How would you achieve and maintain a high performing team (of Project Managers)?

Question

I realise this is not strictly a Project Management question, but is very closely aligned to PM practises and people, so I hope it's in scope. I am currently in the process of applying for an internal role as Project Management Team Lead. This will involve line management of up to 10 project managers. The workload is a combination of IT Systems Change and Business Change. Development (i.e. coding etc.) is done by outsourced third parties. I am a reasonably highly experienced technical project manager, although I have in the past performed this role for other employers.

I have been asked to produce a presentation on a Case Study, mainly around allocation of Project Managers to Projects when there are too few of the former and too many of the latter. One of the questions I have been asked is "How would you achieve and maintain a high performing team"

I have produced the following:

• Ensure the team has clear objectives over and above personal objectives, and a means to measure and track itself against those objectives
• Ensure team objectives are cascaded and supported by personal objectives
• Identify individuals' strengths and weaknesses (including myself) and create targeted Q&A sessions where members may evangelise and advocate on their strengths. For example on:

Estimation and Planning, MS-Project, Stakeholder Management, Risks and Issues Management, Testing Management, Documentation, etc.

• Enlist the team to help with resource planning wherever possible to share the difficulties and foster better "buy-in" on resource allocation decisions
• Ensure the team knows that support, advice and "top cover" is available when/if they need it, and ensure it is always provided when asked for
• Ensure problems and issues are discussed privately, transparently and in a blame-free environment
• Ensure regular social interaction outside of the work environment where appropriate and possible

... I've never really had to put down on paper before how I expect to develop a highly performing team. It's been an interesting exercise.

So my question is- Have I missed any critical items?!

Answer 1

I would look at this from the standpoint of each individual team member from a knowledge, skills, and abilities view. Since you are managing a PM practice where your point is to deploy the individual, your focus should be in preparedness of that individual. It does not really matter how they interact with each other. It's nice, but does not necessarily move the performance bar.

Look at it like you are managing machines or tools that get shipped out for use. Your focus here is the tool is fit for use, cleaned up from the last use, well oiled, serviced where it needs servicing, on the shelf waiting for deployment, and maybe turned on and tested every now and again to ensure its readiness.

And, part of this includes sunsetting a tool no longer fit and replacing it with a new one.

So focus on those things that increase knowledge, skills, and abilities, and be prepared to cut the lower performers on a regular basis.

The other things are nice to haves and bring the humanistic side into the equation; it makes people feel better where they work and that can have some nice favorable side effects, but don't rely on that because the validity is not necessarily that high. Capability enablers are and moving out low performers will move your practice to a high state of readiness. Cold and callous, I know, but such is work life in my view.

Answer 2

I don't think the approach to leading PMs should be really any different from leading anyone else.

• Establish Your Expectations. Set a standard that is clear and achievable.
• Lead From the Front. Make sure you not only live up to that standard but excel it.
• Demonstrate Trust. Trust that they can do their jobs. Delegate authority. Give them the chance to prove that they can excel.
• Verify Regularly, Honestly and Quickly. Follow up regularly and reasonably frequently to ensure that they are meeting the standard set. If they aren't meeting the standard be honest with them about where the gaps are. In this way you'll catch problems early and can address them when they are minor.

Answer 3

Managing transitions

The points listed by you seem to cover steady state. However, the hardest part of your job may be managing the transition when one of your key project managers were to leave your team. Establish a policy of internal growth so that if a senior person quits, other capable people in your team are considered first before going for an outside hire. You should have some junior PM roles in your team. This is where you will bring in new hires and they will have an opportunity to learn the ropes and prove their capability without involving high risk.