Achieving Team Member Self-Control
Ultimately, the only way to control a project is for every member of the project team to be in control of his or her own work. A project manager can achieve control at the macro level only if it is achieved at the micro level. However, this does not mean that you should practice micro-managing! It actually means that you should set up conditions under which every team member can achieve control of his or her own efforts.
To do this requires five basic conditions. These are shown separately. To achieve self-control, team members need:
A clear definition of what they are supposed to be doing, with the purpose stated.
A personal plan for how to do the required work.
Feedback on progress that comes directly from the work itself.
A clear definition of their authority to take corrective action when there is a deviation from plan (and it cannot be zero!).
The first requirement is that every team member be clear about what her objective is. Note the difference between tasks and objectives, which was discussed in chapter 4. State the objective and explain to the person (if necessary) what the purpose of the objective is. This allows the individual to pursue the objective in her own way.
The second requirement is for every team member to have a personal plan on how to do the required work. Remember, if you have no plan, you have no control. This must apply at the individual as well as at the overall project level.
The third requirement is that the person have the skills and resources needed for the job. The need for resources is obvious, but this condition suggests that the person may have to be given training if she is lacking necessary skills. Certainly, when no employee is available with the required skills, it may be necessary to have team members trained.
The fourth requirement is that the person receive feedback on performance that goes directly to her. If such feedback goes through some roundabout way, she cannot exercise self-control. To make this clear, if a team member is building a wall, she can measure the height of the wall, compare it to the planned performance, and know whether she is on track.
The fifth condition is that the individual must have a clear definition of her authority to take corrective action when there is a deviation from plan, and it must be greater than zero authority! If she has to ask the project manager what to do every time a deviation occurs, the project manager is still controlling. Furthermore, if many people have to seek approval for every minor action, this puts a real burden on the project manager.