Lead a project and a team

 The Project Leader of Shifting The Product Lines from Fossil Fueled Cars to Electric Cars

The transition to an environmentally sustainable economy will take at least a generation if we have "enough" time for that. However, all analyses are suggesting that we have to minimize the damage on the planet, NOW. A critical element of the transition is to reduce our use of fossil fuels since it is environmentally destructive. According to the US Energy Information Administration(EIA), the United States is a nation on the move. About 26% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2020 was for transporting people and goods from one place to another. In the past decades, more of those fossil fuels is for transportation. However, petroleum is still the main source of energy for transportation. In 2020, petroleum products accounted for about 90% of the total U.S. transportation sector energy use. Natural gas accounted for about 3%, most of which was used in natural gas pipeline compressors. Electricity provided less than 1% of total transportation sector energy use and nearly all of that in mass transit systems. 

Although most of America’s electricity still comes from fossil fuels, electric vehicles charged by that source of energy indirectly generate greenhouse gasses, as our sources of electricity transition from fossil fuels, the infrastructure of electric vehicles and charging stations will be in place and will facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gases. The trend toward zero-emission vehicles will stimulate the reduction of greenhouse gases. As a multinational vehicle manufacturer, this opportunity and threat is not the one you want to ignore. The movement is not only profitable but also a MUST.

How To Organize Such A Project Team? 

From the demand side of the project, organizing such a team I need at least six major types of professionals that are design and Manufacturing, battery engineering, materials and supply chain management, marketing, and retail. It is a very original and basic concept. Essentially, they will start with designing a prototype and testing it. If it works, then I will set up a goal to put it into mass production. Finding a place for building the factory and then the marketing and retail experts will do their jobs to sell those products. The material and supply chain professionals will have to find a way to stably purchase the required materials such as searching for some long-term trustworthy suppliers and negotiating the contracts. I will have to keep inspiring the designers to design better products and coordinate the workers and managers to produce the products flawlessly. One thing to be clear is that those professionals are all in charge of their own team. Each step follows the PDCA(Plan, Do, Check, Action) rule to develop. Plan(Design > Prototype > Production plan > Produce > Sell ), Do(Implement the plan), Check(Issues solving and find solutions), Action(Implement the new plan). 

How Many Team Members Would The Project Need?

Those most interested in maximizing efficiency and reaching a successful project outcome should focus on selecting individuals for their unique talents, strengths, and skills that align directly with the project goals. Therefore, the project must have a product manager(design), a production manager(manufacture), a battery specialist, a marketing executive, and a sales manager.

What Kinds of Talents and/or Skills Would The Team Need?

I think all these managers are good at what they should do is the fundamental requirements. However, some substantial skills such as battery technology and mass manufacturing are crucial to the quality of the products. Cells are optimized electrochemical, thermal, micron-scale mechanical systems designed to be manufactured at millions per day scale. Therefore, the battery expert must be excellent in this field. But, it doesn’t matter where they come from, where they went to school, or what industry they are previously in. If anyone wants to do outstanding work, join the team to rethink the future of sustainable energy and manufacturing.

The list below shows the essential requirements of each manager that the project needs.

• Product Manager: To lead a team to design and build prototypes, he/she needs leadership skills, industry design, and communication skills.
• Production Manager(manufacture): To put a prototype into mass production, he/she needs technical skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
• Battery Specialist: Safety and storage of batteries in production, support, and training the workers. 
• Marketing executive: Good teamwork skills, communication skills, adaptability, planning skills, creativity, and writing skills.
• Sales Executive: Self-motivated and driven by targets, and strong communication skills.

How To Align Their Talents and Skills To Their Assigned Project Tasks?

A successful team is one where each member has unique strengths they can use to achieve separate parts of the same goal. It's no coincidence that the teams that are comprised of individuals who are working in their area of strength produce extraordinary results. Team members must recognize the value they bring to the group and can fully engage in the project because they see the growth potential. 

To effectively assign the members to roles that align with their competencies, the first step is to identify the project mission, its purpose, and its responsibilities. The roles identified should align with the plan's overall strategy. Secondly, assessing competencies. Assess the knowledge, skills, qualifications, unique talents, and experience of members willing to be involved in project implementation. Finally, assign responsibilities. Review roles which required to be filled and identify individuals who best fill each. 

The Possible Problems or Obstacles 

To create a successful project team, we must confront and address many issues such as lack of trust, conflicts, information sharing, low engagement, group thinking, and misunderstanding of the goals and vision.

Dealing with Those Problems

Trust

Trust is crucial to teamwork, and it starts with people knowing each other. Team members absolutely need to be acquainted, both professionally and personally. There are a few effective ways to build trust such as valuing long-term relationships, being honest, honoring your commitments, admitting when you're wrong, and being vulnerable. 

Conflicts

To resolve conflicts, we must understand the conflict, communicate with the opposition, brainstorm possible resolutions, and explore alternatives.

Information Sharing

Information sharing is a central process through which team members collectively utilize their available informational resources. Teams and organizations that can overcome the quality hurdle and find ways to share rich, contextual threat intelligence within communities of interest often rely on the largest members to initially fill the queue with shared intelligence. To encourage and foster a fruitful information-sharing mindset, leaders have to model the behavior from the top and make knowledge-sharing part of the team values. 

Low Engagement

Engagement is about how employees feel and contribute to job satisfaction, so understanding the workforce's mindset is critical. If the engagement is low, as a leader, I have to develop a plan for building it back up. But before I start, there's a lot of prep work to do. Of course, first I have to learn why employees feel disengaged through effective conversations. And, I have to be empathetic and track workforce-related key performance indicators.

Groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals in a group tend to push aside their personal opinions or beliefs to reach a shared consensus with the group. Use communications platforms that allow for different channels, like video chat and screen sharing, and find ways to include the quiet members of the team in conversations, to build a stronger team.

Misunderstand The Goals and vision

While misunderstandings are common and don’t always cause bigger problems such as conflicts. Therefore, be mindful of how the team communicates, ask questions, avoid emotional conflict, and avoid defensiveness.

Reference

10 common problems project teams face: Challenges & Solutions. APM. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/10-common-problems-project-teams-face/ 

Take online courses. earn college credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/aligning-individual-strengths-with-team-goals.html 

U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - independent statistics and analysis. Use of energy for transportation - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2022, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/transportation.php