What was the best project you ever worked on? What made it memorable? I’ve asked dozens of project teams that question. I wanted to identify the “secret” ingredient that makes for a great project experience. And naturally, I wondered how big a role the project manager had in creating the experience. The answers I got were pretty similar. Most people mentioned the camaraderie, the sense of purpose, the shared vision, and the pulling together of the whole team. Were all these projects easy and straightforward? Not at all—they were often filled with long hours and daunting challenges. That was part of the fun.
What I learned from my discussions, which has been reinforced many times in my own projects, is that great project management requires two crucial elements—effective systems effused with a lively animating spirit. We need both, but in my experience it is the spirit of the project that makes it memorable.We rightly spend a lot of time on the “systems” aspect of project management. We work hard to systemize the gathering of requirements, the breakdown of the work, the communication we do with stakeholders, and the schedule we create to track progress. We know from experience that good methods and tools make a huge contribution to our success as project managers. But even with the best systems we’re only halfway there. Even though we manage our systems diligently, do we equally manage the spirit that animates our project?
Of course the spirit of a project is an intangible and much more ambiguous than black and white “system” issues—like a concrete schedule. There is no standard approach that is guaranteed to work. Plus, many project managers are more comfortable in the analytical realm—creating a work breakdown structure is easier than leading a pep rally. That brings us to the point of this blog entry. Every project manager can take steps to enliven a positive spirit in their project.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Become a True Believer – The people on your team know when you’re faking it, or going through the motions. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are ambivalent about a project, you need to clear up your doubts with the project sponsor before you get started. People seek meaning in what they do. It is your job to provide the context that makes the project important and worth doing well. Nothing creates a more dynamic team atmosphere than having a project leader who is a true believer.
Cultivate a Team Orientation – Let’s be honest, much of the project work our people do is very routine. We wouldn’t describe it as inherently exciting. So how do we get people engaged on our project when the work is routine? Productivity and commitment increase when people feel connected to each other in an environment where the team supersedes the individual. Project managers need to encourage people to become bonded, connected members of a project team with activities that break through the normal working façade. Unfortunately, there is no sure fire mechanical way to achieve that goal, but it does require the time and attention of the project manager and can’t be ignored.
Make Every Person Important – This is the key issue. People need to know that they matter. They need to know their work is important. They need to know they are making a critical contribution to the success of the project. And it is the project manager’s job to make sure they know.
Project management has made great strides in standardizing the methods and tools needed to effectively manage project work. And project managers do a good job using those tools. But we need to remember that it is often the intangibles that will make or break our projects. As part of our growth as project managers we need to consciously manage the intangibles that create memorable and meaningful projects for the people on our team.
