Working in a group-centered project requires a large amount of communication in order to be successful. When communication is not clear between group members, gaps in work can occur. Unresponsive group members can cause a disruption in a project. To help maintain a schedule that accommodates the goals of the project or task, communication standards have to set from the start. Proper communication and scheduling in the team will hold everyone accountable for their roles in the group. Everything has to be recorded for documentation. This will keep everyone responsible for their own parts that will aid in the completion of tasks and projects ahead.
Meetings are necessary to repeat company and group expectations. Everyone that is part of a group has the skill set necessary to complete the tasks. There should also be a level of understanding because everyone has different life circumstances that can impact their roles within a group.
You made good mention of the environment that everyone is having to experience right now. This impact of this pandemic everyone and their families differently. With all of the adjustments that everyone must make, it should be taken into consideration when it comes to getting work done. Establishing communication for this new environment must be established for everyone. Having a place/ space to upload weekly data is important for maintaining constant communication.
Once all of those steps have been followed and put in motion, if they are still not being followed, then seeking help from higher up would be necessary. Sometimes people do need another type of push to get back on track for the success of the project overall.
@ks629 I agree that knowing the team members' different personality types and communicating with them is very important to have everyone on the same page. Communicating with everyone to work cohesively is very important. This will avoid miscommunication and people not being on the same page. Once you can communicate with everyone effectively, it ensures that the project runs smoothly because everyone is clear on what their role is.
Communication is extremely important for a successful outcome. Each member of a team should know that they must communicate if they have any issues where they cannot make the deadline. If you have a unresponsive member, the first thing you must do is to reach out to them through e-mail or by phone. If that method fails, the PA should personally set up a meeting with this person and discuss any issues. If members cannot meet up at a single time than a conference call should be set up or a group email should be sent out regarding the latest updates/news. I agree with cdj24 that if you try all these methods and the member is still unresponsive than you should ask for them to be removed.
@ala26 I agree with this perspective. Communication is vital for project success. It is important stay informed with the project team and to communicate issues as they arise. Status review meetings can help keep everyone informed on status of the project and ensure regular exchanges of information. Sometimes team members can be involved in multiple projects, so it is important to keep constant communication to ensure timepoints and deadlines are met.
@eowinomsm-edu agreed, being on the same page is the first step. Communicating effectively allows everyone to work on one accord, and keeps conflict and confusion from hindering the project. It also ensures key players are aligned on project goals and know exactly what's expected of them. Sometimes there are issues within teams where everyone doesn't interact with each other, or team member personalities don't align. Working through this is a major step towards project success.
In the case of an unresponsive team member or a member who does not communicate as often, I would meet those individuals where they are. When I say that, I am referring to their terms. Of course, this method may not always be applicable and situations may not be this accommodating, but at times, desperate times call for desperate measures. For example, if I cannot seem to get in contact with a team member, I would approach them in their environment. This way, they are in their comfort zone and will physically be present and available for the conversation. This of course would need to take place in person, seeing as though previous electronic methods were not fruitful. As far as an uncooperative person, I would first ask if there are any hinderances that has kept them from complying before assuming the worst. At that point, the discussion will help me in the decision making process moving forward with that individual. Lastly, working in a group setting is difficult in terms of scheduling. Everyone has a life of their own outside of the group. With that being said, creating a survey or document where each member is able to provide their availability would be most feasible in this case. After a time is set where the majority of the team can meet, it is important to hold everyone accountable to that time. For those who are unable to attend, I would suggest offering one on one meetings or providing summaries to that individual so that they are on the same page as the rest of the team.
From as early as the mini sim we were told to consider outside factors such as vacation times for inspectors when planning a schedule so we don't get delayed unnecessarily. Because the job of a PA is group centric and requires the cooperation of many other people, how do you suggest dealing with unresponsive members or members who don't communicate as often? As the PA you need to keep track of peoples activities to make sure we are on schedule but since we aren't supposed to get too caught up in micromanaging, what do you suggest a PA does when there is an uncooperative person? This can be that guy who has been a the company for 25 years and is getting ready to retire, or that person who differs all their work to their subordinates. What do you suggest doing when all members cannot meet at a single time to bring everyone up to speed?
For those unresponsive members I think there should be a disciplinary plan of action. Regardless of ones position within a business, they are still employed and still required and expected to meet the reasonable demands of the job and engage with team and administrative members. The person should first be addressed individually and given the opportunity to make the necessary corrections. Communication with the person should be made in writing. If the employee continues to refuse to participate after about two chances, a third letter and conversation should go forth detailing the repercussions for refusal to work to serve the organization in the capacity in which they were hired. Beyond that proceedings for suspension or termination should commence. No matter one's position, everybody has a boss. Sometimes people need that friendly reminder.
As the PA the first thing that needs to be addressed is the PA’s obligation to the team. The PA has to have the soft skills in which to be effective in communication to lead a team. If I was PA and I had an unresponsive member or non-effective communicators on the team. I would suggest taking the time to get to know the team members on a professional-personal level. There is a difference, this factor is also altered by the size of the group in which the PA is dealing with. Getting to know the person in your group is important because that allows the PA to intercept to hopefully prevent any escalations in the work area. Try to meet the coworker wherever they are by learning all the facts that are available to you before making a decision and always lead into the conversation with the coworker as a listener and not an enforcer, be reactive and not an initiator. It is important to keep track of all personnel for accountability purposes. One way to deal with an uncooperative person for a PA is to create an effective “group accountability” like the Teams App; this allows for no one to be singled out while holding everyone accountable at the same time. A suggestion of an application that can be utilized by organizations when all members cannot meet at a single time to keep everyone informed of the progress would be the Microsoft TEAMS application. I use this with my organization and even when we have individuals on leave if it’s an important conversation you are allowed to log on even from your cell phone.
For any team project or team building exercise communication and responsiveness to what is being communicated are completely crucial for any real progress to be made. Communication involved being able to express a personal perspective of a subject to another person especially a team member. This can be expressed in a oral, written or verbal format. However, responsiveness is the ability to listen, comprehend and give back a response to something that has been communicated to you. Both of these skills go hand in hand and one aspect can not be effective without the other.
Planning for unresponsive team members should be included very early. This can be managed by having a universal data management system that tracks the tasks and work completed by each individual. This can be supported by a multi-leveled communication strategy. That communication strategy involves regular meetings, recordings, emails, and other team management software like slack, google, or microsoft teams. Using tech is absolutely necessary to give people the autonomy to complete tasks and communicate progress. There must be a system of accountability that includes peer review. Corrective action should be determined as a team with leadership facilitation. This systems should be in place so that the project won't be too greatly impacted.
From as early as the mini sim we were told to consider outside factors such as vacation times for inspectors when planning a schedule so we don't get delayed unnecessarily. Because the job of a PA is group centric and requires the cooperation of many other people, how do you suggest dealing with unresponsive members or members who don't communicate as often? As the PA you need to keep track of peoples activities to make sure we are on schedule but since we aren't supposed to get too caught up in micromanaging, what do you suggest a PA does when there is an uncooperative person? This can be that guy who has been a the company for 25 years and is getting ready to retire, or that person who differs all their work to their subordinates. What do you suggest doing when all members cannot meet at a single time to bring everyone up to speed?
Communicating is very important, you don't want to come off rude, but you have a team to consider. I think it's important to document everything so its no confusion of the expectation while a part of the team. Although everyone has other obligations this is also an obligation and must be completed to the best of your ability. I would have a talk or 2 to see where the issue is, but I would still continue the original task at hand because we are on a schedule and need to remain on time and effective throughout the process.
All team members should know their part of the project to the point where they know the time management of it all. Staff should not schedule vacation times around important parts of the project when communication is at tits most critical.
From as early as the mini sim we were told to consider outside factors such as vacation times for inspectors when planning a schedule so we don't get delayed unnecessarily. Because the job of a PA is group centric and requires the cooperation of many other people, how do you suggest dealing with unresponsive members or members who don't communicate as often? As the PA you need to keep track of peoples activities to make sure we are on schedule but since we aren't supposed to get too caught up in micromanaging, what do you suggest a PA does when there is an uncooperative person? This can be that guy who has been a the company for 25 years and is getting ready to retire, or that person who differs all their work to their subordinates. What do you suggest doing when all members cannot meet at a single time to bring everyone up to speed?
I believe that a conversation would need to be had with the person first an foremost because communication is definitely they key. I do believe that utilizing some kind of app will allow everyone to share their process. I believe that if a face to face meeting cannot happen all the time that meeting in some sort of app such as zoom can be made available to keep everyone on track. I do believe that a unresponsive team member can cause several delays in a project so I would definitely make sure that my team knows the expectations that I have for them and how this is a team effort and to move forward that we should all do our respective parts. I would have a one door policy and let that person know they can come at any time. I will try to work a time that is best for everyone and if this person is still not taking initiative then I would have to report that higher and see about replacing that person within the project with someone who is ready to make the project at hand a success.
From as early as the mini sim we were told to consider outside factors such as vacation times for inspectors when planning a schedule so we don't get delayed unnecessarily. Because the job of a PA is group centric and requires the cooperation of many other people, how do you suggest dealing with unresponsive members or members who don't communicate as often? As the PA you need to keep track of peoples activities to make sure we are on schedule but since we aren't supposed to get too caught up in micromanaging, what do you suggest a PA does when there is an uncooperative person? This can be that guy who has been a the company for 25 years and is getting ready to retire, or that person who differs all their work to their subordinates. What do you suggest doing when all members cannot meet at a single time to bring everyone up to speed?
In order to deal with an unresponsive team member, I would have a meeting with the person and let them know that communication and immediate response is very necessary and important because it is detrimental to the project. I would let them know why communication and responsiveness is so important, and what we have at stake that depends on the communication of the whole team. If multiple conversations are had and nothing changes, I would then implement some kind of repercussion to show them that we are serious about this issue.
If all members can not meet at the same time, I would suggest that we have a designated person, namely the supervisor, go over the notes of the meeting with those team members as soon as they are available.
