We've all been in teams in which we've wished for a larger (or smaller) say in the direction of the project. Depending on the project size, importance, & scope; an individual's contribution will change from project to project.
As a project manager; how would you ensure that all team members are contributing equally from project to project?
I think it is generally perceived that the most effective teamwork happens when team members work together selflessly and generously towards a mutual goal. This means that individuality and personal capabilities are usually ignored. This is while I believe dividing team members into small groups help to provide an atmosphere in which a good understanding of people's personality, strength, weaknesses and capabilities are gained, and a project can succeed. It also makes it possible to monitor the team member’s contributions to the projects.
As a project member I would not necessarily ensure that each team member is contributing equally, as I believe that a team must have definitive roles to ensure a successfully completed project. I would rather make it a goal to ensure that each team member's voice is heard and taken into consideration. The best way to do this is to give each team member time to provide input during weekly team meetings or allow input given during interim meetings. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks from allowing everyone a say during meetings as this may cause meetings to run overtime or longer than usual. This is why it is important for a project manager to approachable as it allows team members to feel comfortable to contribute their say at any time. What are some other ways a project manager can ensure that everyone gives their input during a project?
This is a broad question. Deliverables should be self-motivated and not micromanaged. Micromanaging takes time and effort out of project managers. Project managers should prioritize efficiency and methods to encourage proactive completion of deliverables. If project managers are constantly involved in pushing the team forward at every step of the project, then it could lead to an overdependence of on the project manager. This applies to PM assuming that each project member should equally contribute to a project and enforcing that. Equal contribution does not mean productivity because it may not feasible. A single project member can be working on multiple projects. As a project manager, I must make sure the team understand the big picture and how much each member needs to contribute based on their status and resources available, and how to optimize that. Micromanaging could blind a project manager to the actual needs of the team. PM should always look back at the big picture and ask if they need to actual interfere with a process. If the process and team is good, then it's best to maintain the methodology rather than changing it at risk of preventing the deliverable from coming on time. If this means letting the team do their own thing, then less influence is good.
I have worked in projects in the past where my contributions towards the project had varied depending on the role that I played within the group and what the responsibilities were for that particular role. For example, I have noticed that project manager does not necessarily conduct physical work for the project where they draft documents and create procedures and protocols, rather they assess the scope of the project and figure out what needs to be accomplished. From there the manager would assign roles to the team and delegate responsibilities that need to be completed in order for the project to be done as a whole. As a project manager I would personally make sure that there is a checklist for each team member that they need to fulfill for the project. This would ensure that each team member was aware of their responsibilities and what they were being held accountable for. At the end of the checklist I would make sure that there is a work item of having to check another team member's work as a type of peer review/quality control measure in order to make sure that team members' are submitting quality work. If I felt that there was an individual who was not keeping up with their responsibilities I would have a meeting with them and try to understand where the miscommunication and the reason as to why the individual is struggling to keep up with the work. If the work is too difficult for the individual I would sit down with them and try to help them get on the right track so that they would be able to complete their responsibilities. In this scenario this is where it is beneficial for the project manager to have a little bit of experience in every department this way if any department is ever lacking they can go in and try to help and fix the issue themselves rather than being ignorant and simply just telling the team to figure it out. What are some practices you've seen from project managers you have worked with that worked well with the team? Any practices that you felt hurt the team?
It is hard to measure if everyone in a project is contributing equally because each members contribution depends heavily on their role in the project. But from my own experiences if a team member is not pulling their weight the rest of the team suffers as a result. Especially in a multi-discipline project each members role depend on each others success. So if one member is late on a deliverable, this can result in other team member becoming delayed as well.
As a project manager, to ensure everyone is doing their part it is important to hold meetings to serve as a status update. This way each member of the team can explain their progress on their component of the project and also communicate any possible delays or issues. This can also give a chance for anyone to speak up and let me know if there is a member that is not pulling their weight. At the end of day communication should be stressed in every project. Each member should feel comfortable when giving their input to their team and to their PM.
All member input has a crucial influence on each project despite of individual's role. As a project manager, an individual has the responsibility to accomplish all the project requirements that were initially proposed in the project approval. It may conclude with critical drawbacks during the execution process depending on project team input. In every team, each member has a significant role that may affect the project partially or directly during the implementation of the particular project. It is the project manager's responsibility to analyze members' roles and individual input. That way we can improve project outcomes. If a member's role is small and significant, if not done or takes longer than expected maximum time, which may lead to project delay on the proposed timeline or manipulate the proposed outcome then the project manager should negotiate accordingly. As a manager, it's the leader's responsibility to convey proper communication of work that needs to be done during the team management as well as ensure that each member should get the required support from each member. A manager has to give proper guidance on how to execute a project smartly within the given timeframe. He can utilize individual capability and allot work accordingly. That way, each can give input. A manager should conduct meetings to discuss the progress of the project, discuss the challenges that one is facing, possible solutions for challenges, and switch work between members if both are in agreement. That way manager can utilize each member of the team.
The success of any project depends on how well the team contributed to the project itself. Every contribution must be valuable. Communication at all times is a must. Regularly we all need to be in touch with the team so we can all determine if there is any weakness that we can tackle as a whole. Some team members believe they know it all, and therefore the whole work environment becomes toxic. In order to avoid that, professionalism should be in place and address any issue that is affecting the team or the project. Because if any job is done individually, the results would not be as cohesive as in a team. Motivation, making your team feel comfortable working with you, and improving the relationship with them could make the project run satisfactorily with positive perspectives and outcomes towards the ultimate goal.
As a project manager, it is important to first assess the project size and make a schedule of deadlines for the team. The next step would be to delegate roles and responsibilities for each member of the team so that they understand what to be expected from them. This also reduces misunderstandings when a project deadline is coming up. Another way to make sure that all team members are contributing and are on track, in regards to the project, is to do weekly check ins to make sure all team members are on track and assess any problems that a project manager may be able to assist in. As a project manager, it is also important to give feedback on the team members' performances and progress being made so that they can work more efficiently. Another important role of a project manager is that they must be able to divide the workload between all team members. If one part of the project may be too difficult for one person, then as a project manager, I would put 2-3 persons on the same task. If one person is working more or harder than others, then this can cause conflicts within the team that can be easily avoidable. Lastly, to help boost motivation among the team members, they should often support and encourage team members and come together to find solutions to achieve the goal they are working towards.
As a project manager, ensuring equal contributions from all team members is crucial for the success of the project. One approach to achieving this is to clearly define each team member's role and responsibilities, and regularly check in with each individual to ensure that everyone is on track. Setting measurable goals and providing opportunities for growth and development can also help to ensure that all team members are contributing effectively. A positive team culture, characterized by open and transparent communication, regular team-building activities, and a recognition and reward system, can also play a key role in promoting equal contributions from all team members. By implementing these steps, a project manager can create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and motivated to contribute equally to the project.
However, equal contribution is also subjective to the tasks that are assigned and the capabilities of each team member. Objectively, some team members may do less overall work than others due to their skillset and responsibilities. However, as long as the share of work is not totally unbalanced, then a team should successfully be able to complete a project.
We've all been in teams in which we've wished for a larger (or smaller) say in the direction of the project. Depending on the project size, importance, & scope; an individual's contribution will change from project to project.
As a project manager; how would you ensure that all team members are contributing equally from project to project?
Making sure everyone's opinions are heard and respected is an important part of any team leader's job. It is also important to realize that not every opinion will be conducive to a successful project. I think this really comes down to knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your group members; for instance, say the project involves the implementation of Artificial Intelligence into a system to increase efficiency. As group leader, I would need to possess the ability to identify the individual or individuals most adept at computer software development. In the case where there is no obvious standout member, the criteria then changes to the most knowledgeable member on the topic. For the remaining members, I would still accept and respect opinions; I would just be partial to the "experts". The remaining work would then be divvied up, again according to each member's personal strengths. In this way, every member is able to put forth their best work, and work on the project can be done as effectively and efficiently as possible.
As previous replies had mentioned, each contribution of a team member may not be equal based on the nature of the project. Some projects may require more expertise from certain individuals compared to others on the team. An individual may take a larger, primary role while other team members act as support for the project. Contribution can instead be measured based on whether a team member is completing all tasks expected of them in order to produce the necessary project deliverables. Contribution could be based on the team member’s impact on the project timeline.
@jbh8 I agree with your statement regarding paying and encouraging team members based on their respective positions and work. However, I am unsure if this approach is suitable for team members working on the same project.
On one hand, doing so could foster a sense of healthy competition and promote teamwork. But on the other hand, it could also lead to increased stress and a negative impact on the quality of the project or product.
In general, my question is whether dividing team members based on their performance and ability is an appropriate approach or not.
Something that I have to do currently for my senior capstone class is a weekly status report. In this status report we have to include a schedule of our current week activities as well as our activities for the next two weeks. Along with that we make a table of our deliverables that our due in the upcoming, days or weeks. In the table we say our progress and what else we have to complete for it. Also, we say if we have missed any assignments or due dates and note down what we will do to make up for those that were missed. Finally, we keep track of the notes taken in our previous meeting with our advisor to know what they said to do. This has kept me and my group members on task. While it keeps a lot of our tasks organized, it also induces a sense of fear that we will upset our advisor if we have our weekly meeting and have not finished our tasks. I think this would be a great tactic as a project manager just so you and your employee can keep track of their work and to make sure that they stay on top of everything. If they are falling behind you can offer your suggestions on what they should do to catch up.
Ensuring that all team members contribute and collaborate equally within a project is a key factor to being an efficient project manager. One initial way to achieve equal contribution would be to understand the strengths and interests of each individual group member. By assigning tasks based on the expertise and preferences of each group member, the motivation and productivity will increase. This would also go hand in hand with clearly defining and outlining the individual roles of each group member. These two steps would only be successful if they were made in the beginning of the project. This helps set realistic expectations and guarantees that everyone understands what their contribution will be. On top of this, regular communication with the group is another pivotal aspect of achieving equal contribution as well. This could include regular check-ins and team meetings that give the group an opportunity to share their success and challenges. Having open and transparent communication will not only strengthen the chemistry of the team, but influence motivation and contribution as well.
