How to Engage Your Team Members

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TonyPMP
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Joined: Mon 31 Aug 2015 3:43 am

Hi,

I am a new project manager, and I am glad I've found this forum.

I am working on my PMP. I am leading a team in a medical facility. One of the things I have been guilty of is doing too many things and not involving the team members, which at the last team meeting some of my team members look rather bored. Can you give me some helpful suggestions on how to involve/engage team members on a project?

Thanks for your help.

Tony
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kwalford
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Joined: Thu 08 Dec 2011 1:34 pm

Hi,

I know this is a slightly nebulous answer, but you need the team to take ownership of aspects of work (work packages) and you to delegate it to them entirely until conclusion. The principle I use is to give the team the goal and they work out themselves how to get there! Also, get the team to report on progress with regards to the work they have been allocated during your meetings; then they need to concentrate and contribute!

I have also been guilty of getting too hands on and becoming the 'dooer' of work rather than the coordinator. Take a step back and operate at a higher level rather than the granular work level.

Have a look at Simon Sinek's techniques with regards to motivation, I love his stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y

Any other input on this topic folks?

Thanks
Kit
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dhaughey
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Location: London

I recently had a team member that was not motivated and not engaging with the rest of the project team. I spent a lot of time with him, but I seemed to be getting nowhere. Then I tried him on some different roles. I moved him into a testing role, made him fully responsible for that area and found he became fully engaged and motivated. He's now managing the end-to-end testing and has transformed into a valued asset for the team.

Sometimes, people just don't fit and lose motivation in their current role. The square peg in a round hole effect. I've seen it before; unmotivated people move roles, and suddenly they change. If some of your team aren't motivated perhaps, they are in the wrong role.

Duncan
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