“There is no limit to what a man can do so long as he does not
care a straw who gets the credit for it.” —C.E. Montague
It needs to be said that collisions of opinions and egos aren’t
a bad thing among project team members. If everybody is paying attention,
disagreements are a fact of project life. But how do you harness the energy
released when your team particles collide? Manage the collisions well
and you have sparks and light. Mismanage them, and you have impasse and
stagnation. Following are some tips for turning collegial collisions into
colorful collages of collective collaboration.
Don’t avoid conflict. (And yell back, darn it!) The goal
of project teams is not to “avoid conflict;” but rather to get
things done the best way. Everybody needs to speak up. Effective project
management fosters an atmosphere in which good ideas rise from individual
creativity and differences of opinion. Develop an ear for conflict, address
it, and reason through to a practical resolution. Do this one a lot ...
Make sure each individual understands their role. Everybody has
a certain expertise and experience that makes them unique to the team.
State clearly at project launch why each person is there and what and
when they are expected to contribute. Project roles should not be absolute.
Why can’t an editor say something about color? Or a programmer suggest
an edit? Project roles should define who has the final delegated authority
for classes of decisions. However, roles should not stifle good faith
suggestions and observations.
Listen, document, circulate. Email is great, isn’t it? Write
down what you heard, and circulate it among the group. Invite comment.
Let it ride. Let it get ridiculous if it has to. Ideas have a life. And
good ideas can have a long life. Let them breathe.
Learn to serve. There is a time to shine, and a time to hang back.
The habit of service is a good one. Not everybody has to know how brilliant
you are all the time. It’s okay to pick up the dishes and fetch coffee
sometimes. It’s okay to let someone run with an idea that might partially
be yours. Karma is real.
Go back to the plan. The plan should be the final authority on
disputes. Avoid circular arguments by going back to the mission statement
and the detailed tasks and deliverables. What is the project designed
to accomplish? Answer that question every day. And if what you want is
not in the plan? Change the plan.
How do you know? Very often opinion is stated as fact. And facts
are stated erroneously. Ask, how do you know? And keep asking until you
get back to the source. Then deal with it on its merits.
Commend, Compliment, and Celebrate. Notice other team members
contributions. Say something nice. It will make your teammate feel great
and fan the flame of a winning spirit. There are no little successes.
Do something nice for yourselves when you move the project forward. And
when you fulfill your specs, have a little party why don’t you?