How to Turn your Group of Workers into a Team of Players
By Christopher Scordo PMP, ITIL
Teamwork is a funny thing – the saying goes that you are only as strong as your
weakest link. When it comes to project management, this saying is especially true;
especially when it comes to working with a team of individuals who all rely on each
other to make a project work.
Creating a synergy between employees from different backgrounds, with different
interests and different experiences can be extremely tricky. The good news for project
managers is that most team members can be driven toward a common purpose; and finding
that common purpose will often determine the success of the overall project.
When it comes to working together as a team, working towards a common purpose or
goal is critical in maintaining morale and quality. For project managers, this goal
is typically obvious – complete the project on time, on budget, and within scope.
To do that successfully, there are a few things to consider.
Are the right team members in the right positions? Maximizing strengths
is a key part of getting people to work as a team. Think, for instance, of a soccer
team. If a center forward is playing as a defender because your side is full of
injuries, your results on the filed will probably reflect this. The same goes when
assigning project roles- sure, a web developer might understand databases, application
layers, and front-end coding; but understanding where they will be most effective
and happy will ensure higher project performance. When people are in a role where
they function well and which they are good at – you will achieve better results.
Recognizing strengths is crucial for all project managers – if you have adequate
subject matter expertise in your field, you’ll pick up on who belongs where. If
you’re not, you would be best suited in having assistance as you delegate roles.
Are you positively reinforcing your team members? People want to
feel good about what they are doing, and they want to know that those who monitor
their work are encouraged by their performance. As a project manager, if you’re
only ever highlighting performance issues, you will end up fostering a negative
team environment. It is crucially important to praise team members when they get
things right.
There is a great saying which goes: “praise in public, scold in private”. As a project
manager, you should master these words and also learn to master your temper. You
might be infuriated and want to act instinctively when team members make obvious
mistakes. But when you learn to step back, act diplomatically, and take control
calmly, you will often get the best long term performance results.
Are you setting achievable team goals? As mentioned earlier, setting
achievable team goals is crucial to a project’s success. Make sure that you allow
every member of your team to be part of the process. Even if you, as the project
manager, set the schedule and timeline of activities; you can include team members
by individually asking each if they agree with your scope estimates. In addition,
sharing the long term project goals and mapping them out so everybody knows exactly
what is expected of them down the road shows that team members are treated maturely
during the life-cycle of a project. Further, make sure you track those team goals
in a repeatable, consistent manner. This includes recurring status meetings, frequent
status checks, and individually meeting with team members if you feel like they
are falling behind.
Getting the best out of your team can be tricky, but doing so is part and parcel
of a project manager’s role. As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”