If things don’t seem to be going well for your group, it could be because folks are in need of some guidance. We’ve put together a list of signs that a team is lacking strong direction, and if any of these look familiar, check out our suggestions for fixing an out-of-control Project Team (fixing-an-out-of-control-pmo).
1 – Lack of motivation. Does it seem like your team just doesn’t care anymore? A general drop in interest is often the first indicator things are amiss. If the leadership team doesn’t do some focused course correction early, a normally ambitious Project Team may develop other, more alarming problems.
2 – Lagging performance. It’s tempting to explain away the occasional missed deliverable—e.g., an unplanned absence stresses the team’s resources—but be careful you aren’t overlooking the signs of larger issues. Dig deeper to see if the problem resides with a handful of employees or if the team as a whole is slipping.
3 – High turnover. Strong performers will often be the first ones to realize something is wrong, but they won’t always be the first to leave. Keep an eye out for rising resignation numbers. A rash of intra-company transfers could also be an early indicator that team members are dissatisfied with how things are going in the Project Team.
4 – Lack of cooperation. You’re all on the same team, so if it’s suddenly an every-man-for-himself environment, your Project Team almost certainly has a problem. Watch for collaboration trends inside the team as well as with other groups.
5 – Finger pointing. A lack of cooperation could quickly grow into an unproductive blame-a-thon. If your team would normally be looking for solutions to problems but are instead figuring out who’s at fault, it likely means troubles are widespread and the team would benefit people need some guidance.
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