Glue

1. Project leaders are the glue that binds teams together

"Project leaders intuitively do everything they can to create cohesive teams. They act as the glue that binds teams together, filling gaps in process and communication wherever there is a need."

Bridging gaps. Project leaders go beyond traditional project management roles by actively fostering team cohesion and filling communication gaps. They serve as catalysts for success by:

• Identifying and addressing process inefficiencies
• Facilitating clear communication between team members
• Anticipating and resolving potential conflicts
• Ensuring all team members are aligned with project goals

Emotional intelligence. Successful project leaders leverage their emotional intelligence to create a positive team dynamic. They:

• Build strong relationships with team members
• Recognize and address individual needs and concerns
• Foster a supportive and collaborative work environment
• Motivate team members by connecting their work to the larger project purpose

2. Build rapport quickly to establish trust and influence

"When you have strong relationships, all other project tasks are easier because your team is receptive to you. When you lack rapport, every request will feel like an uphill battle."

Be approachable. Project leaders can quickly build rapport by making themselves accessible and approachable to team members. Strategies include:

• Maintaining an open-door policy
• Using friendly body language and facial expressions
• Actively listening to team members' concerns and ideas
• Showing genuine interest in team members' well-being

Give and show appreciation. Building rapport involves both giving and showing appreciation for team members' efforts. Effective techniques include:

• Offering small gestures of kindness (e.g., keeping a candy bowl at your desk)
• Providing specific, meaningful praise for good work
• Recognizing team members' contributions in public settings
• Organizing team events and celebrations to foster camaraderie

3. Run productive meetings to boost team efficiency

"The single most powerful factor in job satisfaction was how one feels about the effectiveness of the meetings he or she attends; negative feelings were exacerbated as the amount of time spent in meetings increased."

Prepare thoroughly. Effective project leaders ensure meetings are productive by preparing in advance:

• Clearly define the meeting's purpose and desired outcomes
• Create a focused agenda and distribute it beforehand
• Invite only necessary participants
• Prepare any required materials or presentations

Facilitate effectively. During the meeting, project leaders should:

• Start and end on time
• Keep discussions on track and aligned with the agenda
• Encourage participation from all attendees
• Summarize key points and action items
• End with clear next steps and responsibilities

4. Ask effective questions to drive progress and uncover insights

"As a project leader, my daily charter is to identify the most efficient way to get things done. When my team raises a question to me, I aim to turn around an answer to them quickly. When they are blocked, it's my job accordingly to identify the fastest route to unblock them."

Use open-ended questions. Project leaders should ask questions that encourage detailed responses and deeper thinking:

• "What do you think about...?"
• "How might we approach...?"
• "What are the potential consequences of...?"

Follow up effectively. After receiving initial responses, project leaders should probe further:

• Ask for clarification on vague or ambiguous points
• Request specific examples to illustrate ideas
• Explore alternative perspectives or solutions
• Encourage team members to elaborate on their thoughts

5. Take great notes to capture and communicate critical information

"If you take great notes, you will make a fantastic first impression. One of my coworkers once told me that he was so impressed with my notes after his first set of meetings with me that he went home and told his wife, 'You should see these notes. They are better than the meeting!'"

Focus on key information. Effective note-taking involves capturing essential details:

• Main discussion points and decisions made
• Action items and their assigned owners
• Important deadlines and milestones
• Key questions or concerns raised

Organize and share. After the meeting, project leaders should:

• Review and organize notes for clarity
• Summarize key points and action items
• Share notes with relevant team members promptly
• Follow up on action items to ensure progress

6. Synthesize information to provide valuable guidance

"When you actively practice synthesis, you blend everything you've acquired into your body of knowledge with one special ingredient—you. You add your thinking to form new extrapolations and applications. Your contributions are no longer just a distillation of facts. Instead, you begin to bring fresh insights to the table."

Connect the dots. Project leaders synthesize information by:

• Identifying patterns and relationships between different pieces of information
• Drawing connections between seemingly unrelated ideas or data points
• Considering the broader context and implications of information

Provide actionable insights. After synthesizing information, project leaders should:

• Communicate key findings and implications to the team
• Offer recommendations based on synthesized insights
• Guide decision-making processes using the synthesized information
• Anticipate potential challenges or opportunities based on the synthesis

7. Create alignment by setting clear goals and connecting work to purpose

"When people understand how their work matters, they feel more highly motivated because they know their work is contributing to a greater vision."

Set clear, measurable goals. Project leaders should establish unambiguous goals that:

• Are specific and quantifiable
• Have a defined timeline
• Are agreed upon by all stakeholders
• Align with the overall project vision

Connect daily work to purpose. To maintain motivation, project leaders should:

• Regularly communicate how individual tasks contribute to project goals
• Share project progress and successes with the team
• Recognize and celebrate team members' contributions to goal achievement
• Address any misalignments between daily work and project objectives

8. Plan strategically, but remember planning is optional

"Planning is not useful to your team when it's only a reflection of the past. It's most useful when it helps you get things done in the future."

Assess planning needs. Project leaders should evaluate whether planning is necessary by considering:

• Project complexity and scope
• Team size and composition
• Stakeholder expectations
• Timeline and resource constraints

Keep plans flexible. When planning is needed, project leaders should:

• Focus on high-level milestones rather than detailed task lists
• Allow for adjustments as new information becomes available
• Regularly review and update plans with the team
• Use plans as a guide rather than a rigid framework

9. Preempt risks to ensure smooth project execution

"All projects have risk. Project leaders are often brought onto a project to help reduce the risk and to meet an important deadline. Therefore, understanding how to best manage risk is important to the success of that role."

Identify potential risks. Project leaders should proactively:

• Conduct a thorough risk assessment at project initiation
• Encourage team members to share potential concerns or challenges
• Consider risks from various perspectives (technical, financial, operational)
• Regularly review and update the risk assessment throughout the project

Develop mitigation strategies. For identified risks, project leaders should:

• Prioritize risks based on likelihood and potential impact
• Create contingency plans for high-priority risks
• Assign responsibility for risk monitoring and mitigation
• Regularly communicate risk status and mitigation efforts to stakeholders

10. Personalize processes to maximize team productivity

"The best process is the one that gets used. Therefore, choose the one that your team is willing to commit to using so that the data that are captured are accurate and complete."

Assess team needs. Project leaders should:

• Understand team members' strengths, weaknesses, and preferences
• Evaluate existing processes and tools used by the team
• Identify pain points and areas for improvement in current workflows

Collaborate on process development. To ensure buy-in, project leaders should:

• Involve team members in process design and selection
• Encourage feedback and suggestions for improvement
• Be open to experimentation and iteration
• Regularly review and adjust processes based on team feedback and project needs

11. Expedite handoffs to improve overall project efficiency

"Relay racers know that running fast alone is not enough to win the race. They train heavily on how to make a clean pass. They learn to make sure that they can hold batons at just the right angle so that they can make solid contact with its recipient. They know there is no room for mistakes, because a small fumble can cost them the race."

Optimize handoff processes. Project leaders can improve efficiency by:

• Clearly defining handoff points and expectations
• Establishing standardized handoff procedures
• Providing necessary context and information for smooth transitions
• Facilitating clear communication between team members involved in handoffs

Monitor and address bottlenecks. To prevent delays, project leaders should:

• Identify potential bottlenecks in the workflow
• Proactively address issues that may slow down handoffs
• Encourage cross-training to increase team flexibility
• Regularly review and optimize handoff processes

12. Negotiate outcomes to keep projects on track

"When you negotiate toward an outcome for my projects, I always aim for win-win solutions. If I start with that state of mind, then the act of negotiation becomes a team bonding event. I guide the team to put aside differences and work together for the common good."

Prepare thoroughly. Before negotiations, project leaders should:

• Clearly define desired outcomes and priorities
• Understand stakeholders' perspectives and interests
• Identify potential areas of compromise
• Develop multiple options to propose during negotiations

Focus on collaborative problem-solving. During negotiations, project leaders should:

• Emphasize shared goals and common interests
• Encourage open communication and active listening
• Explore creative solutions that benefit all parties
• Remain flexible and open to alternative approaches

Last updated: September 12, 2024