It’s week seven of the Maximising IT/IS Team Effectiveness course that I am taking at Villanova University. This week’s focus was on managing others, and creating an environment that encourages innovation. One lecture was about building resilience in your project team.
Why do we need resiliency?
IT projects can be challenging. Projects change constantly and you may not always see the changes coming. IT project teams are constantly under pressure to do more with fewer people and produce better work. There are also budget and time constraints.
Resilient people can bounce back from setbacks, and make changes. Resilient teams are more likely react quickly to unexpected events. They can ensure a positive outcome for everyone. This is a great asset to the project team.
Lou Russell, our online lecturer stated that they must be able to “to thrive and endure in constant change” and not just survive. They must be able to gain strength and withstand these changes.
These are the 3 building blocks that make resilience possible
Lou explained that resilience can be built by three things: emotional intelligence, problem solving, and a ‘people radar. These are all qualities that you can instill in your self. To increase team resilience, encourage these qualities in your team members.
Screenshot of an online lectureEmotional intelligence
Lou stated, “It’s all about knowing what emotion is happening right now, knowing why, and responding appropriately to it.”
She explained Daniel Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence, which has 5 elements.
Self-awareness: Help your team identify their emotions and their strengths and weaknesses.
Self-regulation: Encourage your team members to practice self-control, especially when they feel stressed, frustrated, or angry.
Empathy: Encourage empathy in your team to understand the perspectives of others.
Motivation: Help your team understand your motivations and explain what motivates you overall (in terms of corporate objectives).
Social skills: Use your team’s influence to manage conflict and encourage cooperation
Problem solving
By being able solve problems quickly, teams can become more flexible and resilient.
Lou said, “Take your time to analyze.” Lou stated, “A lot times, what makes your team less resilient is that they are not thinking.” The team should document the lessons learned so they don’t make the same mistakes.
She said, “Accept the fact that you are not perfect and share your mistakes with the team.” This will allow everyone to learn together.
People radar
People radar is the ability of others to read you. You are likely to have been promoted to project manager because you know more about people than others. Coaching your team is possible by understanding their motivations, and understanding other’s points of view.
Lou stated, “Help them understand the importance of being able to understand other people’s feelings.” Lou suggested that you learn to read the emotions of others when you’re participating in meetings. Encourage your guests to leave the room and encourage them to talk about the agendas and emotions that were displayed during meetings. They should feel safe to discuss how it went.
This dimension also includes being able to see change coming before it actually occurs. Lou suggested that you use scenario planning to test your team and ask them to anticipate any surprises.
Lou concluded that “if your goal is to be a great IT/IS manager you must continue to learn.” Management of people is a journey, not a destination. There’s always more to learn. Keep reading and exploring.
