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A Human-Centered Approach to Leadership & Team Development

Project Management

Who, Me? Building Team Member Confidence

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I took a strategy course during graduate school – a group project with 4 other people. We were each responsible for one section of a research project. One of our members, we’ll call him Joe, came to every single meeting…but without his part complete. Not even a draft!

The team tried everything we could think of to get Joe’s input. We offered to work with him, to divide the work if he was too busy, to go over a draft with him, etc. We tried being supportive, strict, logical, you name it. We gave him reasonable deadlines, but farther out than the rest of us had. Joe was a great guy and had good ideas in other classes, so no one could understand why he wasn’t holding up his end of our particular project.

With deadlines looming, we started writing Joe’s section. Then our group’s mentor called a meeting. He’d met with Joe to talk about the issue. It turns out that Joe was too intimidated by the rest of the group to turn in anything!
He sat at home, writing draft after draft…and could never bring himself to show it to us. 

We sat there, stunned. Us? Intimidating?  We explained to our
mentor that we’d tried everything we could think of to help Joe. He replied
that obviously, we hadn’t tried everything because we didn’t figure it
out; Joe still didn’t feel like he was smart enough to belong in the group.

That lesson has stuck with me for over 20 years. I still don’t know what else we could have done to help Joe feel part of the team…and that haunts me still. 

When it comes to other human beings, no matter what you think,
no matter how hard you try to figure them out, there still may be something you’re missing. Never assume you know what is going on in someone’s mind. Recognize that, just as you find some people and groups to be intimidating, you may be intimidating to others, as well. The bottom line is to never give up on people. Keep trying, continue to be supportive, and work through issues. You’d want them to do the same for you.

Project Management Trends Favor A Human Approach

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Companies seek PMs with higher emotional intelligence

I’ve been researching trends in Project Management. Yes, the trends for Big Data and for Agile/Scrum are still out there. Fortunately, there’s also a big trend towards “humanity.” Meaning… companies are looking for project managers who have Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and they’re realizing that, regardless of the methodology, it’s the people on the team who make it happen.

Why is this good news? Let’s take them one at a time.

Emotional Intelligence
Sure, data is important. So are timelines, budget, etc. But in order to hit your milestones, to complete tasks so they don’t come back to bite you later on, you must be aware of the needs, agendas, and skillset of the people around you. When you lead a discussion, observe the faces and body language around you. Most of what is being communicated is not through words. If someone is sitting back and keeping their mouth shut, it’s your job to discern whether they don’t have anything to contribute, or if they don’t want to speak up for some reason. Then, if they don’t want to speak up, why is that? That quiet person may be the key to making a solid decision… or a big mistake that will cause time and money a few months down the road.

If you’re an Introvert, this is great news! Introverts are used to observing. You take in the stimuli from the room and naturally read the crowd. If you’re an Ambivert or Extrovert, take heart. To be effective, you only need to lean into this ability. Make sure you notice the signs around you and take the next step to draw out the information you know is there. Pay attention to what doesn’t feel right. Use your innate skills to listen, redirect, and acknowledge contributions from those around the table.

Success Through Team
Anyone who has been on a team—great or horrible—knows that it’s not the methodology that drives success, but the team itself. A well-functioning team can handle changing requirements, challenging issues, shrinking timelines. Trust between players is paramount.

When it comes to personal relationships, the important lesson is: don’t dance for the crowd – get to know individuals. As you build your team, work on developing trust with each team member but also between them. It’s not a given that folks in different areas (think Finance and R&D) will naturally blend or believe they can help each other with project tasks. Use your personal skills to bring them together, building one relationship at a time until there’s a web of trust throughout your team.

As the trends focus on EQ and Team, all leaders must keep in mind that gathering information, listening, and acknowledging aren’t goals in themselves. What you learn by listening, and what you do with that information, is what matters the most. Give your team the opportunity to put their good ideas into practice. This will benefit your project directly and give your team members the confidence to let their ideas be known in the future.