4 Things Your Team Needs to Know BEFORE They Start a Project

I saw a funny sign the other day that read, “For Good Health, Wash Your Hands.” It wasn’t so much the common sense hygiene tip that struck me as funny, as much as it was where it was located, above a waste basket in a client’s restroom. And there wasn’t anything unusual about that, either, except for the fact the basket was tucked away in a dark corner of the restroom. Essentially, the only way you would see that sign would be AFTER you already washed your hands. Beyond that, if you don’t even use a towel (as many don’t) or the dispenser is empty, there’d be no reason to even go to the waste basket at all.  More or less, the message is there to comfort the most fastidious among us, someone who has actually taken the time to wash and dry their hands.

If people do indeed need a reminder to wash their hands, the sign really needs to be in a better location. Maybe on the door as people walk in, in the stall itself, or at the very least, hung more conspicuously for everyone to see. It has to do with timing more than anything; clearly, the message is meant to be read before someone washes their hands or leaves the restroom.

It got me to thinking about the timing of our directions and feedback to project teams. How many obvious tasks or expected behaviors do we neglect to properly inform our teams of? Do we give team members directions and feedback at the right time? Are reminders being totally overlooked and negatively impacting the project because they are given too late or not at all?

Below are some of the reminders, instructions, or direction we would want to provide sooner rather than later:

1. Where and How to Report Time

Reporting time against a project is critically important for a number of reasons, the first of which is the impact it has on billing. Companies that bill on a Time and Materials basis need to account for every hour billed against a project to increase their revenue. Accurate time reporting is also important in understanding areas where efficiencies can be introduced, identifying areas where bottlenecks occur, providing for more accurate estimates for the next project, and tracking employee performance and utilization.

When is the right time to make sure your project team knows when and how to report their time? Certainly not at the end of the project; I’ve seen it happen way too many times. Days, weeks, and sometimes months will go by without a stitch of time being reported against a project. Then there’s a last minute scramble to gather everyone’s time.

Nobody can remember what they did yesterday, let alone three weeks ago. People jump into Outlook to see what meetings they attended, what emails they sent, and what conversations they had in a feeble effort to cobble together a less-than-accurate record of how they spent their time.

Tell your team members how and when to report their time at the beginning of a project. This is especially important if it’s a new team that hasn’t worked with you before. They need to understand that you require time entered AT THE MOST on a daily basis, if not more often throughout the day. This is really the only way there can be any semblance of accuracy. It also prevents the mad scramble of inaccurate (or even false) time reporting at the end of the project. This is no good for either the client or the company.

Make sure everyone has the right access to report their time as well. They should have no problem logging into the system and knowing where to look to report their time.

2. When and How to Raise an Issue

Things are not always going to go perfectly smooth on a project, so it’s important to know as early as possible if something is veering off track. Your team should know, prior to the project starting, how important it is to raise issues. How and when do you want your team to bring issues to your attention? Perhaps you have a weekly status meeting designated as the time and place to bring something up. Or, you may prefer that at the first wind of something going off track somebody bring it to your attention; this would allow you time to monitor the situation closely and make any necessary adjustments sooner rather than later.

Make sure your team understands your preferences, as well as how you like to discuss any issues that arise. It might be that you want an email, or are sufficed with a quick conversation in the hallway in order to keep the information flowing before anything more serious occurs.

3. When and How to Deliver Bad News

Despite the best of intentions and efforts, risks may turn into issues and derail a project. A missed deadline, budget overrun, or technical problem could occur; in other words, just plain old bad news. Make sure your team knows the best way to deliver bad news before it happens.

When something does goes wrong, I’ve seen many people take delight with an almost “I told you so” response to the situation. They can’t wait to point out error, and offer no suggestions or options to get things fixed or back on track again.

Make sure your team knows your expectations before bad news occurs on project. Ensure they come with options and alternatives to fix the issue.

4. What to Say to a Client

It may be necessary at times for our resources to meet with a client on the phone or face to face. This is not a conversation that should be taken lightly. You may be used to working with clients all day long. You understand the fine art of communicating with clients, setting expectations, resetting priorities and generally keeping everyone on the same page. Your project team members may not have this same experience.

They may be accustomed to the rough and tumble, say-what’s-on-your-mind environment of the office, and are comfortable with their peers and colleagues. They may throw around words like can’t, won’t, don’t, shouldn’t and a host of other negative, black-and-white phrases among themselves that, if used with a client, can quickly shut down the interaction and forward momentum.

Make sure your team understands there are more appealing, constructive and eloquent ways to say the exact same thing to a client BEFORE they meet with the client. I’ve seen too many train wrecks caused by uninformed team members who feel they just have to open their mouth to set the record straight with the client. Spend some time teaching them what those more appropriate phrases and topics are, or develop a cheat sheet they can refer to before a client-facing meeting that will refresh their memories.  Also, don’t be afraid to let them know they should focus on their technical areas of expertise while you focus on the client relationship management piece.

Timing is everything. Just like the sign in the restroom that someone would see only AFTER they washed their hands, make sure your team knows what you expect of them before a project begins and your projects will be that much more successful.