We’ve covered some of the reasons your stakeholders (reasons-your-stakeholders-are-unhappy) and end users (reasons-your-end-users-are-unhappy) may be unhappy, but what about the people in your Project Team? Many of their concerns translate into wider issues, so take a minute to see if there are problems your team might be facing. We’ve also included some tips on overcoming these obstacles before they do any more damage.
They are not empowered. It’s a common cause of angst among project management professionals that can also impact end users and stakeholders when responses are slow in coming or requests seem to go nowhere. Do team members have the authority to do their jobs efficiently and well? Unless there are specific reasons to hold your team back, give them as much control as possible over their specific project areas. Reserve additional authorization requirements for those instances—such as significant expenditures or changes to compliance-level processes—where they’re truly necessary.
They are not appreciated. People like to know their efforts have made a difference. Taking employees for granted (even unintentionally) can drag down the team’s performance and could even prompt them to look for opportunities outside your Project Team. Accolades don’t need to be excessive or expensive—a simple thank you goes a long way, and taking the time to acknowledge special achievements during the next project meeting might also give the rest of the team a morale boost.
They are not kept in the loop. It’s too easy to fall into the “need to know” trap, especially when things are really busy. Not only can a robust communication stream keep everyone on the same page, you’re likely to discover that involving your team more fully gives better results—they can offer suggestions to avoid potential problems downstream, and they’ll be better able to identify opportunities for cost savings throughout the project’s lifecycle.
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