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It's happened to many of us. We go through a first interview thinking we've nailed it but the phone doesn't ring for a second interview. Sometimes it's due to poor job fit, but at other times there's something we've done which leaves a bad taste in the prospective employer's mouth.
Watch for these problem areas and increase the likelihood of a call-back: 
Do your project team members show confusion about who is responsible for what aspects of the job? Do their conversations and meetings usually end in heated personal attacks? Or do individual members ever exhibit an “every person for themselves” attitude and refuse to help their teammates? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you’re not alone. Sometimes, a team simply doesn’t “gel.”
Every experienced project manager has certainly experienced challenges in getting their teams to behave like…well, teams. But with organization and guidance you can help your project teams accomplish more and eliminate many of the setbacks and challenges that make teamwork so difficult. Consider the following five strategies for unifying and organizing your teams:
Have you ever had a team that just didn’t gel? That spent more time fighting and finger pointing than getting the job done? That showed confusion as to who was doing what? If so, you’re not alone. Many managers spend precious time refereeing team members when they should be focusing on more productive and profitable endeavors.
Why do some teams simply not get along? One reason could be that managers are seeking a certain “type” of team member, or team members just like themselves, when they should be aiming for a mix of types. For example, a toolbox with only one size or type of screwdriver would be of limited use around the house. Rather, you’d need different types of screwdrivers to tackle the various tasks. The same concept applies to the workplace. Rather than comprise your team of similar people types, you need a mix to get all the jobs done.
Excerpted from The Project Management Advisor - 18 Major Project Screw-Ups And How To Cut Them Off At The Pass (Prentice Hall, 2004)
The project team packed up and was out of there that day. In looking at the situation, had we involved Hack earlier in the project we could have made some fundamental changes in the direction which would have put the project on a path more in line with management expectations and avoided wasting time & money on the project.
Project screw-ups mean wasted time and money and can irreparably damage your relationship with business partners if they perceive that you are at fault—in any way. If you’ve been through a post-mortem for a project that failed, you’ve likely heard one or more of these “we didn’t” excuses:
“We didn’t define the problem we were trying to solve.” “We didn’t communicate what we were doing.” “We didn’t manage our project risks and issues.” “We didn’t create a good project plan.” “We didn’t have the right sponsorship.” “We didn’t work well together.” |
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November 2024
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