Team Management & Leaderhip

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JONATHAN DONADO

As Project Manager, how do you manage/work with someone who Isn’t a team player, but who is a key "piece" in the project based on his/her skills and knowledge?

Posted: Apr 24, 2017 12:47 PM

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Edward Daniels Project Manager| Independent Glen Burnie, Md, United States

Your title in my opinion gives us a roadmap to solve this puzzle- team management is about dotting the i's and crossing the t's, while Leadership on the other hand is inspiring and motivating your team members.

As PMs, we get to wear multiple hats while on the job. I am an avid supporter of asking what is going on? Someone who may appear to not be a team player may be shy and it comes off as arrogance which in itself can cause fraction on the team. They may have issues in their personal lives that is causing them not to be fully engaged.

As PMs, we strive to inspire, educate, motivate, engage, cultivate, i can go on, our teams but our primary assignment remains to get the job done. Have a conversation with this person, and listen to their responses. I have used the "walk in my shoes", what will you do to resolve this connundrum in the past?

The responses have surprised me and the persons giving me grieve learnt a thing or two. Most people are reasonable folks, they sometimes just need to see how their actions may be affecting a team dynamic. I hope this helps. Please send us updates if any of the suggestions work for you.

Posted: Apr 26, 2017 3:29 PM

Sungjoon Park Coral Springs, Fl, United States

Apr 25, 2017 11:46 PM

Replying to JONATHAN DONADO

...

Subject Matter Expert or someone who has a technical knowledge that others in the team do not have.

Let me know if you need more clarifications.

Thanks!

Thank you for your further clarification. As I commented earlier, effective team building is one of the most important factors to deliver the defined goals of project. If someone destroys the team spirits I don't recommend you to keep him in the team regardless of his/her technical capabilities unless otherwise he or she should be assigned as per the contract or by the senior management. You may find a better team player out there and it will help the team successfully complete the project in the long run.

Posted: Apr 26, 2017 5:32 PM

Naomi Caietti Senior Project Manager | ePMO | Higher Education | Healthcare & IT| Linkedin.com/In/NaomiCaietti

Jonathan:

Although this may seem arbitrary; has your team gone through Tuckman's 4 stages of team development, do you have a sponsor, RACI matrix and clear rule of engagement for your team, and is performance low with this key team member completing key tasks or deliverables? Many times your "key team members" may have different motivations to perform? Do you know what they are?
All of the answers to these questions will give you key indicators to either stay the course with this team member, have the PM make them perform or quickly find a replacement or backup. Lots of other great feedback here too.

Posted: Apr 27, 2017 12:46 AM

Thomas Kennedy Project Engineer| BP Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom

Like others I think start with a simple conversation, maybe getting a coffee away from the workplace and discuss the issues, tends to lead to more open conversations.

The SME might have genuine concerns that could lead to project failure (they are the SME) or they could just be disruptive. You have to determine where they are before setting on a course of action.

Posted: Apr 28, 2017 9:29 AM

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