Project Hero Blog - Weekly Best Practices and Tips

As a leader, you will need to manage by influence and motivate the team without full authority. Here are five tips to effectively motivate your teams:

1. Be a good role model. Set the example you want the team to follow.
2. Set smaller, shorter period goals. While having bigger goals is good, to drive day-to-day performance, set smaller, easier to reach goals over short periods such as days, weeks,...

The execution phase of a project, while not immune to issues, can be as effortless as possible if you follow these principles:

1. Do the right amount of planning: too little and things "fall through the cracks", too much planning risks "analysis paralysis".
2. Get the right team: people that want to do the work, have the skills and have a supportive network.
3. Exercise key soft skills: delegation,...

Projects can be stressful for all concerned, especially around holidays. Here are 5 tips for project leaders to reduce stress for everyone involved:

1. Clarity is the #1 stress reducer. Be sure everyone knows the vision for the outcomes, the plan, and their roles and responsibilities at all times.
2. Have high expectations, but don't expect perfection. Acknowledge progress and accomplishment.
3. ...

Does the team put together the perfect plan with your facilitation? Even so, project execution is more than just checking progress and writing status reports. Here is where your leadership is most needed. These are some items for a project execution checklist to ensure you are leading:

• Manage team conflict. Stop negative conflict quickly and encourage collaboration for positive conflict (i.e....

These six tips will help you achieve success with teams and begin to form high performing teams:

1. Know the team. Check-in frequently with everyone and schedule time for 1:1 meetings to learn more about each team member.
2. Provide clarity. Teams work best when there is clarity of purpose, plan, and responsibilities. Let them know how they will be measured.
3. Give acknowledgment, recognition, and...

"To say 'I don't have time' is like saying 'I don't want to'" - Lau-Tzu

Set a good example for the team by effectively managing your own time with these five tips:

1. Instead of a "to do" list, create a prioritized list of major goals and steps for the year and month. This means you will need a personal, strategic plan. Have a "value-added" list for tasks to be done with discretionary or waiting...

Feeling a larger team is needed may be a sign that you need to work on expanding the capacity of the team, not just grow the team in size. When a team member asks directly or indirectly about expanding their responsibilities, consider these four alternatives:

1. If team member performance is a concern, discuss it with them. Individual improvements expand team capacity.
2. If team member performance...

Improving your leadership skills will help you, as well as the team, grow and advance in your careers.

1. Coach and mentor, rather than direct. Give trust to the team to get the job done, remove obstacles for them, and empower them to solve problems.
2. Create a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Eliminate silos, share knowledge, and collaborate.
3. Identify growth paths for all on your...

Project managers often have a tendency to "jump in" and do project work. Here are six reasons why you need to resist and delegate more:

1. Your full-time job is managing the project - don't let other tasks get in the way
2. Delegation is an opportunity for face-to-face communication with team members
3. Delegated work is a growth opportunity for team members
4. Delegation is a tool for reducing or...

Projects that are off track may require corrective action or re-planning. Before deciding what to do, make sure the team is aware of the problem. Make them knowledgeable about the issue and empower them to be responsible and a part of the solution. This will:

• improve buy-in,
• grow team capabilities, and
• lead to a better solution than one arrived at unilaterally.
  
  
  

Want to learn more about how...