The Art of Motivating a Project Team

Because people differ so drastically from each other, the ability to motivate them can’t be written in a formula. Motivation is in fact an art that is composed of a number of factors including technique, understanding and creativity.

Technique, understanding and creativity are motivational factors based on the idea that people are motivated by different effects. As a project manager, it is important to recognize what your colleague is motivated by, and to then play on that as a means to propel him further. For example, if a project manager presents the need to finish a goal to someone who feels unaffected by the completed goal, the project manager may not achieve the desired results. Thus, it is important to recognize what it is that your colleague is motivated by. The following are three motivational categories that people typically fall under, and solutions for motivating them.

Motivating the People Oriented Colleague
The people oriented colleague is most concerned by building and maintaining the relationship between himself and those with whom he comes in contact. He wants everyone to get along and believes that teams and positive interaction are critical to achievement. With terms like ‘we’ and ‘us’ at the forefront of his vocabulary, he tends to have excellent business, as well as personal, relationships. A people oriented colleague is probably organizing the next social event, and has more than likely gathered a group to organize it with him. To motivate such a person, focus on the team aspect when speaking with him. Stress the importance of his place in the team, giving him the sense that the team would not complete its goal without him. Let him know that the team is relying on him for support and guidance.

Motivating the Influence Oriented Colleague
The influence oriented colleague is constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to display his skills and abilities, in hopes of being recognized and increasing his status within the organization. This colleague eagerly connects with people of influence and recognizes the need to compromise to get something done, should the alternative be not getting it done at all. To motivate a colleague like this let him know that you have communicated his strengths and recent accomplishments with his boss, or other influential people of the organization. This way he knows that his efforts are being recognized and will be motivated to work further.

Motivating the Goal Oriented Colleague
The oriented colleague is motivated by achieving things. He is focused on targets and likes the challenge of setting and reaching goals. Such a colleague refuses to fail. And although he may often be a poor communicator, he gets things done. Congratulate this person on meeting past goals. Let him know that you can count on him to complete future goals and that his ability to meet goals has kept projects on target. Giving positive feedback gives his pride in his work and will lend to quality produced work in the future.

BigWave can help you manage multi-site IT projects more efficiently so you can collaborate and communicate quickly and effectively both on and off site. With BigWave, project managers can focus on what they do best—managing projects.
Contact BigWave today to eliminate the chaos and streamline your multi-site project management.