As a project leader, giving team members the gift of not just your appreciation for good work, but your genuine admiration for their talents, is generosity of spirit at its pinnacle. This is the difference between saying to someone: “Great job” versus “This was pure genius;” or “I appreciated your help” versus “I couldn’t have done it without you.” When you see good work, say it, and say it from the heart, just as you thought it.
Here are some nine practical tips to become a generous project leader:
- Give team members a sense of importance In Adele Lynn’s book, In Search of Honor: Lessons from Workers in How to Build Trust, we learn that 55% of workers value “giving people a sense of importance” as the number one item for building trust on your project team. Consider what small actions you could take today to make team members feel that the work they do is important, and that they themselves are important to your team.
- Give encouraging feedback, not criticism If giving frequent “constructive criticism” is your style of project leadership, consider some of these questions: Is your motivation genuine, or is it to gain points? Are you picking the right moment? Are you stopping to reflect how you might deliver the encouraging feedback while still honoring the team member?
- Give team members visibility Giving team members visibility on your project is a special gift we bestow to help others shine and grow. Think about how you might give team members more access to senior executives, and more access to your boss. Team members like to know that their boss’s boss knows the great contributions they made to a project, or about their significant effort in completing some work that does not bear their name. When team members know that their project leader is representing them well to upper management, it is a high-octane motivator and engenders fierce loyalty.
- Give anonymously Real generosity of spirit is doing something for someone without their knowledge. Think of one or two deserving team members on your project that you can help by planting a career-enhancing seed on their behalf. Perhaps you could say something positive about their work to someone in authority?
- Know when to forgive Mahatma Gandhi said that “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” ?A characteristic of a generous project leader is a total lack of resentment; it’s in effect being too noble, too big for that. Who do you need to forgive? What do you need to let go?
- Give encouragement Look around your team and pick a team member who needs encouragement and resolve to give them that. Consider that some team members have not received much encouragement in their life. Do it now!
- Give opportunity One of the most valuable gifts you can give a team member is giving them a chance. Is there a team member to whom you could give a second chance to prove themselves? If so, what active steps can you take to create the right circumstances for them to succeed? What doors can you open for a team member who is well deserving, but not well positioned to be noticed?
- Share your knowledge and experience Resolve to become a philanthropist of know-how. What knowledge, expertise, or best practices can you share with others on the team as a way to enrich them? For inspiration, read about other leaders who practice teaching in their organization for everyone’s benefit – for example, Jack Welch, former CEO of GE or the ex-CEO of Intel, Andy Grove.
- Give moral support Public speaking is known to be among the greatest fears experienced by millions of people. The next time you attend a presentation given by an apprehensive team member, practice giving them moral support. The simplest of generous acts are abstaining from checking your “Crack-berry,” giving the odd nod in agreement, and practicing looking with kind eyes.
Finally, take some inspiration from Walt Whitman: “The habit of giving enhances the desire to give.” Being generous is like building a muscle. It requires practice and persistence; once it becomes habitual, you will emerge as a stronger project leader.
#opentoconnect #networking?#professionaldevelopment?#connections?#careergrowth?#NetworkingFriday
#capm #pmp #pmpcertification #pmpexam #pmptraining #pmpcertified #pmp2023 #pmpcommunity #pmpcertificationexam #pmpexamprep #pmpcertificationtraining #pmpquestion #businessanalystjobs #businessanalytics #businessanalysistraining #management #capmstudygroup #leepmp #saudiarabia #saudiarabiabusiness #pmpprep #pmp2024 #pmicertification #pmi #pminstitute #pmbok #pmbok6 #pmbok7 #goals #goalsetting l #microsoftproject #capmcertification #agileprojectmanagement #itcertifications #communication #PMIWesternIdaho
