Leadership

For organizations that are ready to fully commit to the philosophy, the principles of Management by Objectives can provide a strong catalyst for team engagement in its goals. Here is an overview of the method’s six stages and five-step process for implementing it, along with potential pitfalls.

Age diversity in the workplace presents challenges in the areas of communication, expectations, work ethic and skills. Some of the most difficult situations involve managing a much older or younger staff. But it is also important to understand the perspective of team members who are reporting to a younger or older manager.

Clarity and consistency are important qualities for project leaders, and rules must be respected in a corporate environment or chaos will reign. But when it comes to leading people, many, if not most issues are rarely clear cut. Interpretation and application of the rules make all the difference.

What is often deemed impossible in the corporate world is really just an ingrained excuse for fear of change. High-performance teams can reframe what is possible by committing to these seven guideposts that provide motivation, structure and support to achieve great things.

What is the most important factor in motivating your teams? Foster a sense of making progress on meaningful work. It doesn’t require a monumental breakthrough; in fact, small wins have the biggest impact. Here are four steps that can help create a more productive, happy and profitable work environment.

Don’t confuse being a leader with having a leader’s title. Leadership is a 24/7 mindset, not a light switch you can turn on and off based on how things are going. Demonstrate leadership in good times and bad, or you will lose credibility with those you seek to motivate and inspire.

The more you specify exactly what your team must do and how it must do it, the less team members will seek to understand the thinking behind what they’re doing. High-performing teams start with a firm grasp of the goals of the project — the "why" — and then actively participate in achieving its success.

It’s no secret that command-and-control management methods aren’t very effective at motivating today’s workforce to produce greater value with fewer resources. At Toyota, the role of Shusa instills a sense of personal ownership in project outcomes. Here are thoughts on creating a similar environment for your teams.

Much of the unwanted drama we face as project managers comes from people not understanding their roles and responsibilities. When people don’t know what is expected of them, they rarely perform well. It’s our job to make sure that doesn’t happen. But first, we must understand our role — and why we really want it.

Establishing productive working relationships with your project team is as critical as building the plan, managing risk or reporting to stakeholders. It requires accessibility, adaptability and authenticity. Here are seven principles that can help you help your team members maximize their individual and collective value.