Keeping the Wheels Turning

 

As a young man I worked in my fathers industrial supply business. I worked in the warehouse and drove the delivery truck. We sold fasteners of all kinds, nuts, bolts, screws, cotter pins and other industrial supplies. I learned about screw pin anchor shackles, concrete anchors, structural bolts, machine tools and other industrial/construction-related tools and equipment. Visiting industrial sites all over the Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, I also learned about how they were used and their value to equipment and machinery.

The linchpin has always been an interesting fastener to me. It's small, not particularly strong; but when used to keep the wheel of a piece of machinery (or even a small go-cart) on an axle, it's indispensable. Without the linchpin, the wheel will eventually spin right off the axle—resulting in a catastrophic failure.

The same is true with project teams. There is a linchpin, and the success or failure of any project rests on that linchpin's ability to perform. It's not the project manager. Nor is it the project sponsor or the particular methodology the team uses to get work done. It's not even the project management software or other tools employed by the team to facilitate collaboration, report on progress or manage project deliverables.

Unfortunately, from a project management software perspective, the linchpin is often ignored. It's probably because he or she isn't involved in the purchase decision, has no budget, has no purchase decision authority and it's felt that the needs of project managers and stakeholders are more important—at least they often have budget and the ability to purchase products.

In reality, it's the individual contributors on a project team that keep the wheels rolling, and regardless of your methodology or software tools, in my opinion, ignoring the linchpin is one of the reasons so many projects fail. If everyone on your project team can identify with the following four statements, you're well on your way:

1. I'm empowered to do what I do best—When people have the opportunity to do what they do best, we get their best work, they're motivated and engaged—which helps them perform at a higher level. Project leaders who empower their teams to do what they do best consistently complete successful projects.
2. I have the tools to do my work right—This may or may not include your project management tool, but if the team doesn't have the right tools, their productivity drops. Have you ever wondered why the same team members who won't (or don't) update project status in their PM software, will spend a couple hours at home updating personal status on Facebook or Twitter? I have. I believe it's because the software solutions used in most organizations use software designed to provide value to project managers and stakeholders—not individual team members. And, if the only value the team sees in a new solution is a better way for management to "watch what's going on", it's not the right tool for the team. If everyone on the team (including individual contributors) can see value, project managers and other business leaders will be able to seamlessly capture all the accurate and timely project information they need to make informed decisions.
3. I'm recognized for my contributions—Most people are proud of what they do and want to feel like they are making meaningful contributions to objectives that lead to value. I'm not talking about insincere "atta-boys" but I am talking about being aware and recognizing superior performance and consistent effort. Of course there may be members of the team who refuse to step up. In those instances, I think it's important to evaluate whether or not the problem is of our creation or that particular team member just might not be right for the team. As a team member, you might be an incredibly talented and brilliant individual, but if you are unwilling to contribute your best efforts for the benefit of the team, are difficult to work with or otherwise a consistently low performer, you might not be right for the team.
4. I know what's expected of me—For team members to perform at their best, they shouldn't have to makes guesses about priorities. If they can't reliably answer the questions, "What should I be doing now?" and "What should I do next?" it's difficult to get their best efforts. It doesn't make sense to expect team members to "figure it out for themselves." That's not to say that team members need to be directed or hand-held every step of the way either, but it does mean that everyone needs to completely understand the objectives of every project, understand their own individual role and contribution to the team and have all the information they need to keep them working toward the objective. Ambiguity in this regard is a real productivity killer.

Like most things, it isn't really that complicated. Individual contributors on the team are every bit as critical as the linchpin is to the wheel and axle. When your methods and solutions consider the needs of everyone on the team, you'll foster and environment where a free-flow of timely and accurate project information is available for informing smart project decisions; and your projects will be more successful.

What are you doing to keep the wheels turning?