| Keep It Up
To improve results, just add a boost of morale.
by Janet Liao
A little motivation goes a long way, and it’s up to project managers—particularly Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential holders—to take the lead.
“As a PMP, you are given the injunction by PMI to use that credential to let your customers and team members know you’re excited about projects,” says James Comstock, PMP, an instructor for Comstock Communication Concepts, Lone Tree, Colorado, USA. “You have to instill that same morale in your team members.”
Here’s how:
1. Encourage input from team members.
2. Get stakeholders involved.
3. Know when and how to reward team members.
1. Encourage input from team members.
It’s easy for a project manager to fall into a dictator role, but it’s more important to make each team member feel included. “If you have team members personally connected to the cause of the project, they’re a lot easier to work with,” says Bernhard Schmid, PMP, project manager for Advanced Systems Design, who is currently working on a large IT project for the Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
Mr. Schmid draws out the intrinsic motivation in his team of programmers, business analysts and testers in developing web applications for the Division of Disease Control. “All the project members very much feel connected to the overall cause to protect people from anthrax to bird flu, and to save lives in Florida,” he says. “When we talk about the technical computer stuff, we also try to bring the overall public health causes into the project.”
2. Get stakeholders involved.
of project managers and team members say it’s up to the project manager to motivate project teams from the start of a project.
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Luis Ortiz, PMP, internal consultant for Volkswagen Mexico, Puebla, Mexico, tries to involve team members in the big picture at the start of every new project by educating team members about the company’s philosophy. “It reminds team members of the value of the project objectives and how they will contribute to the stakeholders’ goals,” he says.
Sponsor presence also contributes to motivation. “When team members can shake hands with the president, they feel like they are doing something important,” Mr. Ortiz says.
Once a year, Volkswagen Mexico conducts a “marketplace,” where all team members are invited to present projects to executive management. Afterward, the president of the company personally recognizes each individual—an extreme morale booster for team members, Mr. Ortiz says.
3. Know when and how to reward team members.
It’s important to create a motivational atmosphere at the project’s start. “Projects are in stages, and so is morale,” says Robert C. Ruggles, PMP, project manager for MGM Grand Paradise Ltd., Macao, China. “The start of a project is essential for building energy levels into the project. Take note as the project peaks and as problems and issues arise to not let morale slip.”
But rewards and incentives must be equitable and align with the organization’s objectives, says Romeo Mitchell, PMP, senior program manager, Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. “Team-based rewards, such as an informal project team event, tend to be more effective because projects are based on teamwork.”
Give team members public recognition whenever possible, either through promotions or sponsor recognition, Mr. Ortiz says. Rewards as simple as hosting a party for the team after a major milestone or providing frequent giveaways like food, t-shirts or movie tickets can give your team a quick boost.
“The project manager has to do something different every day to keep motivation up,” he says.
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