How Can I Get More Focus From My Project Management Team?
Q.) As a project manager, how do I engage the people on my project team? How can I get them to devote more focus to what we are trying to accomplish?
Read on for the answers. In my experience, engaging people on
the project team is usually directly related to their level of
buy-in. In a majority of projects (at least where I've been present)
project personnel are assigned to the task, not because they want to
be or are qualified, but because they were available. This translates
into a distinct lack of "dedication" to the team.
Big step: Get the right people for the
job and be sure that they're in it for the long term.
Also, very few project managers have
evaluative management authority over their team members. Generally,
the team has to fully perform their normal work responsibilities THEN
find the time to work the project. Again: A definite lack of interest
(priority?) in what they rightly view as additional work.
Next step: Engage the enterprise and
convince management to reduce the general work load of project
members and dedicate the majority of their time and focus to the
project. Then be sure that their project efforts are included in
their performance reviews.
When all else fails, buy them dinner.
(Pizza or donuts usually work here in the states...) And, NO, I'm not being sarcastic. Real people respond to real people. While financial rewards are great, sometimes you will gain significantly more engagement with the simple reward of dinner for two in a nearby upscale location (a team member and their spouse / friend).
Keep it simple, frequent, fair, and human and you'll be surprised at the positive results.
