Managing a project online can be challenging, especially when you need to keep your team members motivated and engaged. How do you create a sense of connection, collaboration, and accountability among people who may never meet face-to-face? Here are some tips to help you lead your online project team effectively.
The first step to motivate and engage your online project team is to set clear and realistic goals and expectations for the project. Define the scope, deliverables, timeline, budget, roles, and responsibilities of each team member and communicate them clearly. Use a project management tool or platform that allows you to track and share progress, feedback, and issues. Establish regular check-ins and meetings to monitor and update the status of the project and address any challenges or concerns.
To keep my online project team motivated and engaged, I focus on open communication and setting realistic goals. I check in regularly with team members, provide constructive feedback, and promote collaboration through virtual meetings and shared platforms. Recognising individual efforts and offering opportunities for skill development are also key strategies. By creating a supportive virtual environment, we build trust and camaraderie, which drives our collective success on projects.
In my opinion, successful project management in hybrid teams consists of two main components. 1. common rules and 2. a suitable tool set that allows these rules to be implemented. Depending on the project and the orientation of the company, this could be a mixture of Microsoft Teams, Planner and Project for the web. Here it is important to define common rules for use and also to highlight positive things. Write down the rules and force yourself to live them!
Regular check-ins via video calls or messaging platforms help maintain connection and provide opportunities for feedback. I make sure to acknowledge their contributions publicly and celebrate milestones, fostering a sense of accomplishment and teamwork. Additionally, I encourage open dialogue, allowing team members to share ideas and concerns freely. By creating a positive and supportive environment, we keep each other motivated and engaged throughout the project.
The second step to motivate and engage your online project team is to build trust and rapport among the team members. Trust is essential for effective collaboration and communication, especially in a virtual environment. To build trust, you need to be transparent, honest, respectful, and supportive of your team members. You also need to create opportunities for them to get to know each other and interact on a personal level. For example, you can start your meetings with icebreakers, share personal stories or interests, or create a virtual water cooler or chat room where team members can socialize and have fun.
I always say lead with curiosity. Team builders aren't for everyone. Some people are so averse to them, they immediately shut down. We need to recognize that difference in people. Use your empathetic skills to observe what their communication preferences seem to be and then use the right way to approach them to get more information in what they would like, to build trust or rapport with their team. Maybe they have underlying trauma. Maybe they have neurodiverse barriers. We don't know until we pay active attention and show people we care about them as individuals and respect their preferences.
Here, it is particularly important to facilitate regular exchange, even in formats that are not directly related to work. But a relationship can also be created during project work, for example with short personal check-in and check-out rounds. In this way, you can find out what's on your colleagues' minds outside of work. Maybe someone has pets, is building a house, or plays in a tennis club. If possible, a joint on-site appointment should also be scheduled at the start of the project or before important phases.
Transparency, respect, and support lay the foundation for strong collaboration. Incorporating activities like icebreakers and virtual social spaces fosters connections among team members, enhancing communication and teamwork. It's all about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and connected, driving engagement and productivity.
The third step to motivate and engage your online project team is to recognize and reward their achievements and contributions. Recognition and reward are powerful motivators that can boost morale, satisfaction, and performance. You can recognize and reward your team members by giving them positive feedback, praising them publicly, celebrating milestones and successes, offering incentives or bonuses, or providing learning or development opportunities. You can also encourage peer recognition and appreciation among team members by creating a culture of gratitude and acknowledgement.
This is one of the most important points during the whole project phase! Especially often, positive things should be celebrated and milestones, goal achievements or positive turns should be mentioned. Either in a simple post or also with tools like Microsoft Viva Engage or Praise app these things can be named nicely and effectively
Positive feedback, public praise, milestone celebrations, incentives, bonuses, and learning opportunities all show appreciation and boost morale. Encouraging peer recognition fosters a culture of gratitude and teamwork. These actions not only acknowledge individual contributions but also inspire the team to strive for continued success together.
Whether it's a simple thank you message, public praise, or tangible rewards, acknowledging their hard work goes a long way in boosting morale and performance. Creating a culture of appreciation and peer recognition fosters a supportive and positive work environment, driving continued success and collaboration.
The fourth step to motivate and engage your online project team is to encourage collaboration and innovation among the team members. Collaboration and innovation are key to solving problems, generating ideas, and delivering value in a project. You can encourage collaboration and innovation by creating a safe and supportive space where team members can share their opinions, suggestions, and feedback without fear of judgment or criticism. You can also use online tools and platforms that facilitate brainstorming, co-creation, and prototyping. You can also challenge your team members to think outside the box, experiment with new approaches, and learn from failures.
Isolation is the biggest challenge with online project team members. This often leads to disengagement and lack of motivation which eventually turn into an employee leaving the organization. To keep your online team members motivated and engaged, meet them virtually. Find opportunities to connect. It need not always have to be related to the work. For eg., you can host weekly virtual stand-up meetings or even casual coffee breaks where team members join simply because they want to. Other forms of virtual interactions include introducing your pet or celebrating an anniversary. These interactions are important because an employee’s mental state affects the quality of the work and productivity.
Create spaces, such as Microsoft Teams or Microsoft Forms, in which asynchronous feedback and exchange is possible. Encourages through one-on-one conversations or group meetings that everyone can share information in the team regardless of time and place and provide an up-to-date status. Everyone is responsible for the information they need (debt to be discharged) and must also make information available to others at all times.
Creating an environment where ideas can flow freely and experimentation is encouraged cultivates creativity and problem-solving. Leveraging online tools and platforms enhances collaboration, making it easier for team members to contribute and collaborate effectively. By embracing new perspectives and challenging the status quo, we can drive innovation and achieve remarkable results together!
Encourage Open Communication: where t/members feel comfortable sharing ideas & feedback. Encourage open dialogue and respect diverse opinions to stimulate creativity. Regular Check-Ins: to discuss progress, insights, and address any challenges will foster engagement and accountable. Promote Innovation-Idea Generation Sessions: Virtual brainstorming or hackathons where members can propose, develop innovative solutions. Recognition-Rewards: Acknowledge and reward innovative ideas to motivate members. Collaborative Culture: Incorporate virtual team-building exercises, like creative workshops to break the ice and build camaraderie.
The fifth step to motivate and engage your online project team is to provide support and flexibility to your team members. Support and flexibility are essential for coping with the challenges and uncertainties of working online, such as technical issues, time zones, distractions, or isolation. You can provide support and flexibility by being available and responsive to your team members' needs and concerns, offering guidance and coaching, providing resources and tools, and creating a feedback loop. You can also respect your team members' work-life balance, preferences, and styles, and allow them some autonomy and choice in how they work.
A story a friend told me which I thought was REALLY creative and cool: she had a group of introverts; some neurodiverse, very uncomfortable on screen but they all agreed there was importance to being on camera for engagement. They used technology that is now available to us, to change themselves into avatars so that you could be a cat, or some other creature, and yet it mimicked you down to your eye movements. It somehow enabled that team to really explore themselves. Be OPEN to ideas. Pitch some and see what sticks. And encourage everyone to just keep pitching more. After all, the support and flexibility is for the TEAM to have what they need to get things done.
Being available and responsive, offering guidance, and providing resources help alleviate challenges and foster a sense of support. Respecting work-life balance and individual preferences shows that you value your team members' needs, promoting loyalty and motivation. By empowering team members with autonomy and flexibility, we enable them to thrive in their roles and contribute effectively to the project's success.
The sixth and final step to motivate and engage your online project team is to foster a sense of purpose and belonging among the team members. Purpose and belonging are vital for creating a shared vision, mission, and identity for the project and the team. You can foster a sense of purpose and belonging by communicating the value and impact of the project, aligning the project goals with the team members' values and interests, and creating a sense of community and culture among the team members. You can also involve your team members in decision-making, problem-solving, and planning processes, and empower them to take ownership and responsibility for the project outcomes.
I believe fostering a sense of purpose and belonging starts at the very beginning a continues for the life of the entire project.
Many things that have already been described pay off here. It would also be important to highlight the goals of the project and the role of the different people. Not only the pure technology but also the added value that the customer has through the goal achievement of the project and the progress within the process. Added values of the customer for the project are also added values that each individual can raise and thus make a positive contribution even in small ways!
Communicating the project's value, aligning goals with team members' interests, and creating a supportive community cultivates a shared vision and identity. Involving team members in decision-making and empowering them to take ownership instills a sense of pride and commitment to achieving collective success. Together, we can create a fulfilling journey where everyone feels valued and connected.