From the course: Project Management Foundations

Manage team resources

From the course: Project Management Foundations

Manage team resources

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- Team members are the ones who get things done and achieve the project objectives. You have to motivate the people who work on your project even though they usually report directly to someone else. Let's look at several methods to strengthen your working relationships and motivate your team members. Clearly communicate roles and responsibilities to your team members. You can build your relationships with them by helping them understand what they're responsible for and what you expect of them. Next, give people specific and achievable goals. Team members usually dig deeper to respond to challenges. Provide support and help remove obstacles that get in the way. If your people can't resolve issues or remove obstacles, help them in any way you can. That way they can focus on the work they're supposed to do. Respect your people. They're crucial components to your project because project work wouldn't get done without them. Being respectful helps you get the best your team has to offer. Also, provide feedback quickly. Providing positive reinforcement quickly helps build rapport, and people will do more of what works well. If someone does something wrong, jump in quickly to explain what they should be doing in a tactful way. Another important point. Consistently tell the truth. By telling the truth, you earn people's trust, even if they don't like what they hear. If you can, explain why you're making the requests or decisions that you do. Next, communicate regularly with team members. Status and lessons learned meetings are great ways to find out what people are doing and how well they're doing it. And of course, comparing their progress to the baseline shows whether they're as productive as you expected them to be. Finally, handle people problems quickly if they come up. The answer could be as easy as telling someone what they're supposed to do or explaining the effect they're having on others. It's important to be upfront while at the same time being tactful and respectful. If it turns out someone isn't qualified, think about how you can help them succeed or find someone else to help or take over the work. If this situation comes up, check your work packages and resource requests. Make sure you define them clearly. If you have to replace someone, work with the functional manager to get someone else. If you can't replace the person, you might have to reset stakeholders' expectations about when work will get done, how much it'll cost, or maybe the quality. These techniques help build effective working relationships and motivate team members. To solidify your understanding, write up a sample of what you would say to your team members in your kickoff meeting.

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