At some point in time, every team meets  a performance challenge . With strict deadlines to meet and stakeholder expectations climbing higher, a project manager cannot turn a blind eye to the factors that could be bogging down the team’s performance.

Here are few remedies to refuel a waning projects team performance. Be it Agile or Scrum or any of the other project management methodologies, they serve best in bringing back the vigor of a project team.

Problem = Not getting things done.

Remedy = Grow a team with cross-functional expertise

In project management, to achieve the desired goal or to reach the set project milestone, a team members contribution values more than his or role within the organization. Growing a team with cross-functional expertise helps accelerate performance within each sprint cycle. Work is not left pending and carried over to the next cycle since there is somebody with the technical expertise who can be consulted to finish the task.

To cite an example, in a software development project, a cross-functional expert team will consist of Business Analysts, data scientists, database manager and software development professional all working together.

Problem = Shortage of Technical Skills.

Remedy = Continuous professional training and development.

Project teams that have been working on projects for prolonged period of time tend to stagnate on latest technical skills and expertise. Unlike project managers who need to attend onsite PMP boot camp classes to maintain their certification, other technical team members do not have an opportunity to hone their skills. This must be resolved with sponsored professional training and development so that the project team does not stall out due to dearth of technical skills.

Problem = Schedule and cost overruns.

Remedy = Improving project planning.

At least 70% of the projects are sufferfrom schedule and cost overruns as a result of poor planning. Cost estimates are often drawn on historical product costs without adjusting for inflation factor. Project plans need to be fine-tuned to factor increase in project costs and employee productivity. Expecting the employees to deliver more within a short span of time will not be successful for too long.

Problem = Sprints end up incomplete

Remedy = Sprint planning is well communicated

In some project teams, sprints are literally a joke because the plan and its scope keeps changing frequently. Such a scenario makes it difficult for the team to focus on its efforts. The task is upon the project manager to communicate with the team the sprint plan with clarity. Changes if needed must also be communicated to the entire team than letting know only those whose roles are involved.

It is quite natural for any project team to lose focus and perform sub-par its expectations. Project managers must raise their level of managerial skills in order to unify the team’s efforts and keep them marching ahead in one direction. Onsite PMP boot camp classes, cross-functional expertise development are some options to achieve the same.