In today's world companies often discuss, analyze, and survey employee satisfaction. However as a PM, there is a different phenomenon that takes place, Project Member Satisfaction. When you’re managing employees, contractors, sub-contractors, and consultants all on the same team it can be often difficult to balance, their performance and costs. I say this because they are so deeply imbedded in the workers happiness and willingness to either a) work extra hours (easier for the hourly contractor than the new mom), b) be efficient and focused at work (vs hanging out at the water cooler, or googling).
How do you keep people productively happy? What I mean by that is, I’m not trying to make everyone happy, I just want them happy enough to do a good job and not cause problems with others.
Any thoughts on how you manager project member satisfaction? Saving Changes...
Typically as a PM I am dealing with constraints on time and resources (specifically money) but I have never had a shortage of being able to listen to people. I cannot tell you how successful this methodology has been for me. I have had flush projects that allowed for consultants to train and freebies but I believe that I have gotten a lot more value listening to each of the members of the team for 15 minutes then I ever would have sitting in a team building exercise. Try it. Saving Changes...
