Swap Fear for Conviction
In my experience, an effective tactic to motivate and inspire team members is to eliminate fear within the team. Replacing fear with conviction - a sense of confidence and purpose that paves the way to success - can create powerful teams that can propel projects forward.
Everyone desires job security. Project managers can expand their impact when they make their team members feel they truly own their roles and can boost their careers through positive contributions. The initial step towards fostering this sense of ownership and dedication is to reduce fear.
This doesn’t mean project managers should eliminate urgency or ignore stressful situations. These are essential tools for leading teams. Successful leadership involves creating an environment where team members are unafraid to act, voice disagreements constructively, or collaborate with stakeholders. This fearlessness significantly increases the chances projects will succeed.
Let’s examine a few techniques for reducing fear within your project teams.
Regularly interacting with team members and asking genuine questions like “What are you working on?” or “How can I help you do your job better?” can show employees you care and understand their needs. Roundtable discussions with project team members and other stakeholders can generate new ideas and instill ownership in project outcomes. Get out of your office and be amongst your team and stakeholders – you are apt to learn a lot by doing so!
Be Direct - Don’t let your wish to be liked or alleviate employee fears prevent you from delivering both good and bad news. If managers avoid discussing “bad news,” it won’t eliminate fear; employees will sense the omission and fear will actually increase.? Discussing issues openly and showing your commitment to finding solutions can transform fear into determination.
Listen First - As Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits” suggests, project managers who listen non-judgmentally are seen as approachable. Employees who aren’t gripped by fear will bring news and suggestions to the project team, surfacing risks and creating potential improvements to project outcomes.?
Watch your attitude. PMs who show enthusiasm for their projects can foster a caring atmosphere that multiplies the capabilities of the team. Enthusiasm can also encourage innovative thinking and help create solutions that elevate their organizations to new heights.
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Coming Up
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LinkedIn Live Common and Uncommon Risk Management
This Office Hours discussion will examine the usual and not-as-usual approaches to risk management that all project managers should be embracing. Despite being a vital part of project management, risk rarely gets the attention it deserves. Join me and my fellow grizzled PM veteran Ian Sharpe as we talk about how risk management saves us, fails us, and how, sometimes we totally misunderstand the concept! Come join us, and bring your risk management questions, as we’ll answer your questions live!
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Additional thoughts can be found in my project management and outsourcing classes on LinkedIn Learning, including:
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This article is part of Bob’s Reflections newsletter series, which discusses project management, outsourcing, and “intelligent disobedience”, a leadership approach. If you want more of this content, you can subscribe to receive notifications when a new article is posted.
Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library or check out https://intelligentdisobedience.com/
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Absolutely resonating with your approach, Bob! ?? Eliminating fear truly unlocks a team's potential. As Nelson Mandela once said - The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Building conviction is indeed the key to fostering a resilient and unstoppable team. Keep inspiring! ?? #CRO