- A clearly stated objective (for the entire project and for
specific tasks) - The purpose (value or benefit) of achieving the objective
- Direction and guidance for achieving the objective (plans
and processes) - The skills required to do the job
- The tools and resources required to do the job
- Feedback on their performance
- A description of their limits of authority
- A desire to perform
As the project manager, you can address all of these condi-
tions, with the possible exception of #8. You should strive to
ensure that each team member has these basics throughout the
life of the project. You may have to be proactive. You cannot
always rely upon team members to bring deficiencies to your
attention. In some cases, they may not even be aware of their
own deficiencies.
Establishing Mutual Expectations
Earlier in this chapter, we examined the purpose and value of
meeting individually with each member of your team. One of
the most productive and powerful things you can do in these
meetings is to establish a set of mutual expectations between
you and the individual member. This will help solidify and clarify
your working relationship. Some of the more common expecta-
tions are listed in Figure 5-2.
The expectations listed in Figure 5-2 are generic. You’ll
probably want to expand this list to include expectations specif-
ic to your project, your particular situation, and each individual
team member.
Informal Leadership
As mentioned in Chapter 2, an informal network often exists with-
in an organization as a kind of “subculture.” A similar phenome-
non exists at the project level. Although it’s true that much of the
project business is conducted through formal methods such as
Building and Maintaining an Effective Team 93