During the process of moving this blog from Typepad to WordPress, I had the opportunity to communicate with developers, designers and blog experts.  It was a remarkably pleasant experience which got me to thinking about the things that we as project managers can do to help make our project teams the kind of places people want to join.

Why this is important for you as a Project Manager

Each person on your project team has an intrinsic desire to feel valued and connected with others.  The more they experience this in working with you and on your team, the easier time you will have in guiding your project to a successful delivery (on time, on budget and within scope).  In addition, it’s good to remember that

• people are smart
• people talk with each other
• your reputation as a leader and facilitator will be known fully in time

The best people in any organization usually have some say in what projects they work on.  If you consistently create project teams with a sense of community, you will have no problem attracting this talent.

Here are some things you can do to create community on your project team

Be genuine

You have to truly care about the people on your team, and the community, or none of this will work.  If you are fake, or are trying to manipulate in any way, people will know.  Your efforts will come to naught.

Always respond

If you receive an email, IM or other communication from a team member who needs something, it is incumbent on you to answer in a timely way.  Either provide the help requested, or connect the person with someone who can help.

You’ll get extra points if you follow through a few days later to ensure that the issue or question has been resolved.

Pay attention to stress points

If you know that your team has been working tight deadlines or under other pressures, anticipate stress points.  This means that you are ready when your lead developer and quality assurance analyst begin to squabble.  Your team members don’t expect you to be perfect or know everything.  But they do expect you to show that you can help them work through difficult situations.  They also expect you to care about their best interests at least as much as those of the project.

Be kind

Be liberal with praise and stingy with criticism.  The words coming out of your mouth should put people at ease.  This is especially true if things are not going according to plan, and even more so if you feel out of control.  It goes without saying that any blame you imagine you have for you team is really a condemnation of your own leadership abilities.  At least that’s what your executive management will think.

Never criticise a team member publicly unless they have done something to damage the sense of community on your team.  You should never be seen to tolerate shaming, public criticism, racial, ethnic, or sexual joking, or any other action which creates a chilled, fearful and closed atmosphere.  Your team (and project) can recover from almost everything that happens.  But trust between team members, once lost, is very difficult to find again.

Some extra things to think about when working with remote teams

Most of us are now or will soon be working with geographically diverse teams.  A good sense of community can still be created with a little effort on your part.  Work especially on your consistency in these areas:

• Do your meetings, conference calls and online collaboration settings start on time?
• Do you send out your agenda and all necessary background materials a few days in advance to give everyone time to prepare?
• Do you make an effort to address each person by name?
• Can you distinguish each person on your team by voice?  If not, what’s your plan for knowing who’s saying what?
• Do you have a primary communications contact at each distinct physical location?  (This is the person responsible to be your direct two-way communications channel for all people at that place.)
• Have you spoken to each team member one-on-one at least a few times to introduce yourself, to set the tone for the project, and to learn a little about them?

These are some of the very basics of creating a community feel on your projects.   No doubt you have others.  What are the most salient characteristics of the groups in which you enjoy participating?
(Image by goatopolis)

Originally posted 2008-09-29 07:30:27.

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Creating a Sense of Community on Your Project Team is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

Elizabeth Garone has written an article loaded with practical advice in today’s Wall Street Journal.

If you have any concerns about the health of your employer, you may want to take a look.

You can access it online: When your employer is about to hit rough seas.

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What to do when your employer is about to hit rough seas is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

For most of us, managing remote team members is one of the more challenging aspects of project management.  By reviewing the articles in this linkfest, you should be able to learn from the experiences of others and hopefully spare yourself some pain.  As before, I’ve attempted to include geographically diverse perspectives where possible.

This collection is targeted to you as a project manager who is leading one or more remote team members.  If you are working as a member of a virtual team, you can gain insight into how to make your remote supervisor’s life a little easier.  Developing this mindset will help your both immediate work experience and long-term career prospects.

Managing remote teams seems to be a hot topic in project management, as Bas de Baar, Mike Ramm, and Raven Young have all posted about it recently.

Common themes:

• Managing well remotely will require more effort on your part.
• Communication is key.  Find a way for everyone to match faces with names.
• Use technology appropriately.
• Be culture-wise.

Update!!!: October 29, 2008

1. Virtual-Team Management by Richard McLaughlin in Oh, The Places You’ll Go. France.

Start here.  This “lessons learned” post from Richard McLaughlin’s personal site contains gems from his experiences managing remote teams as a regional CIO for a major software company.  If you have only time to read one post, this is the one to start with.

First Principles

1. Cross-border projects, Challenges for the project manager, and Tackling the issues of cross-border projects.  by Elizabeth Harrin in Project Management 4 Girls. United Kingdom.

This is an excellent series on managing cross-cultural and international teams providing a good overview of the issues involved.

2. Leading In Face-to-Face Versus Virtual Teams by Surinder Kahai in Leading Virtually.  United States.

Focuses on the leadership aspects of virtual teams, with emphasis on telecommuting.

3. Managing from Afar: The Secrets of Running Remote Teams by Robert McGarvey in IT Career Planet. United States

Quick read emphasizing the value of persistence and a hands-off approach. For more on the value of a collaborative approach,  see Hey Project Manager! Beware of Fool’s Gold!

4. Managing Remote Teams in oDesk.  United States.

Some lessons learned from a software development group working with offshore teams.

5. Tips for successfully managing remote teams by Bill Detwiler in ITDojo/TechRepublic.  United States.

Light article highlighting some of the big issues for you to keep in mind.

Management Tips

1. 25 Rock Solid Tips to Supervise Offshore Development by Bas de Baar in Project Shrink. The Netherlands.

Start here for practical guidance on how to successfully lead a remote team.

2. Making Agile Offshore Teams Work and Making Offshore Design Work by Scott Sehlhorst in Tyner Blain. United States.

Valuable lessons learned. Much wisdom here.

3. Successfully Managing a Virtual Team by Catherine Roseberry in About.com. United States.

Bulletpoint list with good points on communication.

4. Managing Remote Teams: Keeping Everyone in the Loop Is a Big Challenge by Marcia Hakanson in HR Watch. United States.

This article can help you avoid some of the communication failures which bedevil too many remote teams.

5. Whiteboarding for Virtual Teams by Loyal in UCSC Extension in Santa Cruz. United States.

Some of the benefits of collaboration tools in managing a remote team.

Cultural Effectiveness

1. 23 Powerful Tips for Working in Multi-Cultural Teams by Bas de Baar in Project Shrink. The Netherlands.

These apply equally well to both co-located and remote teams.  You would do well to take a quick look to make sure your behavior and attitudes are in line with all of these points.

2. Managing Remote Teams in Latin America: Setting Goals and Meeting Deadlines by Graciela Kenig in LatPro. United States.

Excellent lessons learned from working with team members in Latin America.

Since many of you let me know that you enjoyed the Pleasing Stakeholders Linkfest, you can look forward to more Lessons Learned Linkfests to come.  If you have a topic you’d like to see covered, just send a note or add a comment below. Want to make someone happy today?  Visit one of the posts above and subscribe or add a comment.  Enjoy!

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Managing Remote Teams – Lessons Learned Linkfest is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

Saying Goodbye to Colleagues: The Great Cube Cleanout continues to touch a chord with people as evidenced by comments and email messages.  That post was written from the perspective of the one leaving.

As a follow up, here are some thoughts on what to do when you stay and someone else leaves.

Don’t Lie

Some people are not all that pleasant to work with.  If the person leaving is someone you don’t care for, the saying, If you can’t think of anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all is good to remember.  It’s sometimes far easier to say all kinds of falsehoods.  If you have to say something, instead of making something up, why not try this: I sincerely wish you well.

As the Rabbi said in Fiddler on the Roof when asked to provide a blessing for the Czar, May God bless and keep the Czar far away from here!  It’s okay to be happy that someone is going out of your life.

Remember Successes

This is a wonderful opportunity to recall genuine project and task successes that were accomplished through the efforts of the person who is leaving.

What do you Admire?

Take the time to come up with one or two traits or skills that you truly respect about the person.  It’s good to tell them in person, and to give some examples of how you’ve seen them in action.  If it feels uncomfortable to speak this out loud (guys – this is directed to you), it’s even more effective to send in a private email direct to the person.

Don’t be surprised if such an email is treasured for years to come.  Most people very rarely get true and positive feedback out of the blue.

Offer to be a Reference

If you respect the person and believe that you can give a glowing recommendation, offer to do so.  Better yet, write a paragraph or two and send it to them by email or post it on LinkedIn.

Feel free to make a Clean Break

Feel comfortable making a clean break – if that’s what you want.  If you don’t plan on remaining in touch, don’t imply anything to the contrary.  It’s a small world – and a very big one, too.  You really may not see them again unless you go out of your way to do so.

Make a Point to Stay Connected

If you like the person, and want them to remain in your life, set an intention to do everything in your power to make that happen.

• Set a specific date to meet for lunch 2 weeks from now – and keep it.
• Add them to your twitter and IM accounts.  Make them one of the people that you contact regularly.
• Invite them to dinner or for drinks sometime in the next month.

Transitioning relationships from work into other parts of our lives requires a little work – but can happen.  It won’t happen automatically though.

Goodbyes are sad and hard for most of us.

They remind us of our own vulnerability.

What do you do when it’s time to say goodbye?

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How to Say Goodbye When a Workmate Leaves is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

It’s happened to you, to me, to all of us.  It’s your first day at a new job.

How often have you been given the royal treatment? While it’s fine to be simply given a desk and shown the coffee machine and rest room, the best project managers and team leads will go a few steps further to show you that you are valued and welcomed.

How many of the following have you experienced?

Seven Instructions to the Aspiring PM in Bringing in a New
Person

Dear Project Manager.  Yes – you are busy.  But this doesn’t diminish the importance of taking the time to do the right thing by your new team member.  What you do in their first few days and weeks
will go a long way towards helping – or hindering – their productivity and integration into the team.

1.  Make sure that they have a desk, chair, and working PC when they arrive.

Fill out all the procurement paperwork and notify tech services well in advance.  Don’t just send the request and hope for the best.  Keep following up until the equipment arrives, is set up, is configured properly and the new team member granted all the proper accesses.

2.  Team them up with one of your most friendly and
effective team members.

Important:  Make sure that this is okay with your existing
person FIRST.  Having a buddy will greatly speed their process
of learning your organization’s culture and norms.

3.  Give them everything they need to accomplish at
least one task successfully in the first week.

4.  Provide them with the Cliffs Notes version of the most important processes.

These should be the things which define your project management best practices.  Some examples are file naming conventions, versioning methods, examples of document templates, etc. (You do use templates on your projects don’t you? If not, contact me.  We need to talk!)

5.  Give them a high level view of the most
important business goals for your organization

When you are finished this five minute overview, they should know
exactly how what they will be doing will directly impact the
bottom line.

6.  Sketch out a chart or mind-map which connects them with their immediate team members, other stakeholders, and important people to know throughout the organization.

Include names and roles for each.

7.  Tell them explicitly that you will be available for questions at any time over the next few weeks and months.

Let them know how you prefer to be contacted (IM, drop in, email only, etc.).  If you are not available or won’t be available, walk them over and introduce them in person to their buddy on the team (see item 2 above).

Expect that you will need to go over most of the items on the list 2 or 3 times.  Be patient, warm and welcoming.

Do you do these things when you welcome a new person?  What has been your best (or worst) experience upon starting a new assignment?  Let us know in the comments.

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How to treat the new guy is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

Lately, and especially after the recent death of my friend John Harrell, I’ve been thinking about all the people who have enriched my life.

The most extraordinary experiences have come through their generosity and goodness.  The people who have been there for me are not all angels, but they certainly are messengers.

What does this have to do with Project Management?

Everything.

Your success as a project manager may be 10% a result of your knowledge, skill, talent and effort.  These things are important – but they are only a small part.  Fully 90% or more comes through the contributions of others.

In work and in all parts of your life, you are fully connected at all times with a network of others.

Who’s in your network?

Regularly taking a few moments to meditate on all the people who help you will provide many benefits which will directly impact your success as a project manager.  Not the least of these are modesty and perspective.

Here are the people who have changed my life.

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These People Support My Life – Who Are The Ones There For You? is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

Today’s my last day on-site with a valued client.  Here are some goodbye thoughts to my colleagues.  I will miss you.

Emptying the cube

That cube which has been my home for all those hours, all those projects, all those impromptu white-board sessions, has been emptied, cleaned and scrubbed.

The clearing out always fascinates me.  Where does all the stuff come from?  As a Getting Things Done (GTD) type, I like to think of myself as more ruthless than most in disposing of stuff.  Still, there was a lot.

And over there:  the pile of important project reference documents, left so neatly stacked.  A week from now, will anyone care?

My friends descend

I saw them last Thursday, days before I was to leave, hovering at the outer edge of my space.  It only took a smile for them to come closer.

[Friend A]: Can I have your mouse?  Mine is so bad and the help desk has been trying for a week to get me a new one.
[Friend B]: Can I have that thing on your desk?
[Me]: (pointing to the organizer)  Do you mean this or the inbox?
[Friend B]: Oh. All of it.

The lunch

You’ve been to goodbye lunches.  They’re hard to avoid, and sometimes harder to attend.

At mine I feel touched and a little hesitant to talk.  A. asks me to sit at the head of the seemingly long table.  I grab a seat more towards the middle.   The lunch is crowded.  We fill two tables.  More people than expected are here.  Most impressive to me is H., usually somewhat reclusive, who effortlessly makes the rounds at both tables like an old school aristocrat or film star.

I’m already missing everyone.

Mixed feelings

HR professionals generally agree that strong work connections are one of the key factors in employee retention.  Saying goodbye is hard.

Those small and large negotiations over project goals, strategies,
personalities and styles seem so far away.  How they mattered at the
time!

When did the friendships become so strong?

Questions

When someone resigns, there are inevitable questions.  We want to know why.  We want to know how it will impact us.  Some questions we ask:
Why are you leaving?
I don’t remember where you said you are going. (I didn’t say.)
Is his work going to fall on me?

We generally need a reason that makes sense.  Saying goodbye shakes things up.

The bottom line

Some close work relationships survive beyond the proximity of a common workspace.  Time will tell which will last and which will fade into memory.

I hope that our connections remain and our paths cross again.

To my colleagues at CTi and OPA, may your work life be filled with satisfaction.  You have my deepest respect.

With kind regards,
Alec
(Image by Steve’o on flickr)

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Saying Goodbye to Colleagues: The Great Cube Cleanout is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process

Seeking feedback from others is a relatively easy way to get information that might not otherwise be forthcoming.  For this reason it’s always of value for you to include at least an informal evaluation into every project or activity.  I do.

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Seeking Feedback is a post from: Alec Satin on People, Projects and Process