Project Managers are Motivators

Many times you may need to be the team’s top motivator. Projects are hard. They all have their challenges. So, here is a lesson from history in persistence. Feel free to share with your team members who need it…

"He failed in business in ’31. He was defeated for state legislator in ’32. He started another business in ’33. It failed. His fiancée died in ’35. He had a nervous breakdown in ’36. In ’43 he ran for Congress and was defeated. He tried again in ’48 and was defeated again. He tried running for the Senate in ’55. He lost. The next year he ran for Vice President and lost. In ’58 he ran for the Senate again and was defeated again. Finally, in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected 16th president of the United States."

“Those who envision greatness, usually achieve it.”

- Dare to Soar: Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude, Byrd Baggett

The Rising Cost of Deflation

Several times in the past few weeks I've heard stories from people who had been part of self-motivated teams that took it upon themselves to do great things and induce change in their company, only to have the wind taken out of their sails by management.

Instead of letting people run with good ideas and try new things, management decides to take over, often starting from scratch, and telling people how they should do things. This is the epitomy of poor management. It hurts morale, breeds apathy, and generates wasted rework. Worse yet, it undermines accountability.

I'll repeat one of my favorite statements from General George S. Patton:

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they'll surprise you with their ingenuity."

Bottom line for managers. Engagement matters. If people show initiative, get out of the way.

Project Team Motivators: Pay 4 Performance Bonus

Looking for ways to motivate your team through financial compensation? Performane bonus may do the trick, according to research results. ...

... "However, if the same money was applied to pay-for-performance bonuses, the analysis suggests a performance increase of better than 15 percent. Indeed, the results suggest that providing a strong pay-for-performance link for bonuses rather than raises had the greatest potential benefit ... " ...

Via Cornell Hotel School: Compensation Study: Performance Impact