5 Tips for Team Engagement

One of the great challenges of a project manager is to keep the team motivated, satisfied, and productive throughout the duration of the project. Some project managers make the mistake of assuming that team engagement is not so important because project members should be pulled along by the momentum of the project, and everything will be fine and dandy. In most cases, the most successful project managers are people who are excellent in engaging the team because without the team, the project will not take off. It's important to realize that the momentum of the project is generated by the team itself. These days, project managers often manage a string of projects from anywhere in the world with a diverse team of members from various countries. Technology and supporting make this easier than ever before, and go a long way to reducing or eliminating some of the traditional obstacles project managers faced.

Tips for Team Engagement (no matter where the team is located)

1. Trust and Respect: Since the project manager cannot be expected to do everything, it's important to cultivate an environment of trust and respect. When you show that you trust and respect your team members, they will return the favor.

2. Setting Expectations: Make your expectations clear to the team. Explain how the work of each team member contributes to the goals of the team and make sure that they have the necessary information to be most productive.

3. Appropriate Monitoring: As the project manager, you should have knowledge about what the team members are doing. This way, you can spot problems and risks before they occur and team members will be more motivated when they know that you are keeping your eye on the progress of the project. This doesn't mean that you need to watch and monitor every small detail of what everyone is doing on an hourly or daily basis (see #1 above). It simply means that it's your responsibility to guide and direct your team and their activities.

4. Building Positive Vibes: Some managers have the skills to create a positive working environment and they always get the most out of the team members. When you receive news about a team member's accomplishment, pass it on. If your team has exceeded expectations, congratulate the members, plan a small celebration and cheer them on! Positive reinforcement is always a great thing, especially in a team. The key is to be authentic.

5. Team Engagement Isn't One Way: Too many managers and leaders believe that team building and team engagement is something they need to "do". As if it's a one way, top-down gift that they bestow upon a project. It isn't. Ensuring that your team is engaged means allowing team members to engage with each other, more so than anything else. As a manager or leader, it's up to you to nurture those opportunities and remove any obstacles in their path. Encouraging collaboration builds a team organically.

Online project management software can offer a great range of supporting tools for project managers. In managing teams and resources, managers can get real-time information on tasks, allocation, timesheets, projects, and the like. This way, you will know exactly what is happening and you can contact the team members easily. To facilitate communication and collaboration among team members, look for a tool that offers social collaboration or a social media type of environment. Cloud-based software, that any team member can access no matter where they're located, can provide a great foundation for creating that virtual, always there, team environment.

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