Agile Motivation (Part 2)

Mike Griffiths is an experienced project manager, author and consultant who works for PMI as a subject matter expert. Before joining PMI, Mike consulted and managed innovation and technology projects throughout Europe, North and South America for 30+ years. He was co-lead for the PMBOK Guide—Seventh Edition, lead for the Agile Practice Guide, and contributor to the PMI-ACP and PMP exam content outlines. Outside of PMI, Mike maintains the websites www.LeadingAnswers.com about leading teams and www.PMillustrated.com, which teaches project management for visual learners.

  Agile   Talent Management  

In Agile Motivation (Part 1), we looked at why people are hardwired to enjoy problem solving and how projects are more engaging for people if we switch from providing task lists to sharing business questions and challenges where possible. This article explores how better to align project objectives with personal objectives to increase team motivation.

As a project manager looking to maximize value delivered, I look at all kinds of possibilities to get better and go faster. Co-location with the business, faster PCs, project related bonuses, anything! These ideas have some potential upside benefits--and some potential downside costs associated with them, too. Maybe we don’t have the resources to pay more or buy equipment; maybe HR policies prevent special treatment. However, once we determine what methods are available to us (even in those grey areas of approval), we can then analyze the ROI and the long-term impacts (often, short-term motivators--like pay or overtime--are not long-term motivators).

Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, explains why traditional management’s carrot-and-stick motivation system does not work. The trouble with these “if/then” rewards (“if you do this, then you get this…”) is that while we like them at first, we quickly tire of them. Then because the reward can…

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