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We have many tools as project managers. We have processes, plans, methodologies, and plans. But, at the end of a successful job, who do you thank? It’s not about the tool or the method; it’s about the people. How many tools, processes, and methodologies do we have for the people who are responsible for delivering our projects on time?
Although PMs were trained in project management and related topics, how much of that training was focused on topics such as leadership and team management? Ironically, most issues that arise in a project relate to ‘people’ and not ‘process’.
It doesn’t matter if it’s team conflict or ambiguity or stakeholder management. It is people who are responsible for delivering projects and receiving them. Therefore, it is vital to develop people capabilities for project management.
People over Process
Project tools are great for managing tasks, but not great at managing people, or, better yet, empowering them. While tools and methodologies are important, they are useless if your team is disengaged and overworked.
It may surprise you to learn that focusing more on people and team empowerment makes your life as project leader much easier and less stressful. This mindset shift does not distract from the project, but it allows you to use the collective intelligence of your teammates to improve project efficiency and spot potential problems early, increasing the likelihood of project success.
I’ll explain how this looks in a moment, but it is important to remember that people data is more than just the’soft stuff’. It provides us with insight that allows us to execute projects efficiently, and more importantly, it gives us better visibility into the performance of our team.
This new approach to managing projects allows people to fill the gap and ensure project success.
What is People Data?
People data can be described as data that is generated from people and/or related to people at work. People analytics is a rapidly growing field that uses people data to improve organizational performance and effectiveness. This has been a domain of HR, and the team leaders on the ground have only benefited minimally.
It is critical to measure employee experience across the organization. However, managers and project leaders don’t have real-time data about their teams’ health and engagement.
“Capturing data is not enough. If that data is not delivered to the right people at a right time, it will only be a tool to help us understand the issues after they have occurred.
Leveraging People Data For Project Success
Continuous Feedback And Team Intelligence
Understanding and appreciating the value of continuous feedback from stakeholders and team members throughout projects is the first step in this new approach. Continuous feedback gives team members a platform for their voices and gives managers and team members the opportunity to identify and fix any issues and offer suggestions for improvement.
Team members are a powerful resource, but they are often overlooked. They can help you improve your project’s performance and even predict it. Continuous feedback is the only way to tap into this valuable data layer.
“Listening to what isn’t being said is the most important aspect of communication.” Peter Drucker
A collaborative approach to solving problems is a key factor in high-performing teams. In addition, include yourself (the project leader) and other stakeholders.