Practical Guide to Team Management in Project Management

Does your organization accept the reality that 67% of projects fail?

Ambiguous role distribution, unclear accountability, and a lack of team collaboration—these issues are significantly lowering the productivity of Japanese companies.

However, companies that have introduced systematic team management have reported phenomenal results, with productivity increasing by 20–400% and turnover rates improving by up to 30%.

In this article, we have systematized a comprehensive guide covering everything from the basics to the practical application of team management in project management.

We will resolve the current situation where project operations are person-dependent and it is unclear who is responsible for what.

We provide practical, ready-to-use tools such as RACI charts, skill matrices, and role distribution tables.
We explain specific application methods by industry, such as Agile teams in the IT industry, the stage-gate method in manufacturing, and multi-professional collaboration in the nursing care industry.

First, we will clarify the root cause of 'why 67% of projects fail' using statistical data and case studies of failure.

Next, we will systematically explain the roles and responsibilities of Project Managers (PM), Project Leaders (PL), and stakeholders using diagrams.

We provide a practical method for creating role distribution tables in five steps, along with Excel, PowerPoint, and Word templates.

We detail the five management points that leaders must grasp, scientific approaches to team building, and specific methods for communication design.
We explain how to deal with common failure patterns (role overlap, skill mismatch, handover failure) with real-life examples.

Finally, we present a way to achieve visible results in one month with a three-step improvement program that you can start this week.

Japan's labor productivity remains at a low level, ranking 29th out of 38 OECD member countries.With the workforce shrinking due to population decline, improving per-capita productivity is an urgent issue.
There is a demand for management methods that adapt to new ways of working, such as digitalization, remote work, and Agile development.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the IPA (Information-technology Promotion Agency) are also promoting the standardization and systematization of project management.

The success of project management and team management depends not only on understanding theory but also on the continuation of practical efforts.

Through this article, take the first step toward building the optimal team management structure for your organization and dramatically improving your project success rate.

Last updated: June 30, 2026 (First published: August 29, 2025)

1. What is Team Management in Project Management? Basics and Importance

Team management in project management is the process of clarifying the roles, responsibilities, and authority of team members to achieve project goals, and building and operating an effective collaborative structure.

This is not just about staffing or task assignment.

It is a systematic approach to maximizing the capabilities of the entire team, leveraging the skills and expertise of individual members, and enabling the organization to act as one to produce results.

＜What you will learn in this chapter＞
(1) Why do 67% of projects fail? The cause is unclear roles
(2) The importance of role distribution as the key to project success

(1) Why do 67% of projects fail? The cause is unclear roles

Statistics on project failure rates serve as a wake-up call for the entire industry.
According to the CHAOS Report released by the Standish Group in 2020, 66% of software projects fail or face significant issues.

Looking at the details, the success rate drops to just 9% for large enterprises, 16.2% for mid-sized companies, and only 28% for small businesses.

Data within Japan shows a similar trend.
According to the "Software Development Analysis Data Collection 2022" published by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA), "Software Development Analysis Data Collection 2022" out of the 3,541 projects analyzed, only about half were completed as planned.

Analyzing the primary causes of failure reveals that 41% are attributed to ambiguous roles and responsibilities.
Specifically, the following problems occur:

• The project manager's authority is unclear, leading to delays in decision-making.

• The location of responsibility among team members becomes ambiguous, leading to tasks being missed.

• Role distribution with stakeholders is unclear, causing communication confusion.

• Lack of coordination between departments leads to stagnant information sharing.

• Escalation routes are unclear, delaying problem resolution.

An actual example of failure is the Airbus A380 development project.
Failure to coordinate roles between geographically dispersed teams resulted in a $6 billion cost increase and a two-year delay.
In this case, the ambiguous boundary of design responsibility between the French and German development teams caused fatal integration issues.

This observation highlights a fundamental problem in Japanese companies.

(2) The Importance of Role Definition as a Key to Project Success

The most important factor for project success is clear role definition.

According to a survey by the Project Management Institute (PMI), projects with clearly defined roles have a 2.5 times higher success rate compared to those that do not.

The importance of role definition can be understood from the following five aspects:

① Improved efficiency through clarification of responsibilities
When each member accurately understands their scope of responsibility, it prevents work duplication and omissions.
According to a Week Plan survey, employees with clear roles see a 53% increase in work efficiency and a 27% increase in effectiveness.

② Faster decision-making
By clarifying the scope of authority, the decision-making process is significantly shortened.
McKinsey research has found a 40% difference in project success rates between organizations that take less than an hour to make decisions and those that take five hours or more.

③ Optimization of communication
Information flow becomes smoother when it is clear who is responsible for what.
Reporting lines, points of contact, and approvers become clear, resolving communication confusion.

④ Increased motivation
Team member engagement improves when their roles and contributions are clear.
A Gallup survey shows that employees with clear roles have a 75% increase in passion for their work, and 84% state they wish to remain at their workplace.

⑤ Strengthening risk management
Early detection and response to risks become possible when the person responsible for each area is clear.
If the person responsible for each phase of a project is clear, problems can be addressed quickly when they arise.

Looking at examples of successful companies, the effects of clarifying roles are significant.
IdeaS Revenue Solutions clarified roles by introducing a collaborative work management platform, increasing the number of projects fourfold from 20-50 to over 200 in two years.
The main reason this result was achieved without additional personnel was the efficiency gains from optimizing role distribution.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also recognizes the importance of role distribution in commissioned research and development projects, andin the "Operational Guidelines for Intellectual Property Management in Commissioned Research and Development,"calls for clear role definitions among project participants.

Clarifying roles is not just a management technique.
It is a strategic approach that maximizes the performance of the entire team and dramatically increases the probability of project success.

As statistical data shows, projects with clear roles achieve superior results in productivity improvement, cost reduction, and schedule adherence.

2. Team Management Structure and Role List for Project Management

Building a project management structure needs to be optimized according to the size of the organization and industry characteristics, but the basic role structure is common.

Here, we explain practical structures and roles in detail based on Japanese industry standards and the PMI (Project Management Institute) framework.

＜What you will learn in this chapter＞
(1) Roles and responsibilities of the Project Manager (PM)
(2) Role definitions for the Project Leader (PL) and members
(3) Positioning and engagement of stakeholders

(1) Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager (PM)

The project manager is the most critical position, bearing full responsibility for the success of the project.
According to the PMI definition, the PM is the person responsible for 'applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to achieve project objectives.'

Key Areas of Responsibility for a PM

• Responsible for managing the entire project lifecycle, overseeing all phases from initiation to completion.

• In budget management, they handle overall budget allocation and expenditure control to minimize the risk of cost overruns.

• In schedule management, they create and maintain the master schedule and manage the critical path.

• In quality management, they set quality standards for deliverables and establish quality assurance processes.

• As for risk management, they oversee the identification, assessment, and planning and execution of countermeasures.

Authority Required by a PM

• Possesses the authority to appoint and dismiss project team members.

• Holds the authority to approve budget execution (monetary limits vary by organization).

• Holds the final decision-making authority for project policies.

• Possesses the authority to negotiate with external stakeholders.

• Exercises decision-making authority in emergencies.

• Essential Skill Set for a PM

• As a technical skill, a deep understanding of project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid) is required.

• In leadership skills, the ability to set a vision, motivate, and build and develop a team is required.

• As a strategic and business skill, understanding the business case and ensuring alignment with organizational strategy is important.

In the Japanese IT industry, project management is defined as one of the 11 job categories in the IPA's 'IT Skill Standard (ITSS),' and competency is evaluated across seven levels.

PMs at level 5 or higher are expected to manage multiple large-scale projects simultaneously and contribute to improving the project management capabilities of the entire organization.

(2) Defining the roles of Project Leaders (PL) and members

The Project Leader is a key role responsible for practical-level management under the PM.
In the Japanese industry, a clear distinction between PM and PL is particularly emphasized.

Scope of responsibility for Project Leaders

• Perform daily work management and progress checks at the team level.

• Handle practical technical problem solving and quality control.

• Provide work instructions and support to team members.

• Conduct regular status reporting and escalation to the PM.

• Review and approve technical deliverables.

Role classification for project members

• Development engineers are responsible for implementation work based on design documents, conducting unit tests, and reporting technical issues.

• Quality Assurance (QA) personnel are responsible for creating and executing test plans, reporting and tracking defects, and collecting quality metrics.

• Business Analysts (BA) are responsible for requirements definition and documentation, stakeholder coordination, and impact analysis of specification changes.

• Technical writers are responsible for creating user manuals, maintaining technical documentation, and building knowledge bases.

Collaboration mechanisms between roles

• Conduct daily information sharing at daily stand-up meetings.

• Discuss issues and countermeasures at weekly progress report meetings.

• Decide on important matters at monthly steering committee meetings.

As pointed out, role definition is not a formality but a foundation for substantial value creation.

(3) Positioning and Engagement of Stakeholders

Stakeholder management is one of the decisive factors in project success.
According to PMI research, projects that practice effective stakeholder engagement have a 50% higher success rate.

Stakeholder Classification and Management Approaches

• The project sponsor is the most important stakeholder, responsible for project approval and funding.

• Classified as high power and high interest, they require close management and regular reporting.

• Implement weekly or bi-weekly status reports, involvement in key decision-making, and early sharing of risks and issues.

• Customers and end-users are involved from requirements definition to acceptance testing as users of the final deliverables.

• Because they have a high level of interest, regular progress sharing and feedback collection are important.

• Establish processes for prototype reviews, participation in user acceptance testing, and change request management.

Management of Internal Stakeholders

• Management provides strategic alignment and cross-organizational support.

• Conduct monthly management status meetings, escalate items requiring strategic judgment, and report on ROI.

• Related departments (IT, HR, Finance, Legal, etc.) provide specialized support and resources.

• Hold regular coordination meetings, pre-coordinate resource requests, and verify compliance.

Building Relationships with External Stakeholders

• Vendors and suppliers, as providers of products and services, require contract management and SLA management.

• Conduct regular performance reviews, collaborate on problem-solving, and manage contract changes.

• Regulatory authorities vary by industry, but compliance with regulatory requirements is mandatory.

• Obtain necessary approvals and permits, fulfill regular reporting obligations, and handle audits.

Utilizing the Stakeholder Matrix

Use a Power-Interest Grid to categorize each stakeholder into four groups.

High Power, High Interest: Manage Closely (Project Sponsors, Key Customers)
High Power, Low Interest: Keep Satisfied (Management, Regulatory Authorities)
Low Power, High Interest: Keep Informed (End Users, Project Team)
Low Power, Low Interest: Monitor Minimally (General Employees, Indirect Stakeholders)

In the communication plan, share information with each stakeholder group using appropriate frequency, format, and content.

As an engagement strategy, set involvement levels based on influence and interest, and manage expectations accordingly.

PMI Japan Chapter provides practical guidelines for stakeholder management and recommends approaches that consider Japanese cultural characteristics.
In particular, in Japanese management, which emphasizes consensus-building, prior informal negotiations (nemawashi) and a phased consensus-building process are considered important.

3. [Practice] How to Create a Role Assignment Matrix for Successful Project Team Management

A role assignment matrix is a fundamental tool for visualizing the responsibilities and tasks of the entire project team to achieve efficient collaboration.

Here, we explain the actual creation process in five steps, along with specific methods and templates.

<What you will learn in this chapter>
(1) Step 1: Identifying project scope and necessary roles
(2) Step 2: Clarifying areas of responsibility using a RACI chart
(3) Step 3: Placing the right people in the right roles using a skill matrix
(4) Step 4: Incorporating into a role assignment matrix template
(5) Step 5: Building consensus at the kickoff meeting

(1) Step 1: Identifying project scope and necessary roles

Clarifying the project scope is the beginning of everything.
Proceeding with role assignment while the scope is ambiguous causes confusion and rework later on.

Project Scope Definition Process

• Start by reviewing the project charter.

• Clarify the project objectives, expected deliverables, key milestones, budget and schedule constraints, quality standards, and acceptance criteria.

• Break down the entire project into manageable units by creating a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure).
  Level 1: Entire Project
  Level 2: Major Phases (Planning, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment)
  Level 3: Major Deliverables for each phase
  Level 4: Specific Work Packages

How to identify necessary roles

• Identify the skill sets required for each work package.

• Systematically organize technical skills (programming languages, frameworks, tools), domain knowledge (industry knowledge, regulatory requirements, business processes), and soft skills (communication, problem-solving, leadership).

• It is important to set the granularity of roles appropriately.

• If they are too granular, management becomes cumbersome; if they are too broad, responsibilities become ambiguous.

• Generally, it is recommended to consolidate them into 10 to 15 key roles.

Elements for creating role definition documents

• Clearly define the role name and abbreviation.

• List 3 to 5 core responsibilities as Primary Responsibilities.

• List about 10 to 15 specific tasks and activities.

• Specify necessary qualifications and experience (distinguishing between mandatory and desirable requirements).

• Illustrate the reporting lines (direct supervisors and subordinates).

(2) Step 2: Clarifying scope of responsibility using a RACI chart

A RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) is a powerful tool for clarifying the relationship between tasks and roles.

According to research by Asana, projects that utilize a RACI chart improve their on-time delivery rate by 26% compared to those that do not.

Basic rules of a RACI chart

• Responsible: The person who actually performs the work. Multiple people can be assigned.

• Accountable: The person who bears final responsibility. Only one person per task.

• Consulted: People who should be consulted before a decision is made. Requires two-way communication.

• Informed: People who should be notified of decisions or progress. One-way communication.

Practical Steps for Creating a RACI Chart

• Create a matrix with tasks/deliverables on the vertical axis and roles/names on the horizontal axis.

• Fill in the corresponding RACI code in each cell.

• Apply validation rules to check for inconsistencies.

• Ensure that there is exactly one A for every row (task).

• If A and R are the same person, verify the workload.

• If there are too many Cs (5 or more), evaluate the risk of decision-making delays.

Common Failure Patterns and Countermeasures

• The 'Everyone is Responsible' trap: A situation where responsibility is dispersed, resulting in no one taking accountability. Countermeasure: Clearly distinguish between primary and secondary leads, and consolidate 70% or more of the responsibility with the primary lead.

• The 'Absence of Accountable' problem: The final decision-maker is unclear, causing decision-making to stall. Countermeasure: Assign an appropriate level of manager as A based on the organizational hierarchy.

• Delays due to 'Excessive Consulted': Including all stakeholders in consultations requires a vast amount of time for coordination. Countermeasure: Distinguish between mandatory and optional consultees, and set timeboxes.

(3) Step 3: Right Person for the Right Job Using a Skill Matrix

A skill matrix is a tool that maps team members' abilities against required skills to achieve optimal talent placement.

As this point suggests, appropriate talent placement is a prerequisite for organization.

Components of a Skill Matrix

• Record member information (name, affiliation, years of experience, certifications held) as basic information.

• Categorize skills into technical skills, business skills, management skills, and soft skills.

• Set evaluation levels on a 4-point scale.
  Level 1: Can perform under supervision
  Level 2: Can perform independently
  Level 3: Can mentor others
  Level 4: Can innovate and improve at the organizational level

Conducting Skill Gap Analysis

• Visualize the gap between current skills and required skills.

• Identify critical gaps (skills that are essential for project execution but are lacking).

• Consider countermeasures such as conducting training, hiring external experts, and introducing a mentoring system.

Optimal Allocation Algorithm

• Calculate the skill match degree (required skill level / possessed skill level).

• Evaluate workload balance (standard deviation of assigned time for each member).

• Consider growth opportunities (as a stretch goal, assign tasks at the current level + 1 for approximately 20% of the time).

• Implement risk diversification (assign a primary and secondary person in charge for critical tasks).

(4) Step 4: Incorporating into the Role Assignment Table Template

A practical role assignment table is ideally in a format that can be easily created and updated in Excel.
The following shows a practical template structure.

Basic Sheet Configuration

• Master Sheet: Record basic project information (project name, duration, budget, major milestones).

• Role Definition Sheet: List detailed definitions, required skills, and scope of responsibility for each role.

• RACI Matrix Sheet: Visualize RACI using a task vs. role matrix.

• Skill Matrix Sheet: Evaluate capabilities using a member vs. skill matrix.

• Assignment Sheet: Specific task assignment and progress management.

Techniques for utilizing Excel features

• Achieve visual management with conditional formatting.
  Delayed tasks: Red background
  Risk items: Yellow background
  Completed items: Green background

• Control data entry with data validation features.
  Select RACI codes from a dropdown list
  Standardize date formats
  Restrict numerical ranges

• Perform multi-faceted analysis with pivot tables.
  Workload aggregation by member
  Resource allocation by phase
  Skill-based fulfillment rate analysis

Rules for updates and maintenance

• Establish a weekly update cycle, with progress updates every Friday and distribution the following Monday.

• Ensure thorough version control by including the date in the file name (e.g., RoleAssignmentTable_20250828_v1.xlsx).

• Create a change history sheet to record when, who, what, and why changes were made.

• Manage access permissions and clearly distinguish between those with editing rights and those with viewing rights.

(5) Step 5: Building Consensus at the Kick-off Meeting

The kick-off meeting is a crucial opportunity to formally approve the role assignment table and build a shared understanding across the entire team.

Pre-meeting preparation checklist

• Conduct a final review of the role assignment table (check if RACI is set for all tasks).

• Distribute to participants in advance (at least 3 business days prior) to ensure review time.

• Prepare meeting rooms and online environments (projectors, whiteboards, web conferencing tools).

• Complete preparation of supplementary materials (project charter, WBS, schedule).

Agenda structure (estimated 90 minutes)

• Opening (10 minutes)

  1. Reconfirming project objectives

  2. Setting today's goals

• Project Overview (15 minutes)

  1. Explanation of scope, schedule, and budget

  2. Confirmation of key milestones

• Detailed explanation of the role assignment table (30 minutes)

  1. Scope of responsibility for each role

  2. How to read and understand the RACI chart

  3. Current status of the skill matrix

• Q&A and Discussion (20 minutes)

  1. Clarification of unclear points

  2. Sharing concerns and identifying items that require adjustment

• Consensus Building (10 minutes)

  1. Review of revision items

  2. Obtaining consensus from everyone

  3. Formal approval process

• Next Steps (5 minutes)

  1. Actions for the upcoming week

  2. Date for the next regular meeting

Consensus Building Techniques

• Visualize the level of consensus using the "Fist-to-Five" method.
  5 fingers: Fully agree, actively support
  4 fingers: Agree, will support
  3 fingers: Neutral, will not oppose
  2 fingers: Have concerns, but will not hinder
  1 finger: Have serious concerns, discussion needed
  Fist: Oppose, cannot proceed as is

• Set up a concern parking lot to temporarily store off-topic discussions and address them later, thereby streamlining the meeting.

• Clarify action items to document who, what, and by when tasks will be performed, and establish a follow-up system.

• Create consensus documents to clearly state agreed-upon items in meeting minutes, distribute them to all participants via email, and obtain electronic signatures if necessary.

4. Practical Techniques for Effective Project Management Team Management

Success in team management for project management depends not only on understanding theory but also on applying practical techniques.

Here, we explain specific methods that can be immediately utilized in the field.

＜What you will learn in this chapter＞
(1) 5 management points that leaders should master
(2) Optimization of team building and role assignment
(3) Communication design and information sharing mechanisms

(1) 5 management points that leaders should master

To succeed as a project leader, you must reliably practice the following 5 management points.

① Clear expectation setting and goal management

• At the start of a project, set specific expectations for each member.

  1. Set quantifiable goals based on the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) principle.

  2. For example, instead of 'improve quality,' present a specific goal such as 'reduce the defect rate from the current 3% to 1.5% or less.'

• Conduct weekly 1-on-1 meetings to check progress and make course corrections.

• Operate efficiently with a 15-minute structure: progress report (5 minutes), discussion of issues and countermeasures (7 minutes), and confirmation of next week's priorities (3 minutes).

(2) Ensuring Psychological Safety

• As revealed by Google's research project 'Project Aristotle,' psychological safety is the most important factor in team effectiveness.

• Foster a culture that treats failure as a learning opportunity.

  1. Hold a 'Failure Reporting Meeting' once a month to share lessons learned from failures.

  2. Enforce the principle of being blame-free; seek the root cause, but do not attack individuals.

• Encourage open questions and discussions.

  1. Explore root causes using the '5 Whys' technique.

  2. Rotate the role of 'Devil's Advocate' to express opposing views.

(3) Practicing Adaptive Leadership

Flexibly change leadership styles according to team maturity and task characteristics.

Directive: Provide clear instructions to new members or in emergencies.
Coaching: Provide support and guidance to members who need skill improvement.
Supportive: Provide resources and an environment for members who can work autonomously.
Delegative: Delegate authority and responsibility to experienced members.

(4) Data-Driven Decision Making

Make decisions based on quantitative data, not just intuition or rules of thumb.

• Build a KPI dashboard to visualize project status in real-time.

• Update progress rates, quality metrics, resource utilization, and risk scores daily.

• Utilize predictive analytics to forecast future risks based on historical data.

• Track remaining work using burndown charts.

• Identify productivity trends through velocity analysis.

5. Building a Continuous Feedback Loop

Achieve timely improvements through continuous feedback rather than annual evaluations.

• Structure feedback using the 'SBI' model (Situation, Behavior, Impact).

• Clearly communicate the specific situation, observed behavior, and its impact.

• Introduce peer feedback to conduct mutual evaluations among team members.

• Conduct 360-degree evaluations quarterly to identify opportunities for improvement from multifaceted perspectives.

(2) Optimization of Team Building and Role Allocation

Effective team building is not just a social activity, but a strategic organizational development approach.

A phased approach based on the Tuckman model

• Forming: The stage where team members first gather.
  Conduct icebreaker activities (Two Truths and a Lie, speed networking).
  Create a team charter to articulate shared values and codes of conduct.

• Storming: The stage where disagreements and role conflicts occur.
  Hold conflict resolution workshops.
  Promote mutual understanding using personality assessment tools like DISC or MBTI.

• Norming: The stage where a sense of unity as a team is formed.
  Conduct sessions to share successful experiences.
  Establish unique team rituals and traditions.

• Performing: The stage where high performance is demonstrated.
  Promote further growth by setting stretch goals.
  Stimulate creativity through innovation workshops.

Dynamic optimization of role allocation

Flexibly adjust role allocation as the project progresses.

• Expansion of roles according to skill growth.
  Initial: Responsible for executing simple tasks
  Mid-term: Responsible for executing complex tasks, accountable for simple tasks
  Late-term: Sub-project leader, mentor role

• Regular review of workload balancing.
  Analyze task completion rates and overtime hours on a weekly basis.
  Redistribute tasks from members with concentrated workloads to those with capacity.

With this perspective, we will implement continuous optimization.

(3) Communication Design and Information Sharing Mechanisms

In project success, communication acts like the bloodstream.

It is essential to build a mechanism where the right information reaches the right person at the right time.

Formulation of a Communication Plan

• Create a communication matrix to clarify who communicates what to whom, when, and how.

• Define communication frequency and format by stakeholder.
  Management: Monthly executive report (PowerPoint format, within 10 pages)
  PMO: Weekly progress report (Excel format, using standard template)
  Team: Daily stand-up meeting (15 minutes, verbal)
  Client: Bi-weekly status report (PDF format, with executive summary)

Strategic Utilization of Digital Tools

Select appropriate tools according to the purpose and use them differently based on the nature of the information.

• Synchronous communication
  Video conferencing (Zoom, Teams): Decision-making, brainstorming
  Instant messaging (Slack, Teams Chat): Urgent questions, quick confirmations

• Asynchronous communication:
  Project management tools (Asana, Jira, Trello): Task management, progress tracking
  Document sharing (Google Drive, SharePoint): Deliverable management, knowledge sharing
  Email: Formal notifications, communications requiring a record

Standardization of Information Sharing and Rule Setting

• Unify document naming conventions.
  [Project Code][Document Type][Content][Date][Version]
  Example: PRJ001_MTG_WeeklyMeeting_20250828_v1.docx

• Implement information freshness management.
  Status information: Updated within 24 hours
  Issue/Risk information: Shared within 4 hours of occurrence
  Decision items: Notified within 2 hours of decision
  Implement information management according to confidentiality by clarifying access rights.
  Public: Accessible to all employees
  Restricted: Project members only
  Confidential: Designated officers only
  Top Secret: Individually approved on a Need-to-Know basis
  Efficiency of Meeting Bodies

• Implement specific measures to maximize meeting productivity.
  Clarification of meeting types and purposes:
  Decision-making meeting: Within 30 minutes, 5 participants or fewer, advance materials required
  Information sharing meeting: Recorded for later viewing, with Q&A session
  Brainstorming: Within 90 minutes, facilitator required, deliverable definition meeting efficiency rules:
  ・Agenda distributed 48 hours in advance
  ・Materials shared 24 hours in advance, advance review required
  ・Audio/video check completed 5 minutes before start
  ・Minutes distributed within 2 hours after meeting ends
  ・Action items clearly state the person in charge and deadline
  Setting No-Meeting Time:
  ・No meetings on Wednesday afternoons, reserved as focused work time
  ・No new meetings scheduled after 16:00 on Fridays, allocated for weekly review and planning for the following week

5. [By Industry] Concrete Examples of Project Management and Team Management

Project management approaches vary significantly depending on the industry.

We will explain the optimal team management methods for each industry's characteristics, along with practical examples.

<What you will learn in this chapter>
(1) IT Industry: Role Distribution in Agile Teams
(2) Manufacturing Industry: Standard Model for Project Organization Charts
(3) Nursing Care Industry: Team Management for Multidisciplinary Collaboration

(1) IT Industry: Role Distribution in Agile Teams

In the IT industry, agile team management has become mainstream because of the need for rapid response to change and continuous value delivery.

More than 80% of PMP certification holders in Japan work in IT-related departments, and practical knowledge in this industry has been accumulated.

Basic Composition of a Scrum Team

• The Product Owner (PO) is responsible for maximizing business value.
  They prioritize the product backlog and serve as the point of contact for stakeholders.
  They are responsible for defining acceptance criteria and approving the Definition of Done.

• The Scrum Master (SM) functions as the guardian of the Scrum process.
  They focus on removing obstacles for the team (resolving impediments) and facilitate Scrum events.
  They promote team self-organization and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

• The Development Team (5-9 members) is a cross-functional group of experts.
  It consists of front-end developers, back-end developers, QA engineers, UX/UI designers, and DevOps engineers.
  Everyone possesses T-shaped skills (specialized field + broad knowledge) and can complement each other.

Role Practice in the Sprint Cycle

• Standard flow of a 2-week sprint:

• Sprint Planning (4 hours): PO presents priorities, team determines achievable workload

• Daily Scrum (15 minutes x 10 days): Progress sharing, identification of obstacles, daily work plan

• Sprint Review (2 hours): Demo of deliverables, collection of feedback from stakeholders

• Sprint Retrospective (1.5 hours): Identify process improvements and determine improvement measures for the next sprint

Application Examples in Japanese Companies

Rakuten has introduced a "Squad" system based on the Spotify model since 2016.

Small teams of 6-8 people (Squads) have end-to-end responsibility for specific services or features.
Multiple Squads gather to form a Tribe, working on a common mission.
Cross-functional knowledge sharing is achieved through Chapters (functional groups) and Guilds (interest-based communities).

As a result, deployment frequency improved from once a week to multiple times a day, and the time to feature release was shortened from 3 months to 2 weeks.

(2) Manufacturing Industry: Standard Model for Project Organization Charts

In the manufacturing industry, strict management of Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) is required, necessitating a hierarchical and clear chain of command.

Project Structure Unique to Manufacturing

• The Project General Manager (Division Manager level) is responsible for overall management and reporting to executive management.

• The Project Manager (Department/Section Manager level) handles practical-level management.

• Each functional team leader manages their specialized area.

  1. Design Team: Product design, CAD data management, design change management

  2. Procurement Team: Supplier management, material procurement, cost negotiation

  3. Production Engineering Team: Process design, equipment preparation, creation of work standards

  4. Quality Assurance Team: Quality standard setting, inspection planning, failure analysis

  5. Production Control Team: Production planning, inventory management, delivery adjustment

Phased Management via Stage-Gate Method

In the manufacturing industry, gate reviews are conducted at each development stage to determine whether to proceed to the next phase.

Gate 0 (Idea Review): Evaluate marketability and technical feasibility
Gate 1 (Conceptual Design Review): Approve basic specifications and target costs
Gate 2 (Detailed Design Review): Confirm design completion and prototype preparation
Gate 3 (Mass Production Preparation Review): Verify mass production system and quality assurance system
Gate 4 (Mass Production Start Review): Final confirmation of initial flow management and market launch preparation

At each gate, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted from the four perspectives of technology, quality, cost, and schedule.

Implementation of Toyota-style Project Management

Toyota has been applying Scrum methods to manufacturing sites since 2004, integrating them with the "Toyota Production System (TPS)."

• Visualization of information using the Obeya (Large Room) method

  1. Displaying all information on the walls of the project room

  2. Standardization of the problem-solving process using A3 reports

  3. Rapid decision-making through daily stand-up meetings

• Strong leadership through the Chief Engineer system

  1. Consistent responsibility from product concept to mass production

  2. Cross-departmental authority and coordination skills

  3. Final decision-making authority from the customer's perspective

This way of thinking is the source of Toyota's organizational strength.

(3) Nursing Care Industry: Team Management for Interprofessional Collaboration

In the nursing care industry, interprofessional collaboration is essential, where experts in medicine, welfare, and daily living support work together to provide user-centered care.
The importance of team management is increasing toward the full implementation of the Community-based Integrated Care System in 2025.

Composition of an interprofessional collaboration team

• Care managers take the lead, responsible for creating care plans and overall coordination.
  They consistently manage assessments, service coordination, monitoring, and benefit administration.

• Medical professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) provide medical care.

  1. Doctor: Diagnosis, determination of treatment policy, medical instructions

  2. Nurse: Medical procedures, health management, medication management

  3. Pharmacist: Medication management, medication guidance, side effect monitoring

• Nursing and rehabilitation staff (certified care workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language-hearing therapists) provide daily life support.

  1. Certified Care Worker: Personal care, assistance with daily living, family support

  2. Physical Therapist: Recovery of motor function, gait training

  3. Occupational Therapist: Activities of daily living training, cognitive function training

  4. Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist: Eating and swallowing training, communication support

• Life support staff (certified social workers, registered dietitians, dental hygienists) support comprehensive improvement in quality of life.
  Role coordination at service representative meetings

• Realize timely information sharing through monthly regular meetings and ad-hoc meetings when status changes occur.
  Standard agenda structure:
  ・Assessment of user's current status (5 minutes per professional x 6 professions = 30 minutes)
  ・Review and revision of care plans (20 minutes)
  ・Confirmation and adjustment of role distribution (15 minutes)
  ・Action plan until the next meeting (10 minutes)
  ・Confirmation of items to explain to the family (5 minutes)
  Strengthen real-time collaboration by utilizing information sharing tools.
  ・Centralization of information using medical-nursing collaboration systems (e.g., MeLL+)
  ・Immediate entry of visit records on tablet devices
  ・Daily information exchange via chat tools
  ・Sharing of medical information through integration with electronic medical records

Success Story: Improving Turnover Rate at a Medical Corporation

A certain medical corporation (200 employees) improved its turnover rate from 30% to 10% by systematizing multidisciplinary collaboration.

Implemented measures:
・Creation of role definition documents by profession and mutual understanding training
・Regularization of multidisciplinary joint conferences (twice a week)
・Introduction of an information sharing platform
・Inter-professional rotation training (twice a year)
・Team building training (quarterly)

Effect measurement indicators:
・Employee satisfaction: 3.2 → 4.3 (5-point scale)
・Timeliness of information sharing: 48 hours → 6 hours
・Incident occurrence rate: Monthly average 12 cases → 3 cases
・User satisfaction: 82% → 94%

To realize a community-based integrated care system, it is essential to foster an organizational culture where multiple professions work together toward common goals.

6. Common Failure Patterns and Countermeasures

Failures in project management are often repetitions of the same patterns.

By recognizing these failure patterns in advance and implementing appropriate countermeasures, you can significantly increase the probability of project success.

<What you will learn in this chapter>
(1) How to prevent role overlap and passing the buck on responsibilities
(2) Key points for resolving mismatches between skills and roles
(3) Mechanisms to facilitate smooth handovers when roles change

(1) How to prevent role overlap and passing the buck on responsibilities

Role overlap and ambiguity of responsibility are among the most common causes of project failure.

According to a PMI survey, 60% of respondents cited inadequate resource management as their biggest challenge.

Typical Failure Patterns

• When the "everyone cooperate" syndrome occurs, you fall into a situation where everyone is responsible, but no one takes responsibility.
  For example, there is a case where quality control was made "everyone's responsibility," resulting in a critical defect being discovered during the testing phase, which delayed the release by three months.

• Leaving gray zones unaddressed creates the perception that "this is not my job" for tasks that span multiple departments.
  In fact, there is a case where the boundary between customer support and system design was ambiguous, leading to missed requirement confirmations and rework man-hours reaching 30% of the total.

• Assigning responsibility without authority creates a situation where those without decision-making power are forced to bear the responsibility.
  There is a case where a project leader was held responsible for cost management despite having no budget execution authority, which prevented appropriate outsourcing decisions and led to delivery delays.

Concrete Preventive Measures

• By thoroughly utilizing a RACI chart, ensure that one person is set as Accountable for each task.

  1. Confirm the validity of the RACI in weekly reviews and correct any issues immediately.

  2. Establish a rule to set the RACI within 24 hours when a new task arises.

• By creating an escalation matrix, clarify the reporting path according to the type and severity of the problem.

  1. Technical issues: Level 1 (Team Leader) → Level 2 (PM) → Level 3 (Technical Manager)

  2. Budget overruns: Level 1 (PM) → Level 2 (Department Head) → Level 3 (Management)

  3. Customer complaints: Level 1 (Sales Manager) → Level 2 (Division Manager) → Level 3 (Executive)

• Establish a cross-boundary task force to specialize in managing work that spans across departments.

  1. Select representatives from each department and hold weekly coordination meetings.

  2. Implement a joint responsibility system so that relevant departments commit to outcomes together.

  3. Document decisions within 48 hours and notify all stakeholders.

(2) Key points for resolving skill and role mismatches

Skill and role mismatches not only lower individual performance but also significantly reduce the productivity of the entire team.

Root causes of mismatches

• Inaccuracy in skill assessment leads to judgments based solely on self-reporting or superficial backgrounds.

  1. A case where '5 years of Java experience' actually meant only maintenance work with no new development experience.

  2. A case where 'project management experience' actually meant only small teams of 5 people or fewer.

• Overestimating growth expectations leads to optimistic assignments based on the belief that 'they can do it if they try'.

  1. Assigning someone to an inexperienced technical area, resulting in over 3 months to catch up and delaying the entire project.

  2. A case where an individual with no leadership experience was suddenly appointed as PM, leading to team collapse.

• Due to organizational convenience, inappropriate assignments are made simply because someone is 'available'.

  1. Assigning an infrastructure engineer to frontend development, resulting in a one-third drop in productivity.

  2. Assigning someone from a sales background as a technical PM, leading to frequent quality issues due to an inability to make technical judgments.

Systematic Resolution Approach

• Achieve accurate competency assessment through multi-layered skill assessments.

  1. Conducting technical tests (online coding tests, design reviews).

  2. Evaluation through practical simulations (case studies, role-playing).

  3. Collecting multi-faceted feedback through 360-degree evaluations.

  4. Review and analysis of past project deliverables.

• Gradually expand roles starting from a small start through phased responsibility expansion.
  Phase 1: Sub-task execution lead (1 month)
  Phase 2: Main task execution lead (2 months)
  Phase 3: Small-scale feature accountability lead (3 months)
  Phase 4: Entire module accountability lead (6 months and beyond)

This observation also applies to skill assessment.

• Establish a support system led by experienced members by introducing a mentoring and buddy system.

  1. Assign one buddy to every new team member (for the first 3 months).

  2. Discuss challenges and solutions in weekly 30-minute 1-on-1 sessions.

  3. Measure growth and adjust roles through monthly skill evaluations.

(3) Mechanisms to facilitate smooth handovers during role changes

Role changes during a project are an unavoidable reality, but without a proper handover process, they lead to loss of knowledge and a decline in quality.

Typical examples of handover failure

• Sudden personnel changes can result in zero or extremely short handover periods.

  1. In cases where a transfer is announced on Friday and the new structure begins on Monday, critical design philosophies are lost, leading to major defects later.

  2. Due to the resignation of a key person, tasks that were dependent on specific individuals become completely black-boxed.

• Tacit knowledge that is not documented is lost when handovers are conducted only verbally.

  1. With a 'just watch and learn' approach to handovers, new appointees may fail to understand their tasks even after three months.

  2. Important customer commitments or special handling rules are not communicated, leading to complaints.

• Formal handover documents often result in papers that are merely filled-out templates and are unusable for actual work.

  1. Only general business flows are described, with no inclusion of exception handling or past troubleshooting cases.

  2. It contains only a list of system passwords, leaving operational precautions and customization details unclear.

Standardized Handover Process

• Establish a handover preparation phase (starting 2 weeks prior).

  1. Creation of a handover item checklist (using a standard list of about 100 items).

  2. Visualization of current tasks using a business inventory sheet.

  3. Organization and centralization of related documents and data (consolidated in a shared folder).

  4. Updating the stakeholder map (contacts, roles, and special notes).

• Implement a parallel operation phase (1–2 weeks).

  1. The predecessor and successor perform tasks together (shadowing).

  2. Gradual transfer of authority (viewing → execution → approval).

  3. Resolve questions in daily review sessions (30 minutes).

  4. Attend important meetings and gradually transition roles.

• Systematize the knowledge transfer phase.

  1. Convey in-depth knowledge through knowledge sessions (2 hours x 3 sessions).
     Session 1: Business Overview and Routine Operations
     Session 2: Exception Handling and Troubleshooting
     Session 3: Improvement Opportunities and Future Plans

  2. Create a Q&A document (50+ anticipated questions).

  3. Record complex operational procedures through video sessions.

• We will continue support after the handover by establishing a follow-up system.

  1. First month: The predecessor conducts a 15-minute check-in daily.

  2. Months 2-3: Set up a weekly regular consultation time.

  3. Available for contact for 6 months as an escalation point in case of emergencies.

• We will continuously improve the process by conducting handover evaluations.

  1. Conduct an effectiveness survey one month after the handover is complete.

  2. Collect information that was missing, materials that were useful, and improvement suggestions.

  3. Regular review of the handover process (twice a year).

7. Collection of Templates for Team Management in Project Management

Ready-to-use templates are essential for practical project management.
Here, we introduce effective, field-proven templates along with specific usage methods and customization points.

<What you will learn in this chapter>
(1) Excel version: Project Role Assignment Table (with RACI)
(2) PowerPoint version: Project Organization Chart Template
(3) Word version: Role Definition and Job Description Format

(1) Excel version: Project Role Assignment Table (with RACI)

The Excel version of the role assignment table is the most versatile tool and can be introduced immediately in many organizations.

Basic Structure and Functions

• The main sheet consists of five tabs.

• The Project Information tab contains the project name, duration, budget, PM information, and update history.

• The Role Definition tab defines 15 to 20 roles, including detailed descriptions, required skills, and expected outcomes for each.

• The RACI Matrix tab places 100 to 150 tasks on the vertical axis and roles/assignee names on the horizontal axis, with R/A/C/I entered in each cell.

• The Resource Load tab visualizes each member's workload on a weekly basis and displays an overload warning in red.

• The progress dashboard tab displays completion rates, the number of delayed tasks, and the number of risk items in graphs.

Automation using Excel functions

• Use the data validation feature to restrict RACI inputs and allow selection from a dropdown list.
  =Data Validation: List
  Input values: R,A,C,I
  Use the COUNTIF function to count the number of A (Accountable) for each task, and display an error if it is not 1.
  =IF(COUNTIF(D2:Z2,"A")<>1,"Error: 1 A is required","OK")

• Achieve visual management using conditional formatting.

  1. Automatically color A blue, R green, C yellow, and I gray.

  2. Highlight the entire row of overdue tasks with a red background.

Customization points

• Adjust the number of tasks and roles according to the organization size (Small scale: 50 tasks x 10 roles, Large scale: 200 tasks x 30 roles).

• Use role names that reflect industry characteristics (IT industry: Scrum Master, Manufacturing: Quality Control Manager).

• Add approval processes (add codes other than RACI, such as S=Sign-off, V=Verify, etc.).

• Multilingual support (implement a function to switch between Japanese and English).

(2) PowerPoint Version: Project Organization Chart Template

The PowerPoint version of the organization chart is an ideal visual tool for explaining to stakeholders and obtaining approval.

Slide composition (10 slides in total)

1. Cover slide: Project name, duration, creation date, version information

2. Executive summary: Explain the key points of the organization in 3 key points

3. Overall organization chart: View the entire organizational structure from a bird's-eye view (utilizing SmartArt's organization chart feature)

4. Detailed organization chart (3 slides): Detailed structure of each department/team

5. Role matrix: Organize major roles and areas of responsibility in a table format

6. Communication flow: Illustrate the flow of information and meeting structures

7. Governance structure: Decision-making process and escalation path

8. Resource planning: Monthly personnel planning and external resource utilization planning

9. Contact List: Contact information for key members

10. Design Elements and Visualization Techniques

    1. Improving Identification through Color Coding:
       Internal Organization: Blue shades (#0066CC)
       External Organization: Green shades (#00AA00)
       Stakeholders: Orange shades (#FF9900)
       PMO/Management Functions: Purple shades (#9933FF)

    2. Using an icon library to intuitively represent roles:
       Leader: Crown icon
       Engineer: Gear icon
       Communicator: Speech bubble icon
       Quality Control: Checkmark icon

    3. Achieving step-by-step explanations with animation effects:
       Display by hierarchy using fade-in
       Emphasize key points with zoom
       Represent information flow with path animation

How to Use Presentations

• For Management (5-minute version): Use slides 1, 2, 3, and 8 to explain the overall structure

• For Practitioners (15-minute version): Use all slides to explain detailed role assignments

• For New Members (10-minute version): Use slides 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 to explain the operational structure

(3) Word Version: Role Definition and Job Description Format

The Word version of the role definition can be used to document detailed job responsibilities and serve as basic material for contracts and evaluations.

Standard Format Structure

• Section 1: Basic Information

  1. Role Name/Job Title

  2. Department/Team

  3. Direct Supervisor/Subordinate

  4. Document Creation Date/Revision History

• Section 2: Role Overview

  1. Purpose of the position (approx. 100 characters)

  2. Key areas of contribution (3-5 items)

  3. Success metrics/KPIs (5 quantitatively measurable indicators)

• Section 3: Key Responsibilities and Job Description

  1. Core responsibilities (5-7 items accounting for 70% of total time)

  2. Periodic responsibilities (3-5 items accounting for 20% of time)

  3. Ad-hoc responsibilities (ad-hoc tasks accounting for 10% of time)

• Section 4: Required Qualifications and Skills

  1. Mandatory Requirements (Education, Certifications, Years of Experience)

  2. Technical Skills (Approximately 10 Hard Skills)

  3. Soft Skills (5 items such as Communication, Leadership, etc.)

  4. Desirable Requirements (Conditions that are a plus)

• Section 5: Scope of Authority

  1. Decision-making Authority (Monetary Limits, Approval Scope)

  2. Personnel Authority (Hiring, Evaluation, Termination)

  3. Budget Execution Authority

  4. External Negotiation Authority

Best Practices for Documentation

From this perspective, we avoid person-dependent expressions and describe roles as organizational functions.

• Sentence structure starting with action-oriented verbs:

  1. "Manage...", "Analyze...", "Create..."

  2. "Coordinate...", "Approve...", "Report..."

• Specifying measurable outcomes:

  1. "Create monthly reports by the 3rd business day"

  2. "Maintain customer satisfaction at 90% or higher quarterly"

  3. "Achieve a 95% annual project completion rate"

Industry-specific customization examples

• For the IT industry: Use Agile terminology (sprint, backlog, velocity)

• For the manufacturing industry: Incorporate quality control terminology (QC, ISO9001, FMEA)

• For the medical and nursing care industry: Specify professional job titles and qualification requirements (nurse, certified care worker)

• For the construction industry: Add legal compliance items (Construction Business Act, Industrial Safety and Health Act)

These templates are created using only standard Microsoft Office features and can be utilized immediately without any special software or macro knowledge.
It is important to customize them according to the actual situation of each organization and to improve them continuously.

8. Case studies of project management and team management learned from successful companies

We will explain in detail, with concrete numerical data, how actual companies reformed their team management and achieved results.

<What you will learn in this chapter>
(1) Company A (50 employees): 40% improvement in productivity through the introduction of a role assignment table
(2) Company B (nursing care facility): 30% reduction in turnover rate through multi-professional collaboration

(1) Company A (50 employees): 40% improvement in productivity through the introduction of a role assignment table

Company A, a mid-sized IT service company, achieved a dramatic improvement in productivity in just one year by clarifying role assignments.

Challenges before introduction

• Company A is a system development company founded 10 years ago, and it was facing organizational confusion due to rapid growth.

• The project delay rate reached 45%, and an average of 8 customer complaints were received per month.

• Engineers were working an average of over 80 hours of overtime per month, and the annual turnover rate was at a critical level of 25%.

• Comments stating "I don't know who is doing what" accounted for 67% of internal survey responses.

Implemented Reform Process

Phase 1 (3 months): Current Status Analysis and Problem Visualization
We investigated the role distribution across all projects and found that there was an average of 3.2 people with overlapping responsibilities, and 23% of all tasks had no assigned responsibility.
We conducted 1-on-1 interviews with all employees to collect feedback on role-related dissatisfaction and improvement requests (totaling 150 hours).

Phase 2 (2 months): Design and Introduction of Role Distribution Table
We created a RACI matrix for each project and assigned clear owners for all tasks.
We built a skill matrix, evaluated the skills of all 50 employees on a 4-point scale, and implemented reassignments based on the right person for the right job.
We introduced weekly role review meetings to institutionalize early problem detection and coordination.

Phase 3 (7 months): Consolidation and Continuous Improvement
We evaluated the effectiveness of role distribution in monthly review meetings and established a PDCA cycle.
We shared excellent practical examples within the company and horizontally deployed best practices.
We reviewed role definitions quarterly to adapt to changes in the business environment.

Achieved Results (Numerical Data)

• Improvement in Productivity Indicators:
  Revenue per person: 1.2 million yen/month → 1.68 million yen/month (40% increase)
  Project completion rate: 55% → 92%
  Average development period: 4.5 months → 3.2 months (29% reduction)

• Improvement in Quality Indicators:
  On-time delivery rate: 55% → 94%
  Defect rate: 2.3 cases per 1000 lines of code after release → 0.8 cases
  Customer satisfaction: 3.2 → 4.4 (on a 5-point scale)

• Improvement in Organizational Indicators:
  Average overtime: 80 hours/month → 35 hours/month (56% reduction)
  Turnover rate: 25% per year → 8%
  Employee satisfaction: 2.8 → 4.1 (on a 5-point scale)

(2) Company B (Nursing Care Facility): 30% Reduction in Turnover Rate through Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Company B, which operates nursing care facilities (180 staff, 3 facilities), solved a serious talent drain problem by systematizing multidisciplinary collaboration.

Serious Situation Before Implementation

• The annual turnover rate reached 42%, and there was a constant vacancy of about 30 people.

• Due to a lack of coordination between job categories, an average of 15 incidents occurred per month.

• Dissatisfaction such as "I don't know what other departments are doing" and "collaboration is not working well" was widespread.

• New employee training lacked consistency, and it took an average of 6 months for them to become fully productive.

Specific Measures for Strengthening Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Restructuring of Organizational Structure:
  Appointed multidisciplinary collaboration promotion leaders at each facility (selected from nurses, certified care workers, and physical therapists).
  Introduced a cross-functional care team system, forming teams of 5 professions for every 10 users.
  Made multidisciplinary conferences mandatory twice a month to facilitate information sharing and role coordination.

• Establishing a Communication Foundation:
  Revamp the nursing care record system so that all job categories share information on a single platform.
  Standardize handovers to transition from job-specific to integrated handovers (30 minutes each morning and evening).
  Introduce a chat tool (LINE WORKS) to enable real-time information sharing.

Based on this principle, we implemented systematic reforms.

• Establishing an Education and Training System:
  Conduct multi-disciplinary collaboration training four times a year (4 hours per session, mandatory for all staff).
  Mandate 10 days of cross-disciplinary experience per year through a job rotation system.
  Implement a mentor system, assigning two mentors from different job categories to each new employee.

Achieved Results and Ripple Effects

• Dramatic Improvement in Talent Retention:
  Turnover rate: 42% → 12% (30-point improvement)
  Average length of service: 2.3 years → 4.8 years
  Recruitment costs: 24 million yen/year → 8 million yen (67% reduction)

• Improvement in Care Quality:
  Incidents: 15/month → 3/month (80% reduction)
  User satisfaction: 78% → 95%
  Family satisfaction: 71% → 91%
  Maintenance and improvement rate of care level: 34% → 58%

• Improvement in Staff Satisfaction:
  Workplace environment satisfaction: 2.9 → 4.3 (on a 5-point scale)
  Inter-disciplinary collaboration satisfaction: 2.3 → 4.5
  Job fulfillment: 3.1 → 4.4
  Recommendation intent (would you recommend to others?): 23% → 78%

• Improvement in Management Indicators:
  Occupancy rate: 82% → 96%
  Revenue per person: 280,000 yen/month → 350,000 yen (25% increase)
  Operating profit margin: 3.2% → 8.7%

As is clear from these success stories, the introduction of systematic team management brings about dramatic improvements in organizational performance, regardless of industry or scale.

What is important is not a temporary initiative, but establishing a continuous improvement cycle.

8. 3 Steps to Improve Team Management for Project Management Starting Today

Improving team management does not require waiting for large-scale organizational reform.

By practicing concrete actions you can start today in three steps, you can produce certain results.

＜What you will learn in this chapter＞
(1) This week: Visualization of current role distribution
(2) Within 2 weeks: Creation and agreement of a role distribution table
(3) After 1 month: Review and optimization of roles

(1) Within this week: Visualization of current role distribution

What you should do in the first week is to accurately grasp the current situation.
To solve a problem, you must first accurately recognize it.

Day 1-2: Conducting a current status survey

• Create a simple questionnaire and distribute it to all team members.
  Question items:
  ・List your 5 main tasks
  ・Enter the percentage of time spent on each task
  ・List any tasks where the responsibility is unclear
  ・List any tasks you feel overlap with other members
  ・Tell us about tasks that should be done but are not being addressed

• If you use Google Forms or Microsoft Forms, you can create and distribute it in 30 minutes.

• Set the response deadline within 48 hours and aim for a response rate of 95% or higher.

Day 3-4: Data aggregation and problem extraction

Consolidate the response data into Excel and perform the following analysis.

Creation of a role overlap map:
・List items where 2 or more people have listed the same task
・Calculate the overlap rate (number of overlapping tasks ÷ total number of tasks × 100)
・Goal: Reduce the overlap rate by 50% from the current level

Identification of responsibility gap areas:
・Identify tasks that no one recognizes as being in charge
・Cross-reference with tasks where problems have occurred in the past 3 months
・Prioritization (scoring by impact × frequency of occurrence)

Day 5: Creation and sharing of a visualization report

Summarize the current situation on a single sheet of A3 paper (or one PowerPoint slide).

Elements to include:
・List of all team tasks (50-100 items)
・Each member's current assigned tasks and time allocation
・Problem areas (Red: No responsibility, Yellow: Overlap, Green: Clear)

Top 10 list of improvement priorities

Share this in a 30-minute meeting where all team members participate to align understanding.
The realization that "there were this many problems" is the first step toward improvement.

(2) Within 2 weeks: Creation and agreement of a role distribution table

Once visualization is complete, promptly proceed with creating improvement plans and building consensus.

Week 1: Creation of the first version of the role distribution table

Creation of a RACI chart (3 days):
・Day 1: Logically group tasks (by function, process, customer, etc.)
・Day 2: Tentatively set R (Responsible) and A (Accountable) for each task
・Day 3: Add C (Consulted) and I (Informed) and adjust the overall balance

Judgment criteria during creation:
・Always set one A for each task (multiple not allowed)
・Maximum of 3 people for R (consider splitting if more)
・Keep C to a minimum (to speed up decision-making)
・Newcomers or less experienced members start with R

Draft review (2 days):
・Conduct 15-minute individual interviews with each member
・Collect opinions on assigned roles
・Confirm necessary support and concerns
・Identify skill gaps and consider countermeasures
・Reflect feedback and create the second version

Week 2: Consensus Building and Formal Approval

Holding the Kick-off Meeting (90 minutes):

Agenda:
Necessity of role distribution and expected effects (10 minutes)
Explanation of the new role distribution table (30 minutes)
Confirmation of individual roles and Q&A (30 minutes)
Transition plan and support system (15 minutes)
Consensus confirmation and next steps (5 minutes)

Based on this observation, we will clearly communicate why it is necessary to change now.

Formulation of the transition plan:

Phased transition approach:
・Week 1: Parallel operation period with new roles
・Week 2: Full transition and adjustment period
・Week 3-4: Stabilization and fine-tuning

Support system:
・Assign a mentor to each role
・15-minute daily check-in meetings
・Immediate escalation route when problems occur

(3) One month later: Review and optimization of roles

One month after implementation, we will conduct effectiveness measurement and optimization.

Quantitative effectiveness measurement

Setting and measuring indicators:

Productivity indicators:
・Number of completed tasks (compared to pre-implementation)
・Deadline compliance rate
・Rework occurrence rate
・Changes in overtime hours

Quality indicators:
・Number of errors and defects
・Number of customer complaints
・Number of internal review findings

Organizational indicators:
・Increase/decrease in meeting time
・Decision-making speed (days until approval)
・Timeliness of information sharing (sharing rate within 24 hours)

Qualitative effectiveness measurement

Conducting a pulse survey (5 questions, can be answered in 3 minutes):
・Are your roles and responsibilities clear? (5-point scale)
・Is the division of roles with other members appropriate? (5-point scale)
・Are you given the necessary authority? (5-point scale)
・Has the overall team productivity improved? (5-point scale)
・Please let us know if there are any points that should be improved (free text)

Review session and improvement plan

Holding a 2-hour review workshop:

Keep (Things to continue):
・Effective measures
・Well-received initiatives
・Established good habits

Problem (Issues):
・Areas that did not yield expected results
・Newly emerged problems
・Matters requiring adjustment

Try (New attempts):
・Improvement actions for the next month
・Experimental initiatives
・Skill development plans

Establishing a continuous improvement cycle

Regularizing monthly reviews:
・Fixed to 14:00-15:00 on the first Friday of every month

Participants: PM, each team leader, and 2 members on rotation

Output: Clarification of 3 improvement actions, the person in charge, and deadlines

Large-scale quarterly reviews:
・Updating role definitions
・Adding new members, removing departed members
・Responding to changes in the business environment
・Setting priority improvement themes for the next quarter

By reliably executing these three steps, visible results will begin to appear after one month.

The important thing is not to seek perfection, but to start first.

By accumulating small success experiences, the momentum for organizational-wide transformation will increase, leading to even greater improvements.

【Recommended Related Articles】

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2. Complete Guide to ToDo Management x Team Management | Thorough explanation from free tools to implementation

3. Streamline Team Management with Excel! Complete Guide with Free Templates

About the Author

Yusuke Komatsu

SUIT Co., Ltd. Representative Director and CEO. In March 2013, he was appointed Representative Director and President of Social Ecology Project Co., Ltd. (current company name: Izu Shaboten Resort Co., Ltd., a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market), which he joined as a new graduate. He led the company group to profitability for the first time in seven years. In December 2014, he was appointed Representative Director upon the establishment of SUIT Co., Ltd. Since April 2016, he has served as a Regional Revitalization Advisor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and a Regional Revitalization Evangelist for the Cabinet Secretariat. Since June 2019, he has been a PPP Supporter for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. In October 2020, he was appointed Representative Director and President of VAZ, Inc., a YouTuber agency. He achieved monthly profitability and realized the acquisition of the company by a listed company in January 2022. In December 2022, he performed an incorporation-type company split of SUIT, changed the trade name, and was appointed Representative Director and CEO upon the establishment of the new SUIT Co., Ltd.
Currently, at SUIT, he is
developing and operating the team task management tool "Suit Up", aiming to improve labor productivity across Japanese society, from small and medium-sized enterprises to large corporate teams.

* Company-wide Task Management, Company-wide Project Management, Team Task Management, Team Project Management, Task Visualization, Task Templates, Work Management Tools, Task Management Tools, Task Management Tools, and Project Management Tools are registered trademarks of Suits Inc.