ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at various strategies that promote project effectiveness and efficiency by managing people well. It considers traditional approaches to communication, leadership, conflict, team building and problem solving. The chapter focuses on organisation and leadership to provide a holistic approach to possible changes that could take place in people management. It provides an understanding of the communication process and some techniques developed to make communication more effective in project relationships. The chapter aims to identify and manage conflict and stress in construction that specifically hit productivity, and describes the role of innovation and creativity in construction project problem solving. Prolonged or excessive stress can produce adverse physical or psychological symptoms that have the opposite effect. In the construction industry, management and design staff are more susceptible to stress than are the trades. The chapter presents the ways in which teams can critically improve productivity using Meredith Belbin and Isabel Myers—Katharine Briggs and other indicators in determining behavior.
