Are you consistently calling your team out on deliverables they need to complete?
Does a team member affect the culture you are trying to establish within your project?
In fact, the pandemic has shifted the way we work and caught us unprepared. Project Managers around the world have been trying to counteract different challenges including team’s accountability, and I will present number of ways to create the right culture and improve team's accountability and ownership.
- Lead by example: In those uncertain times leading by example is key. It sets how teams and customers interact during your project. As a Project Manager, you have to walk the talk to keep your team intact and united.
Maintain high work ethics in your practices, set the right example for your team, inspire and guide them through the project. - Refrain from micromanagement: With the pandemic, some managers fall unintentionally into the micromanagement trap. This creates indignant teams, hinders motivation, and reduces productivity. Project Managers should explore creative ways to keep the project's progress on track with a balanced focus on the assignments by reinforcing accountability, recognizing the team efforts and rewarding their contribution to the overall project success.
- Eliminate ambiguity: Misunderstanding can easily occur when your team are working in silos. Establishing the right communication channels help you all to work in harmony leaving no space for assumptions. Set clear tasks with timelines and defined owners, get acknowledgment from task’s owners, and remember setting SMART KPIs ensure better productivity.
- Utilize technology: Today’s tools can be used in building a better team’s accountability, it allows projects managers to easily assign, track, and notify their teams which help in avoiding budget slips scope creep and poor quality.
In conclusion, Project Managers should display a combination of different leadership styles to successfully achieve accountability. Involve your team, motivate them, and make them feel appreciated so your win is their win too.