How to successfully manage your project team

Quite often, companies make use of expensive consultants to support their projects. You would imagine this improves the chances of success, but does it?

There is a cheaper alternative. All it takes is that you follow some simple rules. It works for these boys and it will work for your project as well.

Imagine this is your project team.

Here are the rules:

1. The plan needs to make sense

Imagine you're going to the park. You hate the park, but your neighbour tells you it's a very good thing to do. It's raining and cold. Be honest, ask yourself, does this make sense. If you are not convinced, you will not motivate anyone to join you.

The same is valid for your project. Is it the right thing to do, or do you do it because you think it is expected from you? Think about why others would follow you, if you are not 100% behind the project.

Start again, think of reasons why you need to do this project. Convince yourself it is the right thing to do and identify the benefits. Now that you are motivated, others are more likely to follow you.

2. Clear communication

On the way to the park, you meet a couple of cats and before you know it, the guys start pulling their leashes in all different directions. Of course you get angry and the first response is to shout at the boys. But are they impressed ? Most likely not, chasing cats is in their DNA.

To avoid such situations it is always good to communicate clearly, so everyone understand what is expected. And the communication should be in the way the project team understands, it's for their benefits, not yours.

If you don't communicate, don't expect people to read your mind and do what you expect them to do. This is exactly the same in projects. Make sure everyone understands the rules and communicate frequently, so no one forgets.

Also consider that every project team member could have their own opinion about what is a job well done, as well as their own individual set of strengths and weaknesses. So everyone starts from a different basis and without our clear direction it would be luck if everyone would march in the same direction, at the same pace.

3. Consistent messages

Don't sit on the sofa, get off the sofa, this is the last warning .... well alright, but today is an exception.

Can you imagine how confused the boys are when you communicate this way.

The same is valid for a project team. There need to be clear rules and the project needs to move in one directions, no exceptions.

4. Motivate, motivate, motivate the project team

There might be a difference of opinion about the definition of good, but in the eyes of the boys, everything they do is wonderful! Because of this, they expect endless praise and if you give it, there is endless gratitude. So, tell the boys they did something great, show them how happy you are.

Project teams act in much the same way. Tell them they are doing a good job and motivate them and they will be more productive, show more job satisfaction and work harder.

If you disagree about how well they performed their jobs, it is back to points 2 and 3 and communicate clearly and consistently what is expected.

5. Explain what's in it for them, make it a win/win

Go do this, go pick up that .... your boys might, or they might not do it (depends on what you are asking them to do). However, your chances will increase significantly if you give them a reward. By doing this, you don't only show how happy you, they actually get something which they like! Success is guaranteed.

Think how excited your project team will be when they need to do a lot of work for you (extra effort and time), you'll get the compliments and the benefits and they get .... nothing.

Even when they say they will support you, they might not give it all they have, simply because they don't understand why they do all the work, yet it leaves them empty handed.

So, make sure it's a win/win and let the project team share in the success.

There are probably many more good tips about managing your project team, but hopefully the message is clear what works and what doesn't.

It is as simple as thinking about how you would like others to treat you and work with you? Do you still think you need those expensive consultants to help manage your project?