Five characteristics a project team desires from their project manager

More than 80% of people work in a project environment at their company. Whether the project deals with external customers or with internal initiatives, chances are you have been part of project at your workplace. Here are five essentials a team needs in a project manager to make it successful:

1. Strategy: when you are part of a team, you want to be told why you are important to the team and what exactly you will be doing in the project. Thus, the project manager needs to be strategic and show everyone what the big picture is. If a team member does not see the need to be part of the team, they will rebel, or worse become passive aggressive.

2. Tactical: the project manager shares resources within a company, so they need to use them wisely. Each team member is selected for a specific reason to be on the project and once told, they should be given tasks along with a timeline. Usually, a work breakdown structure is set up and tasks within a work package are tied to the team members. This is them applied to a project schedule. As a project manager, you keep track of the project’s progress using the WBS in a schedule. As a team member, you can plan for the work to be done and give feedback to the project manager on its progress.

3. Communications: The strategy and tactics are expressed through communications. Relational communication is important for change management and integrating the project team. Effective communication occurs when the right form of communication is used to match the situation. It’s up to the project manager to read the situations and keep communications going throughout the project. The three main types of communication are:

a. Relational or Interpersonal: is when the project manager holds a meeting to discuss the project’s details; or has conversations with team members. This is the best way to build trust and a relationship.

b. Written: is a form of communication where the project team receives information from the project manager by bulletin, email, mail, or texts. This form of communication is less confrontational, but it does mean that it’s up to the team member to read what the project manager writes. It’s a preferred method to do as a follow-up instead of your main means of communicating. There is a fine line between the relational and written when it comes to chatrooms because you are using them interactively and assuming they will respond real-time.

c. Non-verbal / Non-written: where you use your body language. Examples like seeing someone clapping, giving a high-five, padding someone on the back, or giving a thumbs up are an effective way of demonstrating positive vibes.

4. Involvement: It’s important for the project manager not to be disconnected from their team. Building a relationship takes time and to gain trust the project manager should be ingrained in their team, not just meeting with them on a weekly status meeting. People who see their leaders more often get the sensation they are there in the trenches with them, sharing the work.

5. Honesty: These seven lettered words are used more often than is demonstrated. Project managers that are transparent with their teams get the best performance out of them. It’s not enough to communicate and be present with the team during the project. The project manager needs to share information and show they have their team’s back so to gain trust. Accountability is needed by all in the project and the project manager is the one who leads the way.

For more team focused blogs, look at team cohesion and virtual team effectiveness. We offer a team performance program tailored to your team to establish self-awareness and group-awareness that can translate to creating a robust team with peak performance. Give us a call today…