Archive for Management

Ways to Motivate Project Team Members

Project Management Workflow ChartHow many of you are into project management and actually manage projects? How many of you project managers face demotivated team members after a duration into the project? How many of you wished you have the budget resource to reward performing team members to motivate the others that have slacked? How many of you do not have the money to spend on rewards and feel that your hands are pretty much tied behind your back, so much so that you felt as if you are crippled?

Yes, I’ve been there. Yes, I’ve felt those pain. And yes, I found some ways out. Most if not all projects have limited resources in terms of manpower, time and budget. In order to increase a resource you will have to sacrifice the one of the other. It’s a difficult balancing game.

Time and money are the easiest resource to manage. Humans on the other hand, are a tough resource to manage. For any project to have the best success chance, you need project team members to stick with you throughout the entire duration. Changing team members during projects can be disastrous and usually increases the time taken to complete the project.

There are several motivation theories that you can use to motivate your team members. The one that I often subscribe to is Maslow’s Theory. Maslow said that every individual has a pyramid of needs; broken into 2 distinct needs – basic and growth. In our project management scenario, the basic needs of team members revolve around money-related needs and security.

To keep your project team members happy and motivated (with relatively very low involvement of money), you can try:

  • Belonging – Your team members need to feel belonged in a team. Have your daily team briefing or short pep talk or even get everyone to wear a custom designed T-shirt. You know that it’s easier to survive a storm as a group rather than individually
  • Respect – Give credit where it is due and don’t hesitate to do it in public. Team members will feel recognised and a sense of achievement and appreciation.
  • Understanding – when a team member is cracking over a problem, help out by seeking a solution together whenever possible. Team bonding and understanding of each other will develop and help flourish the relationship.
  • Aesthetics – Give due consideration of the working area. Brightly lit workspace does work wonders in people compared to a dim place. Similarly, work area temperature, space and environment (e.g. real potted plants versus plastic plants) should be given consideration.

For more detailed reading, please visit Valdosta State University and University of Florida.

[tags]project, project management, team, motivate, Maslow[/tags]

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Women Business Clothes

BusinesswomanI’ve learnt this saying from someone who is high up on the corporate ladder: “In order to be successful, one has to look successful“. The more I thought about it, the more I observed my surroundings, the truer the saying seems to be in the corporate world. The saying is hitting hard on what is subtly known as packaging – otherwise, why would man go for facials and put on light make-ups? As for womens clothes, I really like seeing them in business suits – where the cotton shirt meets the pressed trousers and a matching jacket to complete the smart dressing.

My wife was recently promoted into a managerial position where she now leads a team of engineers. As she took on the role, many of her teammates look up to her and takes her as a benchmark for success. The more my wife sinks into her new position, the more I noticed that she changed almost her entire wardrobe to business clothings compared to the past (when she was an engineer technie), where she would dress very casually. Besides her clothings, she has added a few pairs of working shoes and is generally more conscious about her appearance.

She attributed this change to several factors including peer compatibility, business acquaintances matching, company representation and corporate acceptance. A radical change like this reinforces the saying that I’ve learnt – “In order to be successful, one has to look successful.

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Management Series – With Passion, Comes Emotion

Female Management GuruAs a manager, how many times have you come across staff who are obnoxious, who are loud, who opposes changes that you want done? I am pretty sure you have came across such individuals in your working life. My suggestion to you is this: Don’t discount those “trouble makers”. Be more concerned of the yes-men and the complacent ones for these kind of employees (though generally liked and get along well with you) will bring about a stagnant organisation.

The “trouble makers” may complain, they may fret, they may pout and they may even drive you nuts but take a step back and have deep thoughts about what their reasons may be. Generally and I do mean generally, these so-called “trouble makers” are the ones who are passionate about your organisation. They have burning desires to make right the wrongs. Watch out for trouble makers who do not offer constructive suggestions/arguments but are rather spiteful and hateful.

For those who you have sifted as passionate trouble makers, tolerate their “barkings” and listen very carefully to what they are saying. They are conveying a message to you. Grasp those messages and act on them. More often than not, these trouble-makers are in the right.

[tags]management, trouble maker, troublemaker, passion, emotion[/tags]

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