Team Feedback & Comments Proving feedback and comments to your team is vital to the success of the project, but so is the delivery. The right approach can help improve team performance, but the wrong could create conflicts amongst the team. We ask the experts:
Don’t Make It Personal Providing feedback to the project team in a meeting is fine. However, it is important that you don’t single out people negatively in front of the rest of the group. Personal information that is considered private should be address individually. It is important that you manage your own emotions. Feelings of anger, disappointment and frustration towards and individual can lead to communication boundaries being crossed. The tone in your voice or body language can come off as intimidating and unprofessional.” -Dr. Emad Rahim, PMP, CSM., Kotouc Endowed Chair, Associate Professor and Program Director of Center
Timing Is Everything Having worked in cross-functional organizations on engineering projects, I had my share of providing performance reviews and critiques. Timing is everything in workplace/team dynamics. If you provide feedback or make comments to soon, good or bad, your team may not get the full benefits from it. But, if you wait too late to share our recommendations you make loose the opportunity to help make improvements. Get to know your people, set systems in place and understand the culture of the organization. You will know the right time address the needs of your people.” -Dr. Wayne Richards, PMP., PM Faculty at Bellevue, Program Manager External Programs at Raytheon
You Need to Know the Communication Channel My approach first starts with knowing the process and system that is set in place to manage communication. Information flows differently within organization and project teams. Knowing the communication channels allows you understand the hierarchy of how information get shared, when to share it and the method of storing the information. This allows your recommendations and comments to the team to follow a natural process that already exist within the organization.” -Dr. Casey Reason, PM Faculty and SME at Bellevue, Award-Winning Leadership Author & Celebrated Speaker Learn more about the Project Management Center of Excellence at Bellevue University: http://www.bellevue.edu/degrees/center-for-project-management/
Best practices in communication 1. Before starting the work, allocate time for the team to get to know each other. Preferably in an informal social setting outside of the work. 2. Don't assume that everyone knows what is needed and expected. Clearly state roles and responsibilities of each team member. 3. Have a communication plan i.e. establish a cadence for communication i.e. when and how information will be shared. 4. Understand the "emotions of the team" and ensure communication doesn't create emotional reactions by team members. 5. In addition to group communication, meet one-on-one (face-to-face) with team members and / or the leaders of team members even for just 15 minutes to better understand individual concerns and to get feedback on progress of the project and effectiveness of communication. 6. Take notes and track what's working well and what's not working well; not only to correct as needed but also to benefit from that in future projects. Share your observations on this point with the team i.e. part of your communication plan. -Dr. Amine Ayad, PM Faculty and SME at Bellevue, Head of Workforce Management at Bed Bath & Beyond Learn more about the Project Management Center of Excellence at Bellevue University: http://www.bellevue.edu/degrees/center-for-project-management/