3 tips on preparing your team to get the most from working with a skilled Project Manager
Congratulations! You have hired a professional project manager (PM), and you’re on your way to having one of the most successful projects/initiatives of your career. Like many, you might be asking yourself “what now?” “What can I do to prepare for our work with the PM?” While technically you don’t “have” to do anything before your PM comes on board, there are a few ways you can begin to prepare you and your team to help you hit the ground running once the PM is on board. Below are 3 ways you can you ensure you get great benefits from working with your Project Manager.
1.) Talk to your team about being open to changes and new processes
One of the biggest traps people fall into when hiring a PM is to not listening to their input. Teams often are so stuck in their ways that they end up re-creating the same cycles and process that have always been there. Stop the madness! The point of hiring a PM is that you recognized you needed someone to help you make improvements and achieve exceptional results. So let them do what you hired them to do! The best way to ensure you get the maximum value from your PM is to be open and honest with yourself and your team about the need for, and the benefits of change. By doing this you set yourself and the team up to embrace the new processes and ways of thinking that come from working with a PM.
2.) Encourage your team to speak up, think outside the box, and actively participate with the Project Manager
A good PM will make sure that everyone’s voices, ideas, and opinions are heard, as well as making sure all concerns are addressed. When a team is involved, these steps are essential in order to be successful. Your job in all of that is to encourage your team to speak up, and to openly share ideas they have, so that no possible solution is left off the table. This also enables everyone to feel heard and valued, thereby creating buy-in for the ultimate solution your PM helps you create.
3.) Remind yourself and your team that the process might not always be easy, but it will be worth it
Many people think that a PM will make the way smooth and easy – and that’s true… in the end! Don’t fall into the trap of believing the path to success won’t require genuine effort from everyone on the team. While a PM will absolutely make aspects of your work life easier, and remove stress, they will also push you to think in ways you and your team haven’t before. They will be strict about having team participation in the project tasks and activities. A good PM knows thata if they do everything, the accomplishments won’t be sustainable since no real knowledge or skills have been built along the way. So, have a meeting with your team, be open and honest about this with them, and let them know you are there to support them, and the PM is there to support all of you.
By following the steps outlined above, you and your team will truly be in the best frame of mind to not only allow the Project Manager to work successfully, but to ensure your team learns the skills, and gains the knowledge and new processes necessary to continue to implement better, stronger work and goals. A little effort up front will yield stronger results faster, and your team will prosper through the process.
Interested in learning more about how project management could help your business problem? Contact us today for an exclusive strategy session! If you’re interested in learning more, and discussing other issues, email Kim West, or connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook.