Leaderboard

Project is an activity with purpose or end results achieved in definite period with start and end time with budgeted resources (money, manpower, material). Project Leader role is to ensure above objectives are met by leading diverse team having direct control, external teams, stake holders with little or no control over them. Managing and motivating the internal team having direct control is extremely important as they can influence the project outcome significantly. In many organizations project team composition is diverse in nature, some are fixed in nature of doing such repeat projects. Some are picked-up from different functions, with in or out side organization. Some are even engaged for temporary period of time. Hence to ensure that team delivers the results, project leader need to play important role in constantly engaging and motivating the team. Motivation is large subject and there are many theories around it. However, for corporate, professional setting McClelland theory of Needs is apt one to relate and practice. There are 3 needs as per McClelland theory as below. Need for achievement – motivated by results Need for Affiliation – motivated by inclusiveness, engagement Need for power – motivated by delegation, control over Project can be broadly divided into 3 buckets. Planning (design) Execution Control (monitoring) Based on background of project team members and their motivational needs, they can be assigned appropriate role in above phases of project. For example, team members having Need of achievement as motivation can be given task of project execution role. Project Controllers who monitor end-to-end project in resource allocation, driving collective performance. These get motivated by Need of power and above job would be suitable to them. Finally there are many team members either in back office, planning , design departments, who get motivated by constant engagement, appreciating them for impact they make to the project. There could be transitions in the motivational needs yet times. One , especially Project Leader in above case, need to recognize this and make course correction in dealing with team.