Effective project management


A productive team is everything a project leader can wish for in order to make the task so much easier to manage. Things can go wrong very quickly and that is why it will meet focused leadership to stay on track. 

When a team is not productive during a project it can become very costly in the form of mine and money.


  • What makes a team productive?
  • What are the responsibilities of a project leader
  • How do you manage team projects?
  • The 4 Most common reasons why Project Managers fail
  • How to manage productive team projects - Conclusion

What makes a team productive?

The only way a team project can be effective is if your team works together as a unit and not as individuals.

In order for a team project to be effective, you will have to make sure that each member is totally on board. In order for this to happen your team must be compliant with some basic characteristics.

  • A common goal
  • Effective communication
  • Individual responsibility
  • Time management

A common goal

When you are putting a team together for a project it is important that each member selected are fully aware of what the common goal is. 

Because a project team consists of several individuals with different skills it is important that a common outcome must be set from the start.

Not being able to set a common goal from the start will definitely cause delays and projects can become costly because of this. Managing a fragmented team also is a waste of time and will reflect badly on your leadership.

Effective communication

It is very important that team projects have open communication channels between the different team members so that the flow of information is not interrupted or delayed. 

Team projects will fall apart because of miscommunication between individuals.

That is why project meetings also play a major role so that all team members can remain on the same page throughout the process. In this way, miscommunication can also be detected at an early stage and rectified.

Individual responsibility

The outcome of team projects depends very heavily on how individual team members handle their responsibility. It is the duty of the project leader to make sure that specific roles and tasks are allocated according to the skill levels and abilities of team members.

It is also important to make sure that team members accept their responsibility and understand how it affects the rest of the team if they do not.

Time management

Most important in team projects is the fact that time is the primary role that will determine the outcome of your project. The team leader is responsible for tracking time and ensuring that tasks are completed as planned.

Team members must also make sure that they comply with deadlines as their failure will delay future steps in the project. Delayed projects will always cost more money to complete because of unnecessary actions that must be taken to salvage mistakes.

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What are the responsibilities of a project leader?

In order for team projects to follow a productive course, the project leader needs to be in control of his own functions. 

Effective project leadership is what makes for positive outcomes. In order to have a productive team, the project leader must take on certain responsibilities.

These responsibilities are:

  • Planning the project
  • Create and manage timelines
  • Control phases
  • Manage financials
  • Communicator
  • Decision making

Planning the project

The Project Manager must set out the details of the project from start to finish. Each phase will have many resources involved and also important deadlines to achieve. 

In order for the Project manager to be in control, each step must be measurable. This contributes to team efficiency as everybody will always be aware of achievements and failures.

Create and manage timelines

Very important for the Project Manager is to ensure the team is always aware of deadlines. A productive team will always maintain timelines in order to achieve its goal. Timelines are the top method of measurement to forecast and prevent possible failure.

Control phases

Controlling each phase of the project through measurement and critical decision-making will help the team to achieve its goals. The Project Manager must maintain full awareness of progress at all times to help guide the team.

Managing financials

Without forecasting, budget control, and cash flow your team will not be able to function properly. Financials are the most common reason for projects to fail. remember your team cannot function effectively without the right resources.

Communicator

The Project Manager is the main communicator in the group and is responsible to maintain all communication channels. It is not just internal communication but also external communication with 3rd parties providing the resources. 

Effective communication once again will assist your team to be more productive.

Decision making

Projects will always run into problems no matter how good the planning is. You will be called upon to make many decisions instantly in order for the project to flow. Some decisions might be easy but others will need lengthy deliberation. 

Your team needs answers quickly in order to reach goals and remain productive.


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How do you manage team projects?

You are the manager and it is your duty to make sure that all deadlines are kept when you involve your staff in projects. It can be really annoying when a manager does not take leadership in projects that he initiated.

It is therefore very important for you to ensure that you follow certain rules to be successful. 

Here are a few pointers that can help you to achieve this:

  • To start off you have to create a plan with goals that will keep you on track during your project.
  • Do it right the first time as projects will be delayed when things are not done right and need to be redone.
  • Stay organized otherwise you will spend more time on time-wasters such as looking for unimportant things.
  • Create milestones that will help you keep track of your progress and will also give your team a sense of achievement when reaching these milestones.
  • Organize your team according to the strength and skills that you will require when performing specific tasks.
  • Put your goals down on paper and make sure all team members get a copy so that all of them can keep track of your progress.
  • Make sure that all team members know what is expected of them and how they are required to perform.
  • Set up communication guidelines and monitor this while the project is in progress. This will include frequency, medium to be used, and where necessary format to be applied.
  • Delegate tasks within the project in such a way that none of the team members is overburdened and others underutilized. This will ensure that your project has an equal contribution from all members.
  • Set deadlines and stick to them.

The 4 Most common reasons why Project Managers fail

Remember as you are the leader of the project you have to guide your employees through the process. Most projects fail because of failed leadership.

The 4 Most common reasons that will make you fail

  • Unrealistic planning
  • Poor communication
  • Losing interest
  • Poor financial control

Unrealistic planning

The biggest mistake you will make is to plan without input from your resources. Many Project Managers plan without input from any other team members. This will disengage team members even before you start. 

Do not offer what you can't deliver then blame others for failing later. If it is not realistic then don't do it or it will be just another time-wasting effort that will delay your project or negatively impact the outcome.

Poor communication

It is common that most projects to fail because there is no communication between some team members. If the Project Manager fails to set proper communication channels in the beginning it will be hard to rectify later. 

Poor communication will lead to a lack of guidance and it will not be the fault of the team.

Losing interest

A lot of Project Managers take on projects knowing that the timing of it is wrong. Too many other things going on become distracting and the project soon falls away as not a priority anymore. 

A productive team wants a leader who is as engaged as he expects them to be. 

The last word for you is "Don't lose interest and bump the project off to someone else. You started it and you must finish it."

Poor financial control

The root of all evil will play havoc with your team's efforts should you fail financially. Financial control is relative to the engagement and productivity of your team. 

Failure can only arise from the leader's poor financial planning or losing focus during the project.

How to manage productive team projects - Conclusion

The Project Manager wants to have a productive team to complete projects according to plan. This however will all depend on the management ability and control of the Project Manager. 

Team effectiveness and productivity starts with leadership through the guidance they provide.

By managing your own performance as a leader the team will follow. Most teams will be more engaged in the process if they trust the leadership and support they are getting.