As a project manager, you have to motivate the people who work on your project.
In this video I'll share with you eight methods you can use to strengthen your
working relationships and motivate your team members.
First, communicate roles and responsibilities clearly to your team members.
You can build your relationships with your team members by helping them
understand what they are responsible for and what you expect of them.
Second, give people specific and achievable goals.
Challenging, though achievable goals can be very motivating.
Team members usually dig deeper to respond to the challenges you set.
Third, provide support and help remove obstacles that get in the way.
If your people can't resolve issues or remove obstacles, help them in any way you can.
That way they can focus on the work that they are supposed to do.
Fourth, respect your people.
They are crucial components to your project, because project work wouldn't
get done without them.
Being respectful builds good relationships, motivates your people, and helps you
get the best your team has to offer.
Fifth, provide feedback quickly.
Providing positive reinforcement helps build rapport and ensures that people do
more of what works well.
If someone does something wrong, jump in quickly to explain what they should be
doing in a tactful way.
Sixth, consistently tell the truth.
You'll earn people's trust by telling the truth, even if they don't like what
they hear. If you can, explain why you are making the requests or decisions that you do.
Seventh, communicate regularly with team members.
Status and lessons-learned meetings are great ways to find out about what people
are doing and how well they are doing it.
And of course, comparing their progress on their assignments to the baseline
shows whether there are as productive as they should be.
Finally, handle people problems quickly if they do come up.
The answer could be as easy as telling someone what they are supposed to do or
explaining the effect they are having on others.
It is important to be upfront, while at the same time being tactful and respectful.
If it turns out that someone isn't qualified to perform his or her
assignments, you can consider adding time or money or finding other people to
help or even take over.
In this situation, look at your work packages and request to functional managers
to make sure you define them clearly.
If you have to replace someone, work with the functional manager to get someone else.
If you can't replace the person, you might have to reset stakeholders'
expectations for schedule, budget, scope, or quality.
Leadership is one of the most important characteristics of a project manager.
By using the techniques described in this video, you can build effective working
relationships and motivate your people.