We all have different project management personalities. But, letâ²s face it, some personalities are just more likable.
Weâ²ve blogged before about 5 effective project management methodologies and when to use them. Plus, weâ²ve 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-Donâ²ts.
1. Work 9-5
Not only has this become a very unfashionable management move, itâ²s also an unproductive one. Let your teamwork on their own time, when they work best. Letâ²s say on Wednesday your IT leadâ²s 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 whatâ²s best for them. Get rewarded with happier employees and better quality work. If you canâ²t trust them to get the job done on their own time, thatâ²s 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 canâ²t 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 didnâ²t like Chris.
Holding work parties just creates an obligation for your team. They have to go, or they will look anti-social. Youâ²ve 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 youâ²re 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.
