Global Project Teams - A Practitioner’s Guide to the 5 Competencies Needed for Success

Sep 22, 2026

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Global Project Teams: A Practitioner’s Guide to the 5 Competencies Needed for Success analyzes how complex, fast-paced global organizations rely on cross-functional and transnational project work, often delivered through temporary or virtual global project teams. It identifies five competencies required for success: project planning, technical project management, team effectiveness, cross-cultural proficiency, and stakeholder communication. The discussion uses the Airbus A380 case to explain how incompatible tools and cultural differences can derail unified decisions, delay launches, and drive major cost overruns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

The Nature of Work Today

Global Projects: Poor Record of Achievement

The Cost of Poor Project Leadership

Primary Causes of Global Project Failure

Two Types of Project Team Leaders

Global Project Teams: A Practitioner’s Guide to the 5 Competencies Needed for Success John R. Riesenberger Consilium Partners, Inc. Abstract Today’s global organizations operate in a complex, fast-paced and unsure business environment. Much of today’s work requires cross-functional and transnational coordination, knowledge transfer and decision-making. Many new initiatives in global firms are assigned to temporary global project teams. This article discusses the five competencies necessary for the success of a global project team: project planning, technical project management, team effectiveness, cross-cultural proficiency, and stakeholder communication. In 2000 Airbus launched its most ambitious project ever, the A380. The A380 is envisioned to hold more than 800 passengers in the world's largest superjumbo jet. Airbus created a consortium of existing companies from France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom with manufacturing facilities in sixteen sites. Although Airbus attempted to bring senior management together at one location, the planning and manufacturing were done at the decentralized sites. The A380 was the most complex plane ever designed by Airbus. It contains 330 miles of wire, over 100,000 wires and over 40,000 connectors. The wiring harnesses produced in the German plant failed to fit properly when installed into the aircraft frame in France. The central problem was determined to be caused by the decision of the two remote design groups in France and Germany to use two different versions of the computer aided design software. These were later determined to be incompatible. The senior leadership team knew of the two different versions being used but failed to reach a decision to use one version. Considerable differences in corporate culture and management styles among the leadership team from the four countries derailed the ability to make a unified decision on software tools. The A380 launch was delayed over two years and its development costs nearly doubled from the original budget. 1, 2, 3 The Nature of Work Today Today's global organizations operate in a complex, fast-paced and unsure business environment. Much of today's work requires cross-functional and transnational coordination, knowledge transfer and decision-making. Many new initiatives in global firms are assigned to temporary global project teams or virtual global project teams.4 Members of these global project teams are assembled from varied organizations around the globe and consist of professionals with differing skills, experience, cultures and functional specialties. The work load involved with these global project teams is typically a 'temporary additional responsibility' in addition to the team member's regular, full-time accountabilities. These projects are frequently called by many names-global projects, virtual projects, strategic initiatives, strategic projects, etc. Global Projects: Poor Record of Achievement Projects can be classified as successful, challenged or failed.5 Recent surveys indicate the rate of successful global projects, defined as on time and on budget with all features and functions specified, average between 29% and 62% .6, 7, 8 The challenged projects, those that were delivered late, over budget and/or with fewer than the required features and functions, average from 22% to 52% . Those projects that failed, defined as cancelled prior to completion or delivered unused, average between 16% and 19% . The Cost of Poor Project Leadership Project cost overruns, due to poor project leadership, have had a profound impact on companies. One recent study of 1,471 IT projects found the average global project cost overrun was 27% .9 One in six projects had a cost overrun of 200%! The 2016 PMI survey revealed that 47% of global projects exceeded their original budgets with an average cost overrun of 12% .10 Recent estimates on the worldwide economic impact of IT project failure range from $3 tri

FAQs

What five competencies does the guide identify as necessary for global project team success?

The guide lists project planning, technical project management, team effectiveness, cross-cultural proficiency, and stakeholder communication as the five needed competencies.

Why was the Airbus A380 launch delayed and costs increased?

The delayed launch and doubled costs were tied to incompatible computer-aided design software versions chosen by remote design groups, along with leadership failure to unify a decision despite knowing the different versions.

How do the two types of global project team leaders differ?

Certified Project Managers typically have formal training in project planning and technical project management, while many have limited training in the other competency areas. Accidental Project Managers are selected from professional or management ranks for leadership and/or functional expertise, often without certification in project planning or technical project management.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Kyle