Hari SusantoProject Manager| PT Mitra Buana KomputindoJakarta, Jakarta Barat, Indonesia
When leads a capability Project Manager can be Powerful if at the same time have to work on several projects at once with different industry, Sometime Project Manager should become the father of this project team ,in this condition how to distinguish a ruler and separating social affairs, eg employees borrow money or having to know their family's social affairs??? its to many taking time if everyday the same thing happened . Saving Changes...
In this regard, being a Project Manager is the same as being a Functional Manager or supervisor, you are in a position of authority and therefore have a responsibility to stay a step removed from any and all personal involvement. So you can attend social gatherings of course, but if/when it involves employees drinking you should remove yourself. It wouldn't be ethical to have employees borrow money. When you are trying to navigate the appropriate position for yourself, think how you would act as the boss would.
...
2 replies by Hari Susanto and Liana Underwood
Mar 01, 2017 12:05 AM
Hari Susanto
...
Hi Liana , Agree about Project Manager Or Supervisor is part of the job . they just different Responsibility between Project Member and Project Manager . But Its Part Of Culture Sometime if intends to know the problem project member they can justify and create another internal problem , so the option is just : 1. stay strong and inline with the project timeline with minor risk e .g member resign or not powerful 2.Follow the member issued but company/Stakeholder looking slowly progress .
Mar 02, 2017 8:13 AM
Liana Underwood
...
Terrific perspective and the other responses widened my thoughts on the subject. I completely left out the team building and part of the family portion. That absolutely is part of a solid team. Overall, a team that does act as a family will be stronger and will work better towards the project goals. Great post!
Saving Changes...
Ruth PearceAttorney, Author, and Coach | Guardian Ad Litem in North Carolina| A Lever Long Enough (ALLE LLC)Durham, Nc, United States
It is hard to answer this question because some of it will be cultural.
I was the program manager of a large team a few years ago and the entire team was very close - like a large family. The lines between professional relationship and personal were definitely blurred. We socialized, and we discussed personal matters - such as family and outside interests. But certainly in our case I would not have lent money.
I was often aware of personal situations with family - for example when someone's child or parent was ill - and I would make accommodations to schedule, working from home etc. to help that person with their situation. From time to time, I put team members into contact with others who could assist them with a particular personal situation.
Being a caring leader builds trust and mutual respect and helps get the team behind you.
...
1 reply by Hari Susanto
Mar 01, 2017 12:15 AM
Hari Susanto
...
Hi Ruth ,Very interest if what you tell can be implemented in here , When in here usually we just have benefit from project member on working hours after that sometime we not greeting if look on another place . you have tips base on your experience ?
Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Ruth's examples are good. You should create your own personal rules regarding how you’ll interact with your team. For example, you might choose to act as a parent toward your team, and learn about their personal lives and help them with some personal issues, but you might decide not to go so far as to lend them money.
Hari:
I'll chime in with Ruth; as a leader you can develop what I'll call a "Rules of Engagement" document to share with your team. It's a list of rules for how you will work with your team, it sets expectations/boundaries and keeps you focused. The lines can get blurred between that work/life balance, culture and ethics; build a strong team that can lift each other up.
...
2 replies by Hari Susanto and Naomi Caietti
Mar 01, 2017 12:28 AM
Hari Susanto
...
Hi Naomi , maybe like a briefing every morning but not documented . When we create that more people Can be Happy and Some Not ,
I Was create that On Another project because my member average have more age e.g 40th and another member that more young cant implemented that and thinking not fair .
Mar 01, 2017 3:57 PM
Naomi Caietti
...
You wouldn't read it every day but it's a reminder on how you plan to work with your team. It's helps you to build a working relationship with your team . Great tips here from many contributors.
Saving Changes...
Hari SusantoProject Manager| PT Mitra Buana KomputindoJakarta, Jakarta Barat, Indonesia
Feb 28, 2017 10:04 AM
Replying to Liana Underwood
...
In this regard, being a Project Manager is the same as being a Functional Manager or supervisor, you are in a position of authority and therefore have a responsibility to stay a step removed from any and all personal involvement. So you can attend social gatherings of course, but if/when it involves employees drinking you should remove yourself. It wouldn't be ethical to have employees borrow money. When you are trying to navigate the appropriate position for yourself, think how you would act as the boss would.
Hi Liana , Agree about Project Manager Or Supervisor is part of the job . they just different Responsibility between Project Member and Project Manager . But Its Part Of Culture Sometime if intends to know the problem project member they can justify and create another internal problem , so the option is just : 1. stay strong and inline with the project timeline with minor risk e .g member resign or not powerful 2.Follow the member issued but company/Stakeholder looking slowly progress . Saving Changes...
Hari SusantoProject Manager| PT Mitra Buana KomputindoJakarta, Jakarta Barat, Indonesia
Feb 28, 2017 7:22 PM
Replying to Ruth Pearce
...
It is hard to answer this question because some of it will be cultural.
I was the program manager of a large team a few years ago and the entire team was very close - like a large family. The lines between professional relationship and personal were definitely blurred. We socialized, and we discussed personal matters - such as family and outside interests. But certainly in our case I would not have lent money.
I was often aware of personal situations with family - for example when someone's child or parent was ill - and I would make accommodations to schedule, working from home etc. to help that person with their situation. From time to time, I put team members into contact with others who could assist them with a particular personal situation.
Being a caring leader builds trust and mutual respect and helps get the team behind you.
Hi Ruth ,Very interest if what you tell can be implemented in here , When in here usually we just have benefit from project member on working hours after that sometime we not greeting if look on another place . you have tips base on your experience ?
...
1 reply by Ruth Pearce
Mar 01, 2017 9:22 AM
Ruth Pearce
...
Hi Hari
In our teams we have done simple things like arrange to take a walk together to get out of the office. We have also arranged "pot luck" lunches where each team member brings part of the meal. That can be a lot of fun, keeps it to working hours, and avoids having to select somewhere to go after work that some people will like and others will not.
I have also used a lot of assessments. In my reply to Shreeram I mentioned VIA (I am reproducing that part of the post here)
I personally love the VIA Character Strengths (their assessment is free) and if team members are willing to share the results - even anonymously, it can lead to interesting discussions about the team profile.
This makes it personal and professional all rolled into one. Here is a link to the survey in case anyone is interested. http://freeassessmentenglish.pro.viasurvey.org It is in Spanish here: http://freeassessmentespagnol.pro.viasurvey.org
I have used that with my teams and we have built a team profile using each team member's top five strengths. Once the profile is complete we talk about the ways in which the team looks like a good team to be on, and areas where it may need some work (I had a team of over 100 people for example where only 6 had self regulation in their top strengths). The team may decide that a low level of a particular strength does not matter in the context of the work they do. Others may decide that they can work on a strength to boost it in the team. It is fun, and really helpful. It is a positive assessment - there are no bad or wrong results.
Of course, what you do with a team depends on your relationship with them, your level of formal authority over the team, the openness of the organization and your culture to different approaches and tools.
Another thing I have done with teams is ask each team member to provide a puzzle for the team to solve or a joke that everyone can enjoy. Another popular one was an inspirational quote that we would write up on a board or a piece of paper and leave up for a few days before replacing it with the next team member's choice.
As trust builds, team members will offer up some of the more personal side of their life. Just be open and listen well. Often as Shreeram says, there is no need to be anything other than a listening ear.
Best wishes
Ruth
Saving Changes...
Hari SusantoProject Manager| PT Mitra Buana KomputindoJakarta, Jakarta Barat, Indonesia
Feb 28, 2017 9:33 PM
Replying to Eric Simms
...
Ruth's examples are good. You should create your own personal rules regarding how you’ll interact with your team. For example, you might choose to act as a parent toward your team, and learn about their personal lives and help them with some personal issues, but you might decide not to go so far as to lend them money.
Thank You Eric , Still trying Do It . Saving Changes...
Hari SusantoProject Manager| PT Mitra Buana KomputindoJakarta, Jakarta Barat, Indonesia
Feb 28, 2017 11:42 PM
Replying to Naomi Caietti
...
Hari:
I'll chime in with Ruth; as a leader you can develop what I'll call a "Rules of Engagement" document to share with your team. It's a list of rules for how you will work with your team, it sets expectations/boundaries and keeps you focused. The lines can get blurred between that work/life balance, culture and ethics; build a strong team that can lift each other up.
Hi Naomi , maybe like a briefing every morning but not documented . When we create that more people Can be Happy and Some Not ,
I Was create that On Another project because my member average have more age e.g 40th and another member that more young cant implemented that and thinking not fair . Saving Changes...
shreeram madangopalCorporate Trainer, Auditor, Consultant| Independent Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
As a project manager - I saw that the primary difference in working with machines and working with human beings is Machines don't complain - they just break-down. Whereas humans have emotions and express anger, sorrow, fear, happiness, content disappoinment, etc etc based on their experiences.
One of the skills required from a project manager is to ensure that the team stays motivated towards work. By just saying "Please ensure work is done" will not help. The PM has to be:
- a good listener
- patient with the team
- identify skills / weaknesses in each team member
- recommend training, coaching, mentoring and team building activities as and when required.
At times, the team member do not expect a solution to their concerns. The just want somebody to listen to them....
...
1 reply by Ruth Pearce
Mar 01, 2017 9:15 AM
Ruth Pearce
...
Shreeram
I agree with you. In addition to skills in the team members it is great to also look to their personal strengths. Identifying and recognizing the personal motivations that individuals have really helps build that sense of community in the team and that helps with keeping them working together, helping each other and working towards the goal.
Someone who is high on perseverance can help keep the team going when they are feeling demotivated, someone who is high in judgment can way evidence and help determine the best next step. I personally love the VIA Character Strengths (their assessment is free) and if team members are willing to share the results - even anonymously, it can lead to interesting discussions about the team profile.
This makes it personal and professional all rolled into one. Here is a link to the survey in case anyone is interested. http://freeassessmentenglish.pro.viasurvey.org It is in Spanish here: http://freeassessmentespagnol.pro.viasurvey.org
Listening skills are key. I have seen in written that leaders listen twice as much as they speak, I think this is a good guideline!
Best wishes
Ruth
Saving Changes...
Ruth PearceAttorney, Author, and Coach | Guardian Ad Litem in North Carolina| A Lever Long Enough (ALLE LLC)Durham, Nc, United States
Mar 01, 2017 1:37 AM
Replying to shreeram madangopal
...
As a project manager - I saw that the primary difference in working with machines and working with human beings is Machines don't complain - they just break-down. Whereas humans have emotions and express anger, sorrow, fear, happiness, content disappoinment, etc etc based on their experiences.
One of the skills required from a project manager is to ensure that the team stays motivated towards work. By just saying "Please ensure work is done" will not help. The PM has to be:
- a good listener
- patient with the team
- identify skills / weaknesses in each team member
- recommend training, coaching, mentoring and team building activities as and when required.
At times, the team member do not expect a solution to their concerns. The just want somebody to listen to them....
Shreeram
I agree with you. In addition to skills in the team members it is great to also look to their personal strengths. Identifying and recognizing the personal motivations that individuals have really helps build that sense of community in the team and that helps with keeping them working together, helping each other and working towards the goal.
Someone who is high on perseverance can help keep the team going when they are feeling demotivated, someone who is high in judgment can way evidence and help determine the best next step. I personally love the VIA Character Strengths (their assessment is free) and if team members are willing to share the results - even anonymously, it can lead to interesting discussions about the team profile.
This makes it personal and professional all rolled into one. Here is a link to the survey in case anyone is interested. http://freeassessmentenglish.pro.viasurvey.org It is in Spanish here: http://freeassessmentespagnol.pro.viasurvey.org
