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Recently you may have noticed a number of companies in turmoil and the ensuing blame often resulting in the swift departure of a number of management.
Taking this scenario down to a project level we see project failures being blamed on the team by the project manager. Its quite easy to point the finger at others and simply state that they were not pulling their weight on the project. Some of you may have heard statements like Its not my fault the project is failing, its because Joe & Jane did not do complete their work! or The project dashboard is in red as the XYZ team did not complete their work. Someone gets thrown under the bus as a result of the undesirable state of the project.
It's like going to a restaurant and having to wait for ages for your meal which then turns out to be unpleasant for your taste buds. The poor waiter gets a full frontal verbal assault from you. But the real problem may be related to a number of reasons: the menu is new, the chef did not turn up, the junior chef is being trained, the ingredients are stale, not enough waiters are available, the oven is not working properly, too many guests turned up at once or you were in grumpy mood and were looking to expend some negative energy when you arrived.
If you are leading projects and things start to go astray then dont blame the team, blame yourself. Yes, stand up in front of the stakeholders and say aloud, it is my fault that this project is in this state. Hopefully, you find this a liberating experience and your colleagues appreciate your truthfulness.
The real value comes from examining factors that you (yes you the project leader) needs to consider and fix moving forward. Here are the five factors that need to be addressed:
1. Communicating the necessity for the project
Do individuals understand the purpose of the project and the value it brings the organization? Who should be communicating this to them and when should they be informed? What will success look like? Its difficult to move ahead when there is no clarity around these questions. There has to be wide, constant, clear communication from various levels within the project team.
2. Commitment to the project
Do individuals see the value to them personally? How is each individual motivated? What links have been established relating to these factors and the tasks at hand? It doesnt matter how important the initiative is if the underlying team members are not behind the project. They need to have ownership and be motivated to push ahead productively.
3. Individual capability
Do individuals have the right knowledge and skills? What training needs to be in place? Do they have the appropriate tools to succeed? Are there knowledge pools to support team members? Team members must have sound knowledge, skills and tools to succeed. Else you are setting them and the project up for failure.
4. Ability to apply knowledge
What is hindering the individuals ability to apply the knowledge and skills? Is the person the right fit for the project activity? Do they have the capacity to succeed? What external factors are influencing their performance? Providing individuals with training and tools is not enough. Ensuring they can and are willing to apply these skills needs to be considered.
5. Reinforcing results
How can results be constantly attained and improved on? What specific and individual related reinforcement needs to be in place? How frequent and who should be reinforcing results? Its vitally important to maintain results over the duration of the project and not look for one-hit wonders.
Individuals typically come to work to succeed. I doubt anyone wakes up and says I am going to go to work today to do a poor job.
John C. Maxwell, in his book Develop the leader within you points to an article in Newsweek quoting the president of Hyatt Hotels as saying: - If there is anything that I have learned in my 27 years in the service industry, it is this 99% of all employees want to do a good job. How they perform is simply a reflection of the one for whom they work.
So dont blame the team. Take one on the chin for them and make sure you address the five factors above next time your project is in trouble.
With over 17 years of project consulting experience, Vijay Aluwalia is actively engaged with clients in a project and change management capacity, and focuses on coaching leadership and management teams.
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