3) Make Employees Comfortable in New Situations

If you put someone in a situation like driving a car in a city they are not familiar with, they will be hesitant. They will spend considerable time and energy trying to figure out where they are going, and their driving skills will decrease. Their ability to anticipate danger decreases as well. Your team will feel the same when working on a new project. Understand and prepare for this phenomenon, by making the team feel comfortable and familiar with the environment. There are a number of activities that can be done to accomplish this:

• Facilitate direct communication between the team, the sponsor and major stakeholders

• Hold team building sessions with a definitive purpose, such as discussing what work or communication guidelines you will use as a team

• Allow team members to participate in planning and decision making to the greatest degree that is feasible

• Allow for face to face meetings whenever possible. This is becoming more difficult as “virtual” teaming increases, however the benefits greatly outweigh the travel costs. When this is not possible, utilize technology to its fullest. Although no substitute for face to face meetings – videoconferences and web meeting tools are helpful. Learn to use them and use them effectively.

4) Instill Trust in Your Team

Even though expectations can be conveyed to your team, there will still be apprehension about a new project manager. A common quote from team members in this situation sounds like ‘This is reasonable, this is do-able, but I still have that person I’m reporting to and I don’t know what he/she is like.’ You must build trust with your team. People will be hesitant if they don’t trust because they won’t know what to expect. Trust is a confidence and comfort level combined with the notion that one can be successful on their own terms. As team members come to the work environment they want to work with people they trust, work on something they feel comfortable with, and want to be part of a result that matters.

How do you quickly get your team to trust you? Take the first step yourself. Share your personal shortcomings from a skill perspective; admit when you have been (or are!) wrong. Being truthful and vulnerable is the fastest way to instill truth and trust in your organization.

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