Seven Tips for Making the Most of Every
Team Member.
Recognizing
your team members’ strengths and weaknesses can increase job satisfaction – and
make you a better project manager. Not every team member is created equal. When
you as project manager get to know the individuals that make up the group, you
can leverage the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses.
What are the other benefits
of getting to know your team?
It
increases job satisfaction since it allows people to better succeed in their
work and you [typically] get a better product faster,” says Nick Warman, PMP, a
software project manager at Peopleclick Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
You
can also help team members improve or avoid projects in which their expertise
may be lacking.
Here are seven tips on how to bring out the best in your
team members.
1.
Get to know your team. Visit your team members at their workspaces and acquaint
yourself with their roles, their everyday tasks and the other projects they
work on. This contact gives you a first-hand account of where problems may
arise, for example, if their other tasks or projects have competing deadlines.
2.
Watch and learn. You can also learn more about your team through their inputs
during status meetings. Pay attention to the topics they seem passionate about.
If their comments are insightful, encourage them to develop their skills. This
will make your team members feel like you are in-tune with their professional
needs and ambitions, and may increase their commitment to you and the project.
3.
Look beyond first impressions. Sometimes your initial impressions may need
revaluating. For example, a team member who seems abrupt at first might instead
have a talent for directness in communicating about the project. When you make
an effort to understand your team members’ individual perspectives, you are
better able to reframe perceived weaknesses into assets.
4.
Initiate communication. Ask questions or start conversations. You’ll increase
your chance of obtaining the necessary information and encourage the team to
collaborate and be a part of the process. Once team members feel you want to
hear from them, they may be more comfortable sharing problems. In the end, open
communication will help team members excel in their roles.
5.
Encourage innovation. Project management can force team members to develop new
solutions and strategies under tight deadlines. Oftentimes, under such
circumstances, the team brings better, more innovative ideas to the table that
can have a genuine effect on an organization’s goals and the project’s results.
Encourage team members to share their ideas often and without hesitation.
6.
Let team members do the teaching. Have your team members educate each other
about a skill they have mastered, like how to create a work breakdown structure
or use a specific software application. These sessions could happen through
wikis, one-on-one conversations, or group learning sessions. This tactic
instills confidence in the instructors and increases morale for the team
members who gain a new skill that can improve their performance.
7.
Offer rewards and recognition. These actions can strengthen the bond
between employees and the organization, and help employees feel more attached
to and responsible for their work. Acknowledge good performance with an
official nod of approval — it can go a long way to motivate a team and
ultimately, to get better results.
Sent in by: PROMAL
ACADEMY LTD,
Samuel Temitayo
Amubieya,
MD, 09026854623
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