rewards and recognition vary widely, I’d urge you to consider
two simple points relative to this important topic.
Rewarding teams reinforces the team concept. Some organi-
zations promote teamwork, but reward and recognize individ-
ual performance. This sends a mixed message and can under-
mine teamwork. If you reward and recognize teams and team-
work, the greatest contributors may feel slighted, but it’s still
the best way to show that you value teamwork. Your projects
are more likely to succeed when your team members work
together to succeed as a team.
Rewarding individual heroics promotes undesirable behavior.
Quipsters often say that “rewarding firefighting only serves to
promote arson.” Funny, but true. When organizations (or project
managers) develop a reputation for rewarding the individual
hero who rides in on the white horse to save the day, they risk
setting up an environment that’s counterproductive to teaming.
Even worse, they may be encouraging some individuals to
undermine the efforts of their teammates as a way to inflate
their own importance.
Getting the Most from Individual Team Members
In the previous section, we examined several aspects of manag-
ing the project team as a unit. Savvy project managers recog-
nize that team leadership also involves effectively managing
one-on-one relationships. You must manage both the team and
individual members simultaneously and with equal care and
consideration. Let’s examine some of the key aspects of man-
aging the individual team members.
What People Need to Do Their Job
You can’t expect your team members to effectively carry out
their duties unless they have certain basics. Although interpre-
tations vary, most models of individual performance include
some form of the following basics:
92 Project Management