Team Learning in Projects Theory and Practice

How can today¿s project be done well? How can tomorrow¿s project be done even better? These two classic questions are the foundation for Team Learning in Projects: Theory and Practice, a report of research conducted by Chantal Savelsbergh and Peter Storm. This research follows a previous effort that revealed a strong and positive relationship between team performance and team learning. In this report the researchers drop the second shoe by exploring how to increase team learning behaviors. Their investigation is based on the underlying principle that projects have two goals: to perform and to learn. Learning supports performance of current and future projects; performance stimulates the desire to improve and drives learning. Team Learning in Projects answers two more-focused, research questions: Is it possible to increase the level of team learning within and among project teams with the aid of time-limited interventions? How do different conditions influence the effectiveness of these interventions? The answers are often not-so-surprising, but always informative for both improved understanding and guidance on a new path forward.