Listen, Learn, Engage

Project Manager = Project Motivator

Posted by Karrin Frilling, June 28, 2011

Projects come in all shapes and sizes—and timelines. Some require you and your team to operate at warp speed while others seem to linger endlessly. Each type of timeline has its own unique set of challenges. One of those challenges is keeping the team motivated for the life of the project. As a Project Manager, it is your job to ensure that your team stays motivated and committed regardless of whether you’re running a sprint race or a marathon. Here are some ideas on how to do that:

For the sprint. You know this type of project—the client needs it done yesterday. When you have a short timeline, the first thing to get sacrificed is usually project planning. This can leave a team feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and confused about who’s doing what. To motivate your team to get to the finish line successfully, try the following:

• Acknowledge the pace. Tell the team that you recognize that you have a short time to get the project done and that you appreciate in advance what it will take to get there. It will make team members more likely to step up if they know you understand that they are going the extra mile.
• Roll up your sleeves. Be prepared to support your team in unconventional ways. This may mean taking on work that you normally would rely on your resources to do. But seeing that you are right there with them will motivate your team to fulfill their roles too.
• Communicate often and clearly. Communication is key to any project, but is even more critical with a short timeline. Making sure everyone knows who’s working on what will keep them connected, involved, and accountable—which is a lot more motivating than feeling confused, uncertain, and out of the loop.

For the marathon. These are the projects that cover a long span of time—six months to a year (maybe longer). Feeling like you can’t even SEE the finish line after working on a project for several months can be very discouraging. To keep your team from dropping out in the middle of the race:

• Celebrate the small stuff. Maybe it’s the completion of a phase of the project or a successful prototype or trial run. Whatever it is, take time out to celebrate with the team. Perhaps this means a ceremonial check-of-the-box or a lunch out. No matter what form it takes, recognizing success along the way will keep the team motivated to move on to the next thing.
• Look at how far you’ve come. One of my project teams has been working on a single deliverable since last October. It’s still not quite finished. If we were to simply say, “It’s been nine months and we’re still not done?!?!?” I think we’d all want to throw in the towel. But looking back at where we started—with merely a concept—and seeing what we’ve created at this point gives us that little push to make it to the end.
• Show appreciation. Let your team know that you appreciate the fact that they’re sticking it out. When things seem to move backward before they move forward, it can be easy for resources to consider bailing. Letting them know that you value the work that they’re doing can go a long way.

No matter what type of timeline you’re dealing with, remember that as a Project Manager, part of your role is to make sure that your team is motivated to get to the finish line. What other tips do you have for keeping a team motivated?