What do you do if your team members are unaware of changes or updates to deadlines?
Discovering that your team is not informed about crucial changes or updated deadlines can be a challenging situation. As a supervisor, your role is to ensure that your team operates efficiently and is always aligned with the project's requirements. It's essential to approach this issue proactively, ensuring that all members are on the same page and understand the importance of staying informed. In the following sections, you will find strategies to address this issue and foster a culture of open communication and responsiveness to change within your team.
Before taking any action, it's important to evaluate the impact of the lack of awareness. Determine how the unawareness has affected the project's progress and identify which team members need immediate updates. Understanding the extent of the situation will help you devise a targeted approach to rectify the issue and prevent it from recurring. This step is critical to ensure that your response is proportionate to the challenge at hand.
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Manish Dave
COO & CTO at Riviera Infraprojects Pvt Ltd
Actually I feel it’s important to look deeper in the process of communication within the team. Updating team members and assessing the impact of changes are only few steps to be taken, but they are corrections and not preventive measures. It’s important to evaluate the entire process of updating team members about the changes and it’s impacts through communication channels and setting responsibilities as preventive action.
Once you've assessed the impact, it's time to communicate the changes or updates clearly. Ensure that your message is concise and that it reaches all team members. Utilize multiple communication channels if necessary, such as email, team meetings, or project management tools, to make sure the information is disseminated effectively. It's also vital to confirm that each team member has understood the new information and is prepared to adjust their work accordingly.
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Noble Jinan - PMP®
Head of IT & Director at Maxwell GeoSystems India PVT LTD
Should work on the communication. Creating a proper communication matrix will clearly define, what to communicate, when to communicate, how often it should be communicated, to whom it should be communicated and the medium of communication.
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Vindhya Colombage
Project Lead | Change Manager | Capital Market Specialist
What has worked miracles for me is making sure I get feedback on what I have just communicated to the team. This could be simply done by asking questions like; Is the plan/task assigned clear? Are you clear on the changes we made? Do you need more information? There are added advantages to this interaction, because while making sure that the team is clear on updates it also creates a culture encouraging the team to open up and communicate.
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Understanding the 'why' behind changes can significantly increase your team's engagement and compliance. Provide context for the updates or deadline changes, explaining the reasons and potential benefits. This approach helps team members to see the bigger picture and align their efforts with the new objectives. It also fosters a sense of inclusion and respect, as they feel informed about decisions affecting their work.
To prevent future instances of unawareness, implement regular check-ins and update protocols. Establish clear expectations for communication within your team and create a routine for sharing updates. This could involve weekly meetings, status reports, or a centralized information repository where all changes are logged and accessible. By creating a structured approach to information sharing, you can ensure that all team members are kept in the loop.
Encouraging feedback from your team can reveal gaps in communication and provide insights into how information can be shared more effectively. Invite your team to share their thoughts on the current communication process and suggest improvements. This not only helps in refining your strategies but also empowers your team members to take an active role in maintaining open lines of communication.
Lastly, reinforce the importance of staying informed about changes and updates. Highlight how critical it is for the success of the team and the project. Acknowledge the team's efforts to adapt to changes and provide positive reinforcement when they successfully manage updates. By emphasizing the value of responsiveness to change, you create a culture where being informed is a shared responsibility and a key aspect of your team's performance.
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