Every organization to some degree is in possession of some form of internal politics. Politics can take on both a negative and positive connotation. If an organization is primarily made up of a negative politics, conditions such as the scenario above will consistently act as a barrier between accomplishing the determined goal. It is important to note that projects are done by people… not software. Elements of panic, disillusionment, and punishment to employees will net negative results in project planning.
Project leadership plays an important role in the success of a project but is not an absolute must for a project to be successful. Leadership is needed to recognize and articulate the direction and operation of a project. Leadership is also needed to motivate project team members and align them to overcome hurdles produced by changes in projects and to realize new project objectives (Gray, C & Larson, E., 2003). Under the conditions described in the scenario the leadership role in the project will be vital to the projects success.
Strong leadership is vital to the success of this project since the project has encountered budget issues, lost of team members, and low moral of the remaining team members. Gray and Larson (2003) states that the higher degree of uncertainty encountered on a project regardless of if it’s the project scope, technological challenges, or breakdowns in communication the more leadership is required. Typically well defined projects that encounter no major challenges require minimum leadership.
Strong leadership is an advantage on a project that has weak management. The project in this scenario could be a victim of weak management. Weak management can complement its strengths by having leaders who are good at anticipating the needs to change and rallying project team members. A strong leader is needed in this project to convince other team members that the project is still worth working for and that they will not have to carry the entire burden of the project. Project managers that can lead and manage are an asset to an organization.
A project manager is responsible for the day to day activities in all aspects of a team project. The project manager should possess both leader and manager qualities. The best way for a project manager to build a successful project team is to build a balanced team. A successful project team requires more than technical skills. (Melymunta, 2004) It also takes a good personality and soft attitude to achieve results. Some tips for building and managing a successful team are:
- Fewer is Better – Because of interpersonal relationships, small project teams perform better than larger ones.
- Attitude Counts – Look for people with positive attitudes.
- Diversity lowers Risk – Different styles and perspective counter balance.
- Familiarity Breeds Action – Teams take time to work effectively and determine the outcome.
- Availability beats everything – Who is available, can determine the outcome.
- Leverage Matters – Establish a relationship with customers and those who have staff for the project.
Project managers have the responsibility of building a supportive climate for the project. Under the conditions mentioned in the scenario, the project manager has to be cognizant of low employee morale. The project manager should validate the problem. The manager could motivate the team members with cash incentives and provide resources/services in exchange for future resources. The project manager has to establish an influence strategy to help engage in establishing cooperative relationships.
Project teams must have a clear understanding of the project and their role within the project. Even with a clear understanding, it is still the role of the Project Manager to unite the team to meet the challenges set before them. Within any team, there are challenges that can disrupt the comradery that gets the team to the end result, completion. In an article by Lonnie Pacelli, he indicates 5 Simple Strategies For Unifying Your Project Teams.
The first strategy that can be utilized in uniting any team is establishing a project organization with clearly defined roles (Pacelli, 2005). This strategy is indicative of each team member knowing and understanding their role, how their role is incorporated into the team function and what implications will be the result of the lacking function or participation on their part. It is also important for the project manager to realize which roles have a likelihood of failing. The project manager should make sure it is clear to the team what are the most important aspects of the project, what is anticipated to create the most challenges to the team during the project duration and what areas pose the most risk (Pacelli, 2005).
A second strategy encompasses eliminating finger pointing and public fights among the team. All teams are going to question one another and the work completed by each team member, however, the team should have clearly stated rules that will encourage civil conversations among each team member. When the team makes a decision, they must stand behind it as a whole. When individuals leave the team circle and engage in back-stabbing and finger-pointing, personal attacks on other team members are likely to ensue. This type of action should be discouraged by the project manager.
The third strategy encourages the development of a rally call among the team members. “The team’s message should incorporate aspects of the project” (Pacelli, 2005). The rally cry created by the team should be a unifying message that encourages the team to keep the project within the defined constraints. Not only should the team have a rally cry for encouragement, but the fourth recommendation is to celebrate victories as a team. In celebrating, and doing it as a team, this will help to foster team work, comradery, morale and momentum. However, each celebration should be small, but enough to allow the team to relax and release for a short period (Pacelli, 2005). Such celebrated success should include milestones or important steps in the project (Pacelli, 2005).
The final strategy includes holding each team member accountable for delivery. As stated before, it is important for the project manager to clearly define the roles of each team member. Not only should the roles be defined, but the team must know what it is they need to do as individuals and as a team to get the job done, there must be a clear picture of deadlines, and the team must understand the impact their role has on others. “Everyone needs to realize that the team isn’t only accountable to the project manager, but they are also accountable to each other. This again goes back to strategy number two of eliminating finger pointing. Each member must realize and work as a team. In order to eliminate the finger pointing and blaming, the team must realize and live by the fact that if one member fails, the entire team fails.
When a project manager can unite the team to work together as one, they can also create success. However in the scenario presented before us, it is important to realize that the project manager has stepped into a project already in motion and disarray. One way of uniting this team would be for the project manager to dig in and work right along side the team. In doing so, the project manger will demonstrate to the team that he/she is not willing to stand by and let the team fail. It will also demonstrate that he/she is one with the team and if the team fails, so does he/she as the project manager. The team in the scenario is not joined together, they have separated and each team member does not seem to want the responsibility of other’s for fear of blame and negative consequences. Before the project manager can implement the above-referenced strategies, he/she must first begin to unite the team.
REFERENCE
Gray, C & Larson, E. (2003). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw-Hill Companies.
Melymuka, Kathleen (2004). How to Pick a Project Team
Retrieved June 6, 2005, from
Olson, J & Branch, K. (2002). Teams and Project-and Program based Organizations,
Department of Education. Retrieved June 6, 2005, from
.
Pacelli, L. (2005). 5 Simple Strategies for Unifying Your Project Teams. Debt Cubed. (20) (1) pg. 20 (2). Retrieved on June 6, 2005 from EbscoHost on the World Wide Web: at www.appollolibrary.com
Weisbord, Marvin R. (1987) Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for
Dignity, Meaning, and Community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.