mastodon.world) provided a few more tips.

Walk the new team members through the team’s working agreements.

Pair them up with someone as a buddy to help them get productive quicker.

Source: Kiron Bondale, https://mastodon.world/@kironbondale/109687644474922374

Please visit Kiron’s article to see details on the tips below and to read his expert articles on Project Management, Agile, and Change Management.