Last week we heard from a project team member who told us that working on project teams should be:
- Good for our career
- Rewarding
- and Fun
So, how do we do it? Here are three steps that we can take to make our project teams an awesome experience.
- Invest in your team members’ careers. Think about how each one can grow as a professional and make an effort to make that happen. Challenge them and help them see success as a result. Coach, mentor and teach so that they can learn from you and be better professionals tomorrow.
- Make their experience on your team a rewarding one. Everyone likes to succeed and win, especially in a project team environment. But understand that the work that you manage can be rewarding in failure as well. Rewards can come from more than just project success. Recognize great work during the project. Reward high achievers and those who go above and beyond. Think about how to reward even those who are not the rising stars on your team. They’re still crucial to your success. Oh, and say thank you as often as you can.
- Gain a reputation as a manager who is fun to work with. Help your team members network with each other. Create social events around your team. Celebrate the small wins during your project and take a break once in a while to be silly.
Put yourself in your team member’s shoes one day soon. Are your projects fun, rewarding and career enhancing? Answer yes to these three questions and you are probably one of those managers who we love to work with.
Well done. Hoping we meet again on a future project.
