If anyone knows the feeling of anxiety that comes after making a promise and realizing they can’t keep it, they’re a novice project manager… okay, okay, politicians too. As project managers, we’ve all written the proverbial check to clients that we couldn’t cash (at least not without working 60+ hours per week). But promises of functional bells and whistles can make life difficult for a project manager AND his team, lowering project morale.
Once sponsors sign on to a less than comfortable schedule and are waiting for delivery, termination is not always an option. So how do you keep your project morale high and your team working hard toward the common goal of meeting your ever-improving release date? Here are some tips:
1. Offer staff members flexible hours if possible. If you can offer flexible hours, go ahead and implement staggered shifts.
2. Beware of bribery. Donuts and early morning coffee are always appreciated, but use sparingly! Remember the adage: “You can trick a fool into committing to an impossible deadline, but you can’t trick him into meeting it.”
3. Provide opportunities for growth and development. To improve project morale, encourage teammates within the same functional areas but in different roles to spend time cross-training or getting involved in outside committees to add variety and reinvigorate work efforts on a dragging project. .
4. Provide positive reinforcement. Openly praise exceptional work, long hours, and top employees. Let your team know that their work is recognized.
5. Set aside time for team building exercises. Pick a day for your team to get together for lunch (bring it in a brown bag if you’re on a budget!) and solve a problem collaboratively. Visit the Teampedia website for a long list of ideas or visit the Team Building Information site to find out why it’s so important.
Newbies aren’t the only ones who can benefit from keeping your project team engaged. Even with a realistic schedule, risks and issues can add pressure to more experienced project managers and turn a comfortable schedule into an aggressive push to deliver. Find ways that work for your staff to ease tension and keep project morale high.