Would we ever expect our manager to be sacked because we weren’t performing?

Being a member of the England football squad is like being part of a project team. It’s not your day job and you have two bosses. You are bringing together a group of talented individuals that are going to work together towards a common goal… like winning the World Cup (we wish). The components that have to come together to succeed are complicated. It is not as straight forward as an employee having the fear of losing their job, or even that different people are motivated by different things… money, recognition and sense of achievement. The key to successfully managing a team of this nature is more about building a community than traditional managerial motivators.

Community Management what does that mean?

It has more to do with understanding the bigger picture, seeing the vision and getting people to buy into their part in that vision. This is not in the traditional corporate mission, vision, values context but in a more pragmatic, holistic way that exposes the fact that you do not have control over all the decisions you would like to make and because of that you put more accountability and ownership on those indiviuals who have the skills you require to deliver the end goal.

When Fabio’s management style was being scrutinised by the media, my contribution was “I wonder what would happen if Fabio asked the players “who is up for it today?” “where would you like to play?” and the ownership was on the players themselves to say for the good of our end goal this is what should happen! This may sound like nonsense but when you strip all the crap away these are guys that love nothing better than to kick a ball around a field and win – sometimes we add so much more to these situations than there should be and the simplicity is lost.

Why have a Manager then?

Someone has to pick the members of the community and getting that right is essential. Here there needs to be the courage and strength to pick the stars but also pick the players with potential who are hungry to show what they can do. Then there is the huge task of managing and motivating the individuals. Teams who do not work together on a daily basis have different needs to those that do and the motivation to succeed is different. This is not about money, it is more about how the world see you and may be even an opportunity for you to give something back, develop in a different way. There has to be much more focus on what an individual will get out of this so that the team bond can be formed and developed.

Football like work is a big part of our lives, real change here could inspire us all

Projects were (and in my book still are) a vehicle for change. An opportunity to step outside of business as usual, break down barriers and find the fastest most effective way of delivering the desired change. Then carefully, integrate that back into the business as a new way of working, nurturing it like a sapling that needs to take root.

The philosophy was a real hit. Now most companies have some kind of Project Management function and there are so many Project Managers.

BUT HAVEN’T WE MISSED THE POINT HERE?

They have become part of the establishment, surely the antidote to what they are there to do?

Truly successful projects are still in the minority and change on the whole is still managed badly.

WHY DO COMPANIES WANT (OR PUT UP WITH) THIS DILUTION?

Have we got so used to projects not quite making the deadline or failing to keep to budget that we have lowered our expectations?

OR ARE LEADERS CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH?

When I was an employed Project Manager I was a total pain in the arse for all my bosses because I challenged everything. Not to be obstructive but because I always believed there was a better way, I believed it was my job to lead change. This did not always sit well with my bosses who, some saw the benefit and promoted the success, others distanced themselves waiting for me to hang myself.

CHANGE CREATES HEAT AND LIGHT

If you have an internal change team then the management team need to be enlightened, the mavericks, the ones who don’t care who is going to be upset, they see a vision and know they can get there.

The best creations, most innovative ideas, advances in ways of working and process need heat and light. Make a difference, create a lightening bolt today!