David VincentiAdjunct Professor| Montclair State UniversityFranklin Lakes, Nj, United States
Can anyone share successful tips for motivating true peers to take on full team member roles on a project (all members of the team -- including the PM -- report to a common boss)? I'm especially interested in sharing tips for new PMs, either new to the company or new to the role of being "first among equals" like that other definition of "PM". Saving Changes...
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Joe WynneRetired from BankingCharlotte, NC Area, United States
This is a good question on a common messy situation. In circumstances like this, remember three things: (1) The true peers and you share common needs with your boss; (2) The true peers have their own specific needs associated with activities that don't include your project; (3) Some of these peer needs will interfere or conflict with them helping you. You will not be able to change any of this, but you can minimize its impact on your activities.
First and foremost, establish a good rapport with each true peer. Ask them how they want to work with you and be flexible. Find out what they need and help them get it. Start with what each of you have in common, but also help out with what they need and you don't. This is how you prepare them to help you with your specific needs. If a peer helps you selflessly, then thank them in a team meeting or by email with a cc: to the boss and others on the team.
Before issues come up, find out how the boss wants intragroup problems like this solved. You may find you have an important ally here when peers get petty. Try to set up a specific procedure in advance for handling issues like this.
Initiate activities that will simultaneously benefit peers and yourself. This will give you the high road early and may even change the culture of the team.
Is a peer still not helping you after you have been the epitome of collaboration? Then you have an issue that may be causing your common boss to not meet his or her goals. That is best dealt with as a team in a team meeting. Remember to couch it in those terms: Your boss's goals, the team goals, not your goals. Request a solution that includes compromises from all parties. Most of the time, simply the threat of this action will break through the barrier. Saving Changes...
I had to set up a meeting with a group of people from different disciplines who had to come together to identify and address issues on a new project. Some are kind of curmudgeonly, and, ahem, "meeting averse." A friend posed the following question, "Why should each of them attend the meeting?" I zipped an invitation out that said, in part, "I'm trying to come up with a sensible approach.... Please show up to protect your piece of turf." The humor helped. I had full attendance, and people stayed late. Saving Changes...
RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
