3 Strategies that Will Help Motivate Your Project Management Team

Projects may span months, years, and decades. Throughout the duration of large-scale projects, your project management team can quickly become tired, lose interest, and fail to see the true benefit of your project. Unfortunately, these factors contribute to missed deadlines, problems in the workplace, and failure of the project.

However, a strong project manager knows and values the role of his or her project management team. Yet, maintaining the morale and motivating the project management team appears as one of the greatest challenges in project management. 

If your project management team is losing step, try using one or all of these strategies to help motivate your team members.

Manage Conflicts Between Team Members and Skilled Workers

While a conflict-free project is the goal of all project managers, this is an impractical approach to any project. Your project management team will encounter conflicts, and it’s your duty to manage, reduce, and solve these conflicts as they arise. If you fail to manage such conflicts, they could undermine the value and success of your project. Follow these steps to effectively manage conflicts.

1. Define the problem and listen to all sides of the problem.
2. Come up with possible solutions to the problem and consider team member’s input in how the solutions will resolve the conflict.
3. Select a solution that benefits as many members of the conflicted parties as possible.

Motivate Your Project Management by Connecting With Executive-Level Management

The support of executive-level leadership enhances your credibility and reputation as project manager. This shows your project management team your character and improves visibility in potential conflicts. Furthermore, your team members will be less likely to turn to executive-level leadership when a problem arises, which helps to further build your reputation in the view of executive-level management.

You can gain executive-level support by ensuring your project meets the goals of your company; maintaining communication and reporting on the status of your project; and separating your project into smaller phases.

Demonstrate Your Project’s Feasibility and Benefits to Society

Long, extensive projects tend to appear unachievable and difficult to manage. As a result, your project management team will grow disconnected to the feasibility and benefits of your project. Show your project management team your project’s feasibility by breaking up complex tasks into smaller projects. Furthermore, you can reiterate how each smaller task contributes to the success of the project. You should also reiterate how the project’s goals will benefit society. This helps restore accountability and drive within your project management team members.

Although you must carry the weight of your project in the view of executive-level management, you need all of your project management team members to support your views and work together. When the project management team fails to effectively communicate, co-exist, and understand your project’s value, you risk failing in your role as project manager. Fortunately, these three strategies will help motivate your project management team, which will lead to larger, more-successful projects in the future.

Key Strategies to Employ

• Manage conflicts as they arise and listen to all sides of the issue before making judgment on the best course of action.
• The support of executive-level leadership will show your credibility and resolve to achieve the company’s goals.
• Your project management team needs to know your project can and will be completed and provide a benefit to society.