We all have different project management personalities. But, let’s face it, some personalities are just more likable.
We’ve blogged before about 5 effective project management methodologies and when to use them. Plus, we’ve provided an outline that describes when to switch your management style.
Still, there are dead-end project management techniques that project managers have yet to bury. Check out these 3 PM-Don’ts.
1. Work 9-5
Not only has this become a very unfashionable management move, it’s also an unproductive one. Let your teamwork on their own time, when they work best. Let’s say on Wednesday your IT lead’s son has soccer practice, so he hurries to get home on time. Do you really think lots of work is getting done then?
Free yourself from the constraints of 9-5, and let your team rearrange their schedule to what’s best for them. Get rewarded with happier employees and better quality work. If you can’t trust them to get the job done on their own time, that’s telling of larger management problems that should be addressed.
2. Force Team to Go to Work Parties
Maybe you took some HR sponsored management course that said employee friendships strengthen work projects. Completely reasonable to imagine, but you can’t force a friendship. Remember those playdates with Chris your mom made you go on when you were little? No matter how many Rice Krispies were involved you just didn’t like Chris.
Holding work parties just creates an obligation for your team. They have to go, or they will look anti-social. You’ve just increased their workday by at least 3 extra hours.
Instead of creating an obligation, allow more breaks in the workday. I mean they take them anyway. Be open about the allowance of breaks, and then maybe instead of awkwardly minimizing their Facebook page every time you come around, they will freely strike up a conversation with Trisha in accounting.
3. Hold Too Many Meetings
Meetings are like those third dates where you’re lying under the stars and the guy regales you with wonderful visions of the great times you will have together, the exotic vacations he will take you on, and beach-house with the big porch he hopes to purchase by 30.
At meetings, like on third dates, it can be fun to talk about all the great things that will happen, but everyone involved knows the plans are a little bit idealistic.
In reality, those sugary lines we fell for the first time become less enticing and more annoying the more we hear them. Instead of wasting time with the big to-do of a meeting, check in every once and again to make sure everything is going well. Save meetings for when you really need to do some project-repair. And if you really need to throw a meeting, at least make sure everyone stays awake.
Image credit, Eric Ingrum, Flickr and Someecards
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