Management Training – Page 15 – STL

Managers have to deal with difficult situations from time to time. Your team will be looking to you to resolve issues so they can continue to be productive.

In our Introduction to Management course we share practical, tangible tools and strategies to help you manage these situations.

Be observant

Keep track of difficult situations that arise. It is important to note the subject, how it happened, the parties involved, and how it was resolved. Repeat this with a view to identifying trends and patterns. This helps you spot potentially tricky situations before they become difficult to manage. If similar incidents occur three times, then treat them as significant and worthy of further investigation. By investigating the root causes of these incidents, you can make proactive decisions to avoid further re-occurrences.

Recognise that your own perceptions can make situations difficult to handle. Notice what assumptions you hold in relation to the situation, see if there are alternatives that are both valid and more useful. Note your responses, check if they are useful. Try alternative responses that may prove more helpful and ask for feedback.

Process your emotions without letting them take over. Sometimes the best way to deal with our emotions is to acknowledge them, experience them, and then let them pass. Asking for time to “think things through” enables us to take the time needed to feel the emotions and then return to address the central issue when we feel calmer and have had time to explore alternatives.

Have a strategy

The ‘Interest Based Relational Approach’ is one strategy to deal with team conflict. The method states that conflicts should be resolved by separating people and their emotions from the problem. It focuses on building mutual respect and understanding. In doing so, it encourages conflict resolution to be found in a united and cooperative way – these are the steps:

Set the scene

Make sure people understand that there may be a mutual problem better solved through negotiation and discussion.
Gather information

Get your facts right, this means gathering information and asking for people’s viewpoint. You should clarify other’s feelings, respect them, and use empathetic listening skills.
Agree on the problems

Make sure everyone understands what the issue is really about.
Brainstorm solutions

Include all in the discussion and ask for input from those that are involved, ensure it is fair and balanced ensuring everyone feels included and heard.
Negotiate a solution

If you haven’t already found a solution before you reach this step, then find a way forward. It is important to collect input from all involved, for example looking for a win-win solution.

Assertiveness

An assertive approach is always helpful – what is assertiveness? Put simply, to be assertive you need to firstly show respect to yourself. This means you need to have a strong sense of yourself and your value. Then you can say or do what you need to. Finally, show the same amount of respect to the other person. Do that and you cannot fail to be assertive.

Final thoughts

Make sure your team relationships take priority, good long term relationships are absolutely critical, treat others with respect. Keep the people and the problem separate – focus on the issue not the person. Finally and importantly, listen first and talk second and never ignore these difficult moments!

In our last blog we talked about Communication. Today we are going to look at the next topic in our series Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Leadership.

The difference between Managing and Leading

Simply put, Management is about tasks while Leadership is about people. Project Managers need to be able to wear both hats, often at the same time. The role involves managing work and project progress while also guiding, motivating and directing people.

Five Vital Skills for Project Managers - Leadership — Leadership

Skilful project leadership brings people together to achieve a common goal. It also ensures that together, the team efficiently accomplishes more than they could as individuals.

In addition, while management requires you to focus on the tasks, leadership requires you to look ahead, always focusing on the vision. This will enable you to anticipate problems and opportunities and plan for future changes.

Creating the Vision

A strong leader will create a clear vision of what the outcome of the project will look like. They will also inspire others to commit to achieving that vision. Making clear the purpose, importance and benefits of the project will engage the team. By providing vision, the Project Leader can engage and motivate people. They must maintain clear direction through tough times and celebrate wins along the way.

Motivation

A natural leader will motivate others to take actions, even when they are not officially in charge. As a project leader, you need to maintain motivation through tough times. This is key when a project is struggling or when BAU takes priority. You also need to understand what the team needs to perform at their best and create a positive working culture that enables people to excel.

Different things motivate different people and an individual’s motivation can change over time. Motivational factors include praise, variety in tasks, and autonomy for decision making. Great leaders recognise and understand those differences. They gain commitment by providing individuals with what they need to motivate them.

Forward Thinking

An effective Project Leader will always have one eye on the vision. Hence, they will ensure that all activity contributes to achieving that vision. While managing day to day tasks and actions, a Leader will be looking ahead to anticipate potential problems. This will help them to put preventative measures in place. The Leader will also be on the lookout for opportunities to add value to the project. They will save time and cost or improve outcomes.

To do this well, a Leader needs to be proactive. They should use both critical and strategic thinking. They also need to be decisive and be able to negotiate changes with stakeholders.

Conflict Management

Projects bring about change. Conflict is inevitable in situations where you are introducing something new or changing something. Strong Leaders know how to harness conflict for good, as the best solutions arise when someone challenges an idea.

Conflict can be positive for teams because it allows differing views to be expressed. This often results in a better solution and a more effective project outcome. However, Leaders need to arm themselves with conflict resolution strategies. This will ensure they can identify and tackle conflict proactively before it escalates into an issue for the team.

Enabling people

To empower, by its definition, means to put power into. Therefore, empowering people is the process of enabling someone to do something themselves. As a leader you need to recognise the skills and knowledge of individuals. You should remove roadblocks and then trust them to do their job without you micromanaging.

Once you have empowered people to work through problems on their own, it is counterproductive to tell them what to do and answer every question. A resourceful Leader will simply point people in the right direction. They will then employ coaching techniques to enable them to come to their own conclusions and solutions. This will encourage autonomy and productivity, and provide them with a reason to be proactive in their efforts, ultimately building trust.

Finally, a Leader needs to be able to control their emotions and stay calm when faced with hardships. When it comes to empowering people, you need to always remain positive. The emotions you express will affect those around you. If you want positive, enthusiastic team members, you must demonstrate positivity and enthusiasm yourself.

In conclusion, a well-known quote states that strong leaders are born and not made. This is often true, but you are leading a project, not fighting a war. Anyone can learn, develop, and apply these skills. The important part is to understand your role as a leader and what others expect of you, then make the commitment to step up and lead.

For further information the following courses we offer may be of interest.

That concludes part two of our series “Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Leadership”.

Be observant

Have a strategy

Set the scene

Gather information

Agree on the problems

Brainstorm solutions

Negotiate a solution