How to Make Project Team Members Perform Well?

Project teams have become the most crucial element of any project. It involves a group of people coming together to understand the requirements of stakeholders and find an effective solution that helps achieve operational efficiency and ensure the fastest delivery of the project. A project team consists of people who are dedicated to helping their managers achieve organizational goals. Each member puts in their effort and skills in order to make their project successful. In this post, we are going to walk you through the details of project teams, what tasks they perform, and what you can do to make your project team perform well.

What is a Project Team?

A project team refers to a group of people working together to achieve a project within a specific deadline. Each person in the team has specific responsibilities, which are delegated based on their skills, qualifications, experience, and specializations. The team members' collaborative effort ensures the project's successful delivery.

Let’s check out the steps for managing project teams efficiently.

Maintain Balance Within the Team

The most difficult yet important part of project teams is formation. Half of your job is done when you have picked the right team for the tasks. When adding team members to a project, you must ensure that they can execute the required tasks. The first thing to consider when choosing human resources is their skills. See if they have the technical and non−technical skills required to complete the project following stakeholders’ requirements.

You must also pay attention to soft skills, which are equally important. For example, someone who has excellent technical skills but lacks the ability to cooperate with other team members or work in group settings might not be a good fit for project teams. So, when forming a group, you must focus on balancing project management and required technical and non−technical skills.

Ensure Transparency

A project manager has to ensure transparency across the team when it comes to sharing information and keeping the team up−to−date with all the changes and new requirements in the project. Although a project manager doesn’t have control over the type of information that can be shared within and outside the organization, they have the freedom to share data with their team members, especially the project−related requirements.

A project team can’t do well if you follow the need−to−know approach when sharing information. Whenever there is a change in a project plan or requirements, conduct a meeting that involves the entire project team and shares the details with each member. Maintaining transparency will help you achieve better results, as it promotes seamless team collaboration.

Ensure Proper Communication

A single person can’t execute the project. They need internal and external support to succeed in any kind and complexity of a project. Stakeholders, for example, need to be updated regularly on the project’s status, how many milestones you have achieved, and how long until the project is over. This can be done with an effective communication strategy.

The biggest advantage of proper communication is that it helps you avoid risks before they threaten your organization’s success. You can use project management tools where your project team can communicate easily, share their ideas with each member, and discuss concerns. Simply put, you must allow open communication between your teams to minimize the risk of errors when completing projects.

Consider Everyone’s Suggestion

Gone are the days when the manager would give instructions regarding how a task must be executed, what resources to use, and so on. Today, managers and leaders invite their teams to suggest new techniques and ways to complete tasks efficiently. Discussion with your team makes them feel valued. Besides, your team can come up with innovative ideas that can cut costs, optimize processes, manage timelines, and improve overall performance.

If you have been following the agile methodology, you must already be aware of the team's involvement in discussion and project management. Agile focuses on involving each member, which doesn’t only boost their confidence but improves project outcomes.

Reward Your Project Team

There are several ways to motivate your project team. But one thing that works for everyone is rewards. It doesn’t have to be monetary rewards. Sometimes, a vacation, a pizza treat, or a special gift can build your team’s enthusiasm. The question is, what should the reward system look like?

You can reward individuals based on their performances, valuable ideas, or extra work. Or, you can reward your entire project team for achieving a milestone. Your team feels valued knowing that their efforts are considered and their progress is tracked at every stage of the project lifecycle. As a result, they will improve their performance.

Manage Conflicts

Conflicts are a common part of project teams, especially when you have recently formed a new team. Since different members are working together for a specific goal, it’s obvious that often people won’t be satisfied with each other’s ideas and techniques. Anything can lead to a dispute among the team members, which may eventually affect the project’s performance.

A project manager must manage these conflicts without taking anyone’s side or hurting any member. Remember, your role is to remind everyone of the project, its importance for your organization, and how they should work together to achieve that. Leadership skills are tested in such situations.

Take Feedback

Ask your project team about your performance, whether they are satisfied with your assigned roles, and if you should change your leadership style. Leadership is considered a natural skill, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your leadership style. A good manager doesn’t only give constructive feedback, but they also take them.

Bottom Line

A project team, as a whole, is responsible for documenting the stakeholder’s requirements, keeping in touch with the manager throughout the project’s lifecycle, communicating the ideas and goals with team members, and achieving different milestones until the project is completed. The above tips will help you manage your team members efficiently.