It is common to find in our team some people who are disinterested and reluctant to fulfill their responsibilities, do not accept their mistakes, and postpone their tasks. ¿As a project manager, how do you deal with this situation? ¿What is your most notable success story? Saving Changes...
The specific approach will depend on if they are a team member of a stakeholder external to the team.
Regardless, it is a good idea to meet with them 1:1 first to make sure you have the full picture and aren't jumping to conclusions. This might help you discover why they are behaving in a manner which you perceive to be "lazy" and that might then suggest options to address it.
For example, if they are a team member who is overwhelmed with their workload between your project and other commitments from their functional manager but have been afraid to raise this workload concern with their manager, you might suggest they do that and offer to be in that meeting to ensure that a win-win outcome can be achieved.
I had a situation like this in my past where I ended up having to escalate the priority concern for the team member as their functional manager wasn't helping the team member to achieve a sustainable work load and the project couldn't afford to lose the team member. With the assistance of the sponsor we were able to get the functional manager to re-assign some of the team member's functional responsibilities within their functional team to allow them to focus on their project commitments.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
I would have to say that facing the issue head on, as Kiron suggested, to find out what the issues might be is a good approach. That is, dealing directly with the offender. Who knows what is going on in their world? Are their issues affecting their availability, whether workload or family life. Are they ill? Are they being hounded by their boss who put them on a dozen projects at once and expected them to continue to meet their functional duties that already keep them over 100% occupied and awake at night with worry?
Once you discern why the are not engaged and meeting their deadlines, make sure you set up an information radiator that encourges people to do what they say they will do, when they say they will.
Make sure you are clear with all of your stakeholders about their role on the project, what you are requesting, and when you need it after getting their commitment to do whatever it is you are asking them to do. Make all agreed tasks and dates visible to your entire team.
I once set up a place to store meeting action items with scheduled dates and names attached to them. It is really quite amazing what a little ultra high visibility of late actions sorted by name with the latest items first in the list does to cause people to meet their commitments. This was posted on the Home Page of the Program Site, so everyone could see it. Most people do not want their name frequently "up in lights" as someone who is not meeting agreed deadlines and causing project or program delays.
You need to stage such an approach, of course, and make sure that all team members agree. This is best done in the kick off meeting when you talk about team norms. Most people at that time will agree with a method that highlights work not done, as it is the honeymoon stage of a project. ;)
...
1 reply by Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
Jul 05, 2024 1:01 PM
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
...
Mike, it's an innovative idea to give high visibility of late actions of certain team members. A decision of make it public really motivates the person to accomplish their tasks in an adequate manner.
Consider what is in it for them and what is their reason for being disinterested. If you have a stakeholder that gets paid to fix the problem your project is trying to eliminate, then they may have a strong bias against putting themselves out of work. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
You must not deal with that. Except if those are related to the project itself. If that the case, assure that role and responsibilities in the project are clear, assure that ground rules are clear, talk with the person and if that is not enough then you have to escalate the situation. Saving Changes...
I would have to say that facing the issue head on, as Kiron suggested, to find out what the issues might be is a good approach. That is, dealing directly with the offender. Who knows what is going on in their world? Are their issues affecting their availability, whether workload or family life. Are they ill? Are they being hounded by their boss who put them on a dozen projects at once and expected them to continue to meet their functional duties that already keep them over 100% occupied and awake at night with worry?
Once you discern why the are not engaged and meeting their deadlines, make sure you set up an information radiator that encourges people to do what they say they will do, when they say they will.
Make sure you are clear with all of your stakeholders about their role on the project, what you are requesting, and when you need it after getting their commitment to do whatever it is you are asking them to do. Make all agreed tasks and dates visible to your entire team.
I once set up a place to store meeting action items with scheduled dates and names attached to them. It is really quite amazing what a little ultra high visibility of late actions sorted by name with the latest items first in the list does to cause people to meet their commitments. This was posted on the Home Page of the Program Site, so everyone could see it. Most people do not want their name frequently "up in lights" as someone who is not meeting agreed deadlines and causing project or program delays.
You need to stage such an approach, of course, and make sure that all team members agree. This is best done in the kick off meeting when you talk about team norms. Most people at that time will agree with a method that highlights work not done, as it is the honeymoon stage of a project. ;)
Mike, it's an innovative idea to give high visibility of late actions of certain team members. A decision of make it public really motivates the person to accomplish their tasks in an adequate manner. Saving Changes...
