Abstracted and adapted from "Stop Managing, Start Coaching" by Terri Levine,
President of Comprehensive Coaching U
http://www.terrilevine.com email: terri@coachinginstruction.com

Project managers have many styles, but some find it difficult to retain their team members who always seem to be in a hurry to move on. If you are one of those, the following ten suggestions could include reasons why that is so and how you can correct the situation.

1. You have little or no idea what you are doing:

Action: Perhaps you have been transferred from another department, so assemble your team and seek their advice. This will help to build a very healthy rapport and mutual trust.

2. You are not clear with your instructions:

Action: Ensure every team member understands not only what they are doing but also why they are doing it. This enables them to find better and more efficient ways of completing the task.

3. You feel insecure in your role as a project manager:

Action: Accept that it is impossible to know everything there is to know and that there will always be those who are smarter than you are in a particular area. Don’t take it as a personal affront. Take pride in the knowledge that you have people on your team who actually know what they are doing.

4. You base your solutions to problems on educated guesses:

Action: Establish a proper information system so you know exactly where the problems are. Involve your team in the search for solutions, they will know better what works and what doesn’t.

5. You dump unrealistic workloads on your team members:

Action: Delegate properly with direction and authority only to those equipped to handle the task. The team member must be given the training and tools to be able to do the job properly.

6. Your style is to be highly critical:

Action: Focus on what is working and build from there. You must support your staff with praise and words of encouragement. Always reward accomplishment.

7. You try to manage with "traditional" management methods:

Action: Today’s younger workers have a very different work ethic. Seek professional training in coaching and mentoring, so that employees can manage themselves effectively.

8. You act like a dictator:

Action: You must learn to delegate each task then step back and allow your people to get on with it. It may not matter how it is done, just so long as it gets done professionally, on time and with the required result. Hold regular meetings to discuss progress to date and planned work for the next period.

9. You really are impressed with your position and feel on an "ego trip":

Action: Remember that your role is to oversee the smooth running of your project team to achieve project goals. The main difference between you and your staff is your level of responsibility and accountability. Start helping and stop hindering.

10. Your style is intimidating and arrogant:

Action: Get training in how to interact with staff to achieve project goals. Better yet, get training in how to "coach" people instead of "managing" them.