We need to make follow up on the post prepared by a colleague :

Three risks involved in introducing to a project team a
member whose profile is different from the team’s:
1. Loss of cohesiveness:
In the case described changing a team member may not be readily accepted by the
team due to the difference in characteristics of the new member. No two people
are the same so there will be the time that is required to the new person to gel
with the team. According the Verma (1997), change, conflict and stress are
interrelated; conflict can arise due to the new team member’s behavioural
attributes. Symptoms of resistance to change include loss in productivity,
“sick-outs,” and work slowdowns as well as some more subtle symptoms such as
apathy, hostility and justifications of why the changes won’t work. (Verma,
1997). The resistance to change would effectively regress the team’s development
to an earlier stage (forming or storming) as illustrated by the Tuckman model
(Sanghera, 2010).
2. Communication Problems: Effective communication is
essential to the success of any project as it involves different groups of
people who need to be on the same page. The new team member described in this
week’s question Dave tends to work on his own, this could lead to disconnects in
communication with the rest of the team with respect to tasks that he would be
involved with. Projects often fail when project participants fail to decipher
and transmit appropriate information in a timely manner (Verma, 1997). If there
is confrontation and conflict between the team members this will also contribute
to poor communication within the team. An issue with communication specifically
with the new member will impact the members and the project manager as they may
be apprehensive about interacting with the person regardless of the tone of the
occasion.
3. Negative impact on team effectiveness: A new member of the team
can upset the balance of the team, an unsettled team would not be as effective a
settled one. The composition of the team would influence the team dynamics and
hence the effectiveness of that team; an ineffective team cannot be a successful
one. The relationship that Dave has with his new team can add a new dynamic to
the team but this is determined to how well his characteristics integrate with
the rest of the team. The negative impact is symptomatic of the resistance to
change that may occur by changing a member of the team.
The factors listed
would all impact the execution of the project as they would negatively impact
the communication, productivity and effectiveness of the team hence the
associate project will suffer.
“Coming together is a beginning, keeping
together is progress, working together is success” – Henry
Ford.
References:
1. Dr. Paul Sanghera (2010) PMP In Depth, Second
Edition, Project Management Professional Study Guide for the PMP Exam. Course
Technology, pp. 136, 268, 270
2. Verma, Vijay (1997) Managing the Project
Team: The Human Aspects of Project Management, Volume 3 Project Management
Institute, pp. 31, 68, 196