There’s a misconception in the corporate world about project managers. Some people think they exist to irritate everyone into following rules. Some people think they exist to make the impossible possible. The truth is that project managers are the glue that unites disparate functions toward a common goal.

They must understand the needs of the business, legal, finance, and technical experts and translate those needs across the team in order to deliver results that impact those functions. In theory, this is a simple task, but, the complexity of human dynamics makes this role challenging.

Project managers organize chaos so that it’s a doable workstream. They negotiate workloads and requirements so that results exceed expectations. But most importantly, they support the depth and breadth of personnel working toward a shared objective. Support can take many shapes, but there are five uncommon ways of supporting your team that will enhance your outcomes.

Unconventional Support Tactics

  1. Invite Disagreement – There’s this old saying that goes “If two people agree about everything one of them is unnecessary.” Some people revel in disagreement, but for most of us, this is uncomfortable. The sooner we find an agreement, the sooner we can make progress. However, by inviting disagreement you may find an alternative approach that will get you better results. So, don’t dodge discomfort, welcome it.
  1. Appreciate Complaints – Although it is not a PM’s job to be the team therapist, it may serve you well to be the unofficial complaint box. A good PM understands the teams that they support, both their abilities and their limitations. By appreciating complaints, you will gain a deeper understanding of your resources and will be able to support them better.
  1. Acknowledge Bandwidth – Often we forget that our resources may not be fully allocated to our project, or that they need things like breaks or sleep. In order to deliver what matters, a PM should acknowledge bandwidth and work hard to ensure their resources have a reasonable timeline to execute their contributions. By defending your team’s bandwidth, you ensure they can consistently deliver toward your goals.
  1. Set a Transparent Budget – Talking about money may seem taboo, but it’s vital for the success of a project. Budgets may be fixed, but intended outcomes need to match the budgeting requirements. A strong PM will talk transparently about the funds available and the expected outcome for those funds.
  1. Make a Big Deal out of Little Wins – Everyone loves a project that is delivered early, under budget, and with better results than was promised. Those wins are easy to celebrate. It’s harder to celebrate the mini-milestones that get us to those big wins. Sometimes it feels like business as usual (BAU) work shouldn’t be appreciated, but without BAU there is no big win. So, try to find the good whenever you can and make it a big deal. An appreciated team always outperforms a tired team.

The goal of any project is to deliver results, and by using these unconventional support tactics you can more easily get to those results with a team ready for the next challenge. At the end of the day, the strength of our relationships is what allows for flawless performances. A strong project manager will support their team in both conventional and unconventional ways so that they grow their talent while they make things happen. Need some assistance with a project? We’re here to help.

Cheers.