Team projects – Five questions that will help you get ahead
In the last blog on the topic of team success, I received feedback on the importance of honest, open communication in team work. I can only confirm this comment. In a team, people should talk and discuss with each other as openly and appreciatively as possible.
But you know, theory and practice are often two different things. Of course there are limitations, e.g. hierarchies that have to be adhered to, personal sensitivities, an own/hidden agenda, conversation interferences from outside etc. These impede or prevent an honest exchange in the team and thus endanger the success of a project work.
How to have the right questions
Therefore, I would like to give you five helpful questions from project management as a first orientation. You should ask yourself these questions in advance, be able to answer them and then take them to the team.
Who?
Who is working on the project?
What skills does the person have?
Does what?
Which tasks will be taken on?
What do they look like in concrete terms?
For what?
Why was the project set up?
What is it intended to achieve?
When/until when?
How is the project scheduled?
What are the deadlines to be met?
How/with whom/with what?
Who is involved in the team for support?
What additional resources must be available?
Certainly, depending on the assignment and the overall setting, there are other challenges that need to be considered, e.g., newly arising facts that could not have been planned for, changed premises, etc.
From my experience it has been shown that own clarity in the five points mentioned above facilitates the project planning and thus also supports the communication about it.
The more clearly or purposefully an assignment can be formulated, the more likely it is to be successfully implemented.
You can find more information on the topic of project management here, and inspiration on the origins of miscommunication here.
