Leadership vs Management In a Successful Team | Google Project Management Certificate

What Makes a Great Project Manager?

Defining Leadership and Teamwork

• A good leader possesses qualities such as active listening and fostering community, which are essential for project management.

• Teamwork is crucial for successful project management; it involves collaboration towards a shared goal.

• A team is defined as a group that plans, solves problems, makes decisions, and reviews progress collectively for a specific objective.

• Work groups differ from teams in that they operate under hierarchical control rather than collaborative decision-making.

• The focus of this program will be on developing effective teams through teamwork culture.

Importance of Teamwork in Project Management

• Teamwork fosters creativity by leveraging diverse perspectives to create better solutions and products.

• Accountability is enhanced within teams since individual tasks impact the overall success of the group.

• Effective teamwork leads to improved results and positive team culture when managed correctly.

Key Factors Impacting Team Effectiveness

Five Essential Dynamics Identified by Google Researchers

• Psychological safety is the most critical factor; it allows individuals to take risks without fear of negative consequences.

• Dependability among team members ensures reliability in completing work on time, requiring clear communication of expectations.

Understanding Team Effectiveness

Key Factors Influencing Team Performance

• Competing Deadlines: When team members work on multiple projects with conflicting deadlines, it can lead to performance issues. Open communication about constraints can alleviate stress and improve project outcomes.

• Structure and Clarity: Clear job expectations and understanding of individual roles enhance team cohesion. A well-organized project structure fosters effective collaboration, while disorganization leads to poor results.

• Meaning in Work: Team members find motivation through a sense of purpose, whether it's financial support or contributing to broader goals. Understanding this meaning is crucial for maintaining engagement.

• Impact of Work: Recognizing how individual contributions affect the larger ecosystem is vital. Project managers should help teammates see their impact through tools like project tracking that visualize progress.

• Top Five Factors: Google's research identifies psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact as essential elements for effective teams.

Strategies for Effective Project Management

• Creating Order from Chaos: Good project managers implement standardized workflows to streamline processes. This helps reduce confusion and keeps the team aligned on tasks.

• Communication and Listening: Regular updates via emails or meetings ensure everyone is informed about project status. Listening to feedback fosters a collaborative environment where all voices are heard.

• Promoting Trust and Psychological Safety: Establishing an atmosphere where team members feel safe sharing concerns enhances openness. Encouraging respectful discussions during meetings reinforces this trust.

• Empathy in Leadership: Understanding individual communication styles allows project managers to connect better with teammates. Tailoring interactions based on preferences improves overall team dynamics.

• Encouraging Feedback Culture: Creating a space for constructive criticism is essential for growth. Project managers should model vulnerability by seeking help from the team, promoting a culture of mutual respect.

Understanding Team Dynamics and Project Management

The Importance of Empathy in Teams

• Effective teamwork requires understanding that individuals have different motivations and lives outside work. Demonstrating empathy involves being present, listening, and asking questions.

• Avoid making assumptions during one-on-one conversations; instead, maintain a quiet curiosity to learn more about your teammates.

• Recognizing achievements publicly (e.g., in meetings or group emails) motivates team members by affirming they are on the right track.

Leadership Through Delegation and Prioritization

• Project managers should delegate responsibilities effectively to allow team members to utilize their unique skills while maintaining focus on project goals.

• Prioritizing tasks reduces ambiguity for the team, ensuring everyone is aligned on what needs attention. This helps prevent misalignment in task execution.

• Building consensus around priorities through clear communication enhances team commitment and engagement with the project.

Celebrating Successes

• Celebrating both big and small wins boosts morale and increases engagement within the team. Simple gestures like group lunches or congratulatory emails can show appreciation for hard work.

• Acknowledging success fosters a positive environment where team members feel valued, leading to improved performance.

Tuckman's Five Stages of Team Development

Forming Stage

• In this initial stage, teams are eager but inexperienced. It's crucial for project managers to clarify goals, roles, and context as individuals get acquainted.

Storming Stage

• As roles settle, conflicts may arise due to differing opinions on processes or task prioritization. Project managers must focus on conflict resolution by facilitating discussions among team members.

Norming Stage

• Teams begin establishing norms that streamline workflows. Project managers should codify these norms to ensure clarity and reinforce them regularly during meetings.

Performing Stage

• At this stage, teams operate efficiently towards project goals. Managers should concentrate on motivating the team through delegation and constructive feedback.

Adjourning Stage

Understanding Team Dynamics and Leadership

The Stages of Team Development

• Teams go through five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Recognizing these stages helps in assessing team dynamics and adjusting management styles accordingly.

• Understanding team dynamics is crucial as it involves managing individuals with different skills, autonomy levels, and priorities to forge consensus on goals and accountability.

• A cohesive team can focus better on tasks. Managing dynamics fosters a collaborative environment where members feel safe to help each other, benefiting project timelines.

• Motivated team members contribute more actively. A positive atmosphere encourages risk-taking and innovative problem-solving while understanding underlying dynamics aids in motivation strategies.

Ethical and Inclusive Leadership

• Creating a psychologically safe environment is essential for effective leadership. Ethical leadership promotes honesty, justice, respect, community, and integrity within teams.

• Ethical leadership aligns team values with organizational missions. Companies should create forums for employees to voice concerns and receive feedback from leaders.

• Inclusive leadership acts on employee feedback to empower all community members. This leads to enhanced innovation by integrating diverse perspectives into decision-making processes.

Fostering Inclusion in Teams

• Inclusion respects individual identities and experiences within the team structure. It enhances collaboration and overall output by valuing diversity of thought.

• Managers can lead inclusively by fostering respect, ensuring equal opportunities for success, and integrating diverse perspectives into operations.

• To foster respect as a project manager: model organizational values, address misconduct promptly, encourage open communication about concerns, and regularly recognize contributions.

• Ensuring equal opportunity involves providing access to necessary resources through regular communication and support while identifying suitable work opportunities for individuals based on their aspirations.

Developing Ethical and Inclusive Leadership Skills

Importance of Inclusive Leadership

• Developing ethical and inclusive leadership skills is essential for creating a safe, respectful environment where team members feel valued.

• Leaders should focus on fostering a culture of respect and equal opportunity to succeed while integrating diverse perspectives.

Techniques for Influencing Others

• Project managers can utilize various techniques to influence team members and external partners effectively.

• Influencing is defined as the ability to alter another person's thinking or behaviors, which is crucial in project management contexts.

Steps to Effective Influencing

Establishing Credibility

• The first step in influencing others is establishing credibility through expertise and relationships.

• Demonstrating expertise can be achieved by showcasing professional experience or research, while relationship credibility involves being honest and trustworthy.

Framing for Common Ground

• The second step involves framing your idea in a way that highlights its benefits to the audience.

• Understanding the audience's values helps tailor the message, making it more appealing and relevant.

Providing Evidence

• The third step requires backing up claims with hard data combined with persuasive storytelling.

• Using client survey results as evidence can strengthen your case by showing positive recognition from shared audiences.

Connecting Emotionally

• The final step focuses on demonstrating emotional commitment to your idea while resonating with the audience's feelings.

• Ending communications with an inviting tone encourages further discussion about potential collaboration opportunities.

Common Mistakes in Influencing

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Approaching audiences too aggressively can alienate them; it's important to maintain a collaborative tone.

• Failing to compromise or focusing solely on one's argument without considering common ground can hinder successful influence.

Influencing Others: Understanding Sources of Power

The Importance of Influencing and Sources of Power

• Influencing is not just about approach; it heavily relies on personal sources of power throughout one's career.

• Terry Bacon's research categorizes power sources into two main types: organizational and personal, both crucial for effective influence.

Organizational Sources of Power

• Role: Your position within an organization grants you a certain level of authority and influence over project outcomes.

• Information: Access to critical information enhances your ability to influence. Regularly sharing insights with your team can foster collaboration and new ideas.

• Network: Strong professional connections can amplify your influencing capabilities, making it easier to gain stakeholder support or budget approvals.

• Helping colleagues expand their networks increases overall team effectiveness and individual influencing power.

• Reputation: A positive reputation enhances influence. Being known as a good collaborator boosts how others perceive you.

Personal Sources of Power

• Personal sources include knowledge, expressiveness, history, and character—considered as individual "superpowers."

• Knowledge: Expertise in specific areas builds trust and credibility among peers. Reflecting on existing knowledge helps identify growth areas.

• Expressiveness: Effective communication skills are vital for influencing others; storytelling or emotional connection can enhance this ability.

Building Relationships

• History: Developing strong relationships with individuals aids in building personal history that facilitates influence.

• Character: Traits like honesty and integrity significantly impact how others view you, contributing to your overall power.

Identifying Your Superpowers

• Recognizing personal superpowers is essential for effective leadership. Curiosity can be a powerful tool for learning from others.