Aim: The aim of this research was to explore the soft side of project management, specifically the way process managers apply interpersonal skills to influence team functioning in project-based integrated design teams which apply shared leadership. This will provide insight within the context of shared leadership on the way project-based integrated design teams function, the role of the process manager, and the way interpersonal skills can be applied.
Research question: Considering interpersonal skills, how can process managers influence team functioning in project-based integrated design teams which apply shared leadership?

Methodology: The here described comparative case study uses an interpretive qualitative approach. Data was collected from two case studies, through context analysis, participant observations and interviews on behaviour, team interaction and communication.

Findings: This research highlighted the complexity of hospital design project organisations. The case studies address three managers: process manager, design manager and project controller – who each have their own responsibilities and focus. The emphasis of this research is with the process manager, who adapts to what the project team needs in that situation and can apply interpersonal skills by reflecting and ask questions (Why? What? When? Where? How?) to stimulate creative and critical thinking and engage project team members to interact with each other (trigger shared leadership). These skills can be applied to obtain organisational purposes, such as financial goals and to manage information which can contribute to project progress. Stagnation of project progress occurs when topics or problems are attempted to be solved at the wrong organisational level, thus “at the wrong table” (in Dutch: “het probleem wordt op de verkeerde tafel gelegd”). The different strategic levels influence each other, which in turn may alter the communication, and functioning within the team, as well as the project outcome. Furthermore, this research indicated that BIM is often seen as a goal in its own right, thus as a 3D Revit model, rather than a means to support shared understanding or shared mental model, and thus act as a boundary object. Findings indicated the need for a BIM to be dealt with as an information management system. Therefore, the outcomes of the study and it is recommended to involve a BIM coordinator to enact the use of BIM as a boundary object amongst project team members.

Practical implications: This research emphasizes on the importance of interpersonal skills and the importance of information sharing to team functioning. This can provide insight for project team composition, recruitment and training, and tendering processes.