There will always be delays in deadlines. Worse, tasks will not be done as expected of the person assigned to it. Then a problem arises that can have an impact on the progress of the project.
Frustrating, isn't it? As a project manager, we surely will do an assessment of what have happened and the things that have been done to mitigate or solve the problem that arose. We often focus on the event, but we seldom focus on the role factor of each members of the team.
The symptoms could be overlooked upon. The person has been missing deadlines or could be finger pointing and not accepting responsibilities or blaming others for every mistakes. These are the causes that must be looked into as soon as possible every time such an instance arises. After finding out the who then immediately find out the why.
There could be a lot of reasons why the person is not performing well as expected - personal, career, emotional, psychological problem. Actually the reasons could be endless including any shortcoming of the project leader himself.
Most of the reasons mentioned may be out of the control of the project manager but there are ways that they can be somehow be avoided or mitigated.
Disseminate the roles and responsibilities of each member clearly. The first thing to do is to communicate the roles and responsibilities of each member of the team. Try to give a very detailed job description for each. If possible create a Responsibility Matrix that everyone can reference upon.
For me, I am more comfortable in creating a work process flowchart. This is what I usually do and show to my team member so they would easily see how the process flows and who is responsible to what task needs to be accomplished in every instance of each processes.
Whether you use the Responsibility Matrix or a flowchart, if everyone knows what each person is supposed to do, then everything will flow smoothly and seamlessly. Know everyone you are working with, their strengths and weaknesses. This way you can have a clear picture of what tasks to be given for each of your member.
Engage and empower the team member with the main objective of the project. At this stage, everyone knows what each is supposed to do on the project. But not everyone's heart could be into the project. As the project leader, it is prudent to share your enthusiasm with your team. It is but natural for you to know the importance of the project, what it means for you, what it means for the major stakeholders, what it means for the project sponsor, and most importantly, what it means for the company.
In my previous work for a non-profit organization, aside from my regular job in IT and managing IT projects, I am also involved in every event that that organization holds. Not as the leader but as a member, assigned in the documentation. Not everyone shares the same personal values, but what we commonly share in doing the project is the belief that what we are doing we do for the Lord. This is what bonds us together, our faith and belief.
In the secular world we work in, this may not hold. But what I mean is as a project leader, we have to find a common cause that will bond the whole team together for the success of the project. One of the most common is the main objective of the project and its benefit for the company. The project leader must be able to clearly and objectively present this to the team so that all shall have a common cause to work for. Working for a cause is a unifying factor and a good motivator.
Delegate decisively and help your people take the helm within the area of his responsibility. It is a cardinal rule in project management not to micro-manage. Create committees and assign persons to handle or manage the deliverables. Remember that as a leader, it is our foremost duty to create leaders not followers. If you got to know who you are working with, it will be easy for you to pinpoint persons that you can delegate to. Allow the persons you have chosen to show what he or she's capable of. This is also called motivation. Any person that is trusted to do something that is meaningful and with a purpose can do even the most difficult task passionately. Sometimes even more than what the project leader can give.
Lastly, as any good manager will do, try to give praise - to the team, to each member, to the performer. Show them your appreciation for doing their tasks diligently. Remember that for every success each member of the team makes, is definitely a success for the project manager. You cannot be expected to do everything, but what is expected of you is to work with and lead the team for the success of the project.
Any project will only be as good as the team that worked for its success.
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