by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP — We’ve all been there: stuck on the project that won’t end, wishing for a rain dance that could conjure up a quick, action-packed Hollywood ending.
I don’t have a rain dance for you, but I do have some ideas that have worked for me when my team was in the tight grip of project fatigue. Here are five ways to keep project passion alive
- Acknowledge the elephant in the room. What’s worse than empty corporate platitudes when everyone knows the project team is in the doldrums? This is when humor is very effective. Say what everyone is thinking. Turn the groans into laughter with the simple truth. “I know this project stinks right now, so the question is: How can we make it rock?”
- Why do we care? When a project has gone on forever, it’s easy for the most seasoned project manager to lose sight of why you began in the first place. Bring your team back to the project’s raison d’etre. Paint the big picture and then connect that big picture back to the team. It’s easy to get engaged again, once you are reminded why you need to care. Answer the “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM) for every one on the team. If there is not a compelling “WIIFM,” create one. Build in some incentives whether they are vacation days or Bose headphones bring some sizzle into the end game.
- Revisit expectations and goals. During a long project, people and plans may change significantly. That’s why your Project Agreement needs to be a living document. Recharge your team by revisiting the expectations, adjusting the goals and making sure everyone is clear about roles and responsibilities. This simple step can uncover roadblocks and frustrations that may be unvoiced but need to be heard.
- Inspire. Ask yourself how can you inspire your team? Is it as simple as a creative and inspirational speaker who could come in for a brief session or a monthly book club run by the team, allowing them to stretch their brains in a different way? If you have no budget, take a break from a weekly meeting and do a few quick team-building exercises or even plan a minifield trip in your hometown to give your team a different perspective and build some fresh thinking into the old project.
- Visualize the end. Lead a visualization exercise with your team where you all spend 10 minutes visualizing the end of the project. What will that look like? How does the success feel? What did you accomplish? How did you get there? How do you know you’re there? When an entire team feels stuck, it often gets hard to see the happy ending. As the leader, you can help them paint it and give new hope that the end will come!
So when you know the energy on your team is lacking, don’t run to the cafeteria and hide. Instead, experiment with these five energizers and see what works in your business culture. And, don’t be afraid to ask for ideas from your own team. You’ll be amazed at how a small idea can make a big difference.
Michelle LaBrosse, PMP, is the founder of Cheetah Learning, author of “Cheetah Negotiations” and “Cheetah Project Management” and the columnist for Know How Network. She holds engineering degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Dayton and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner President Managers program. This article previously appeared in the September/October 2008 issue of Facilities Engineering Journal, published by AFE, the Association for Facilities Engineering.