Managing Teams as Project Manager

00:02 Until I reaches a point where human workers are obsolete.

00:06 There will always be people to manage.

00:09 Analysts, vendors, engineers, executive managers are to name but a small few. And all of these can come from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Communication and coordination are the project managers duel wielded weapons when it comes to interacting with the project team and stakeholders. Let's go through what the project manager can do before, during and after the execution of an activity.

00:37 Before. The project manager needs to prepare their team before the work begins. They need to assign the roles and responsibilities so everyone knows what they're doing. Although the project manager will have this listed in the documents, it's also their job to let the team know how important their job is.

00:55 Reaffirming their responsibilities is a completely normal thing to happen as it prevents confusion.

01:01 Projects are, of course, unique.

01:04 That means that even though the project manager hires the best for the tasks, there will be activities that are not part of their day to day roles, and team members may need some extra training to prepare for those.

01:15 Hence, the project manager needs to ensure that any training or upskilling needs are addressed on time.

01:25 Once the team is prepared, it's the project manager's job to lead and support them. Often employees will focus solely on their task and what they need to do.

01:36 But what about others whose work is connected to theirs? The project manager needs to bridge these gaps, letting the team know how the work is affecting others and who needs to finish before they can start, for example.

01:51 The project manager needs to have an open door policy and the team needs to know that the project manager is there to help solve problems, answer questions and remove roadblocks. They are part of the team too.

02:05 Issues coming up is normal.

02:07 Not communicating them on time, however, is what can cause the most damage to the project. Motivation is key because without it, not much happens.

02:19 The project manager must have honest communication with their team, explaining why their work is important and thank them often for good work and efforts.

02:28 Building rapport with the team will greatly improve their productivity.

02:33 But what happens when a team member isn't performing to their expectations? Well, the project manager must discuss with the team member why they're underperforming. Together, they must reach a solution on how to improve their work. Following that, they must record the agreed upon solution and what is expected. From that point, the project manager's job is to monitor the team member. If there is no improvement in that team members performance, the project manager has a couple of options.

03:05 They could pair them with a more experienced expert to help guide and support them, or they can reallocate work and put them on a less critical task.

03:14 Ideally, though, the project manager will find a solution that won't cost extra resources. Remember the triple constraint.

03:22 Adding extra resources increases the cost.

03:29 After the execution.

03:31 It is important to give constructive feedback.

03:34 It is the project manager's job to encourage that team, help them develop their skills and tell them what they did well and what they could improve.

03:42 Not only is this the right thing to do, but members of this team could end up working with a project manager on another project.

03:50 And of course, the project manager must congratulate the team.

03:54 Without them, the project couldn't have succeeded.

03:57 And they should know that.

04:00 Note that feedback and appreciation should also be given after individual tasks. Not to save completely for the end of the project.

04:09 Great. Remember the stakeholders? Well, they need to be managed also.

04:15 Here, communication is key.

04:17 Project updates, which we'll discuss in detail later, are the main point of contact for stakeholders.

04:23 But other forms of communications may be needed.

04:26 Perhaps some of them are not in the country.

04:29 Or maybe the client wants updates on specific workstreams every Friday.

04:34 If there are quiet periods, it's a good idea for the project manager to check in and ask if stakeholders are happy with the project so far.

04:43 It's a subtle way of keeping channels open.

04:49 The project manager has to keep on top of any communications going around as misunderstandings can occur.

04:56 It's important for the stakeholders to maintain confidence in the project manager.

05:00 Although this doesn't mean that the project managers should keep bad news from them to make them believe that everything is going super.

05:09 Instead, the project manager should be the first person to make any problems known. If the project is not on track, then the project manager should deliver this news with suggested solutions to the problem immediately.

05:23 If the stakeholders hear bad news from another source, it will impact the project manager's credibility.

05:31 People skills are an integral part of the project manager's job.

05:35 They must make sure that people are working fast enough and that the work is being produced good enough.

05:42 But what does that mean exactly? What is enough? Well, we will discuss this by jumping to the monitoring and control phase, which, if you remember, is running parallel to the execution phase.

05:56 It aims to clarify what exactly enough is.

06:01 See you there.