Motivating Large Teams
Project Managers are often in difficult positions. We must manage large teams with people spanning multiple departments, all having full time day jobs and differing priorities. A project manager rarely has dedicated resources and must create realistic schedules taking into account everyone’s priorities and availability. Managing a team dedicated to the project may simplify scheduling, but it doesn’t do much for motivation. How do you motivate a team that does not report to you, may not understand the goal of the project, and may have different priorities?
What Do They Need?
To help motivate your team you must first understand what they need. Abraham Maslow did a lot of work in the area of motivation and fulfilling employee needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a a five stage pyramid that represents the various needs that every person ultimately wants to fulfill. Once fulfilling the base needs Maslow believes everyone looks to fulfill the next stage, moving up the pyramid until all needs are satisfied.