When Lean Is Mean

Ty is a work management evangelist; "accidental" project manager and marketing veteran with over 25 years of experience.

  Innovation   ProjectsAtWork  

Everyone in the workforce is being asked to do more with less, and project teams are no exception. But down the line there is a hefty price to pay when people don’t feel adequately valued for their contributions or see opportunities to grow. A talent exodus is on the horizon for the worst offenders.

I don’t think there’s any question that over the last four or five years project teams have been asked to do more and more with less and less. What’s more, this has taken place with little or no increase in compensation for the individual members of the project team. I even have a few friends who took reductions in salary to keep their jobs and help their organizations stay afloat. I’m worried that as the economy improves, many of our best and most dedicated team members will be looking at the grass on the other side of the fence.

I’m not alone in this concern. Not too long ago I stumbled upon an interesting excerpt from “The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration—and Get the Most From Your Employees,” by Mark Royal and Tom Agnew. This book is definitely on my reading list. I don’t think there’s any question that most of us understand the importance of engaging the team to maximize their value and contributions. Royal and Agnew suggest two key issues we must address to make that happen:

1. …

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