Let's say you've found the perfect mix of people to staff your new project. They gel great together, and everyone is a top performer in his/her respective field. They are all gung-ho to get going.
But then something happens. One starts showing up late to meetings. Then, someone else plans a vacation he absolutely must go on. Another leaves the company altogether for warmer waters.
You reflect on what went wrong and realize that, one by one, they lost their will, their zest, their joie de vivre for working on your project.
The first one needed an upgrade to her coding software but you didn't want to get it for her. She didn't have the tool she needed to do their best work. The second needed to attend a training class for using the upgraded safety gear the company mandated you use — but you wouldn't give him time off the project to attend.
The third was great at graphic design, but because no one was willing to do the project accounting — and he had some slack time — you assigned that job to him. Willing to be a good team player, he accepted, but he had no talent or aptitude for that.
You've suddenly become the leader of the project where good people come to die.
Regardless of the type of project your team is working on, the team members need the right talent, tools and training to do the required work. But there also has to be willingness to use their talent, and the willingness to provide the right tools and the training.
People can have all the talent, tools and training in the world, but if they don't have the will to do something, nothing will happen. On the other hand, people can be willing, but if they are missing any or all of the three pillars — talent, tools or training — you risk creating that project where good people come to die.
As a project manager, to keep your dream team alive and thriving, start with the folks who have both the talent and the will, then make sure you provide the right tools and the training.
I started contemplating: How do you assess willingness? I realized it shows up in team members' attitudes and behaviors: enthusiasm, availability and active engagement. Developing these qualities in yourself first can inspire your team members to show up in a similar fashion. Yes, I have found willingness is contagious.
Let's look at all three elements of willingness:
Enthusiasm. Let's check in with you here. How willing are you to get this job done? What are you going to do to make happen? Just where is your "oomph," spirit and vision with this project, and how are you going to react to road blocks? You can't mandate or fake enthusiasm. But you can cultivate it by being enthusiastic, being there for people when times are tough, and having the right tools and the right training, which allows your team members to use their talents to do their best work.
Availability. This one seems like a "duh," but the people who have stayed working on our projects are those who have been consistently available. Each of us has tight blocks of time to work on our projects, but we make sure not just the people with the right talents are available, but also that we have the right tools available when they are needed.
Active engagement. People tend to mirror those around them, so when you show up in your project team with a high level of willingness to get the job done, you are typically matched with the same level of energy in others. When you are actively engaged as a project manager and show consistent willingness to deliver the best results, you role model what it means to be a successful team member.
If your team feels sluggish and unproductive despite having all the talents, tools and training needed to get the job done, check in with yourself on your willingness to do the project.
