Motivation and Team Advertisement

We all know that self-worth and recognition motivate employees more than salary although the same people would most likely say "salary" first when directly questioned.

One of the most basic way to motivate your team and improve their careers (and yours at the same time) is to recognize their achievements and allow them to develop their sense of self-worth. Always remember -even if you are the project manager, the successful delivery of a project is not due to you but because you worked with your team.

Here are some ways you can do this:

1. Give your team a wide-enough playground to play in. You can opt to define the limits of how much authority they have to decide on a project task but allow them sufficient space to be creative in the way they can deliver the task.

Resist the temptation to micro-manage and allow yourself to have a bigger role - a coach. Direct them with regards to the what, when, why and who of the project but give them space to define the how. Micro management of a project should only be considered when the project is already at a risk level that is too high for any tolerances.

2. Give them opportunities to self-advertise. If you are the only mouthpiece the project has and all communications are only going through you - you can become one of the most dreadful cause of delay -> a communication bottleneck.

By giving your team opportunities to present their ideas and communicate directly with senior management and major stakeholders, you bolster their sense of self-confidence, develop their thought processes, allow senior management the opportunity to know the names of your teammates and allow the stakeholders to recognize your capacity to form, build and manage an excellent team.

3.Make a splash for every worthy success. Don't just gather everyone together for a drink or lunch - for really worthy success stories, including the achievements of key milestones - make a splash about it! Send a communication to stakeholders, commend your team and state the new benefits or capabilities that your team has just delivered! If there were huge challenges surpassed through the leadership of individuals, mention it.

Always keep in mind that you are only as successful as the team working with you to deliver the project.