23 Sep 5 Mistakes Every Project Manager Should Avoid
Who is the most effective project manager? The project manager, who closes the project successfully within the constraints of the project is obviously a good manager! But, to be a good project manager, what exactly do you need?
To be an efficient project manager, do you need to understand the project work thoroughly? Do you need subject matter expertise in the industry? Do you become an effective project manager if you get the best talented team?
The project manager who delivers in the best possible way, does not necessarily have expertise or situations mentioned above. Let us try and think what would a project manager need to be most effective. The answer is fairly obvious. He needs to have a team that is really productive. “A really productive Team” is not a readymade resource which you can purchase or hire! It needs to be built. Productivity increases in the atmosphere of trust. So, for the team to deliver better or be more productive, they need to work in the atmosphere of trust! Simply put, the work thrives only when the team members trust each other
Therefore, an effective project manager, builds a team that effectively works together. The effective project managers build teams that realize the importance of trust! You cannot have a team that works well together, if they do not trust each other. Building bonds between the team members so that they can trust each other and work well together is the key to developing such teams. If you are able to help your team bond together to work, you will never need to worry about delivering your project!
It is a critical skill, especially considering today’s global working cultures. You do not get a team that trusts each other. The team members usually do not know each other before the projects. In today’s circumstances they won’t even be working together.. As an effective project manager in today’s world, you need to be able to get all your team members, who come from different parts and cultures of the world, to interact and trust each other. It is without doubt challenging.
I have seen many managers taking pains to help their team improve their technical skills. If they take half the efforts on building the team, they would close most of the projects successfully.
Especially when you are focusing on developing an effective team, take care that you need to avoid following mistakes
Unclear Expectations:
As long as the team knows what is expected of them, they will try their best to meet your expectations. Having said that, stating your expectations clearly might not be as easy as you think. Spend some time understanding your team members and decide how they are going to understand your expectations. Plan how you will overcome ambiguity. For example, instead of saying “I want to do your best and give your best for the coming 3 months” , you can tell them exactly what you want them to accomplish in those 3 months.
Wrong Prioritization
Ensure that your team understands correct work priority. Which deliverable needs to get ready first? Priority to cost or priority to quality? If your team knows what they are supposed to do, they would be able to prioritize and focus on the right things.
Not Being Open To Ideas
Yes, you have come up till here with your experience. You have worked enough in the industry to know what solution will work best for the current problem. But, if you are not open to fresh new ideas that come in from the team, you actually might be losing on some better solutions and the team’s faith in you. If you do not trust your team to work hard and find solution, how are they going to trust you and each other?
Failure To Reward Team Performance
The team does not work for rewards, but the reward makes it very clear to everyone that the efforts are recognized and rewarded by the management. More than any reward, the recognition of good work motivates the team. Not recognizing good efforts will create a negative atmosphere that will lower productivity. It will be difficult to correct this situation once it arises.
Not Knowing Your Team’s Strengths And Weaknesses
If you know your team members’ strengths and weaknesses individually, you can guess how they would react to certain situations and plan accordingly. For example, a shy person might shut off when an aggressive stakeholder shouts at him. If you know that and want the shy team member to learn assertiveness, you can make an opportunity available to him or talk to him. When you match your requirements, with team members’ strengths and weaknesses, you get a best fit team. A team that gets the best work suitable for each one of them, they will surely be happy and do a better job.
Yes, becoming an effective project manager is hard work, but not something out of the world or impossible!
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