Project managers have a tough job and they don’t always get the thanks for their hard work that they deserve. However, it is important to remember that they also have the responsibility to show gratitude towards their team.
Even if your boss, the stakeholders and the end users don’t thank you, there are some very good reasons to make sure that you do things differently.
Encourage Your Team Members
Everyone loves to hear words of thanks now and then. In fact, just a few simple phrases of gratitude could be enough to encourage your team members to carry on working well.
This doesn’t cost you anything and could bring huge rewards for you and your future projects. Encouraging business analysts to develop their skills and gain a great career is one of the highlights of being a PRINCE2 project manager.
Thanking them when you have the occasion to do so is one of the best and simplest ways of doing this. Of course, the secret is in only doing it when you have a genuine reason to do so. Otherwise, they could just sound like empty words.
Make Everyone Feel Part of the Success
The successful conclusion of a project is a wonderful time for project managers. This is when your hard work reaches fruition and you give yourself a hearty slap on the back even if no-one else does.
However, it is important to realise that you aren’t the only person who contributed. Indeed, everyone who played a part should be made to feel a part of the success.
It is clear that your PRINCE2 training in London will have played a big part in your project success. Having said that, you should also consider that without other people a happy conclusion would have been impossible.
Grateful Project Managers Organise an Away Day
There are a number of ways that grateful project managers can thank their team for their hard work. An appealing approach is to organise an away day that everyone can get a lot of fun from
This could involve heading away to a local hotel or restaurant for a couple of hours of team building. You might also find that it is possible to book a suite in a sports stadium, brewery or somewhere else interesting nearby.
You might want to carry out a few presentations to show your gratitude. This should work to wrap up the project nicely.
It will also set you up for the next piece of work and the project manager challenges it brings.
Give Awards, Rewards or Other Incentives
Smart project managers also realise that we all loved to get rewarded for doing a good job. The simple act of doing this can help to forge a stronger bond with your team.
You could print out special awards, give trophies or maybe find a way of offering vouchers or cash rewards. Put some thought into it and it is likely that you come up with a good way to make this a worthwhile incentive.
The feel good factor to be gained from saying thanks is something that makes it well worth making the effort to do this.