You're managing a project with a difficult team. What can you do to build better relationships?

When managing a project with a challenging team, it's crucial to first identify the root cause of any difficulties. Assume positive intent as it's rare for someone to be intentionally disruptive. Often, issues stem from miscommunication rather than malice. Clearing up misunderstandings and fostering open dialogue can go a long way in building better relationships within the team.

I would hope that if you are managing them, and you are the common denominator problem, you have already dug deeper into that. Why do you think that is? Have you tried to talk to anyone about it? Usually there is an incident, a feeling brewing, or a team that is failing and as a manager, you should already have a pulse on their performance.

I think the most important step is to understand if the person wants to be involved in this project, what is the hierarchy that has been settle in this project (if any), expertise of the team members. That information will settle some good basis. After that, I would analyze what is limitating us from working well together:personality, cultural differences, different objectives, perceptions about eachother, expectations, previous conflicts, etc.

Identify what is the personal motivation of the people involved and if they might have other more important priorities on the table that they need to focus on

A whole lot of factors like a wrong Org. structure, unreasonable management, irrational client, lack of growth opportunities, bad compensation structure etc. could all be factors leading to disgruntled set of team members. However, a leader has to recognize the fact that it's one or many of these factors impacting a significant number of team members to varying degrees that show up and gives the overall notion of a 'difficult team'. Investing the necessary efforts & having a very open mind towards knowing ones team members and their perspectives on work environment is a key step upfront. Clearly, every one deserves to be heard and actions that follow should be based on this.

If you're a hands-on guy, then you own it, get you hands-on dirty and show how's it done. However, in a dynamic team environment, especially with diverse skill sets and personalities, effective management requires a structured approach. Maintaining a detailed issue and activity tracker ensures transparency and accountability, while clear ownership and RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) roles help streamline decision-making and avoid conflicts. Bringing these tools to steering committee meetings ensures alignment and progress tracking across the team.

Brené Brown is required reading for this topic, in her work, she often mentions, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." This philosophy aligns closely with the advice to clarify goals, expectations, roles, and responsibilities. Emphasizing that being clear in communication—even when the message is difficult to deliver—is a form of kindness because it helps prevent misunderstandings and sets everyone up for success.

Collaboration and cooperation are always seems major key factors for any business process. Keeping in mind that every team members can have there different point of view to handle a certain task we have to address and acknowledge the shared experiences. Understanding from a psychological factor ,ideas may vary but goal can be achievable.

I think the most important thing here is that the team members feels that their opinion matters, they feel heard and acknowledged. After that we can use all the differetn techniques we have available but this is for me the most important step.

As a leader, showing examples of being vulnerable can be valuable to give the space for people to be human. Communicating and Demonstrating your own insecurities and fears can help others on the team open up and build a sense of camaraderie.

Collaboration and cooperation can have a profound effect on managing a project with a difficult team. But how? Enhancing Team Cohesion, Boosting Creativity and Problem-Solving, Reducing Isolation, Improving Performance Metrics, Supporting Knowledge Sharing, and Promoting a Healthy Work Culture. In summary, collaboration and cooperation are key to turning a difficult team into a cohesive, innovative, and high-performing unit.

Motivation plays a key role in team dynamics. Team leaders need to strive to communicate the value addition that the project on hand brings to the Organization or to the community. Teams which believe that the work that they do contributes to the greater good or has critical impact to the overall value chain perform well. Instilling sense of ownership and empowering the team to make decisions on areas which they are subject matter experts let’s confidence build as well as instills trust amongst all involved. Set clear expectations to the team and let the team perform without hindrances. Leaders must act to remove roadblock not create more. Make the processes simpler and maintain open communication lines.

In my own opinion, motivation and team empowerment are essential components of any successful project. Ability to determine what motivates each individual and making use of it as a tool will determine the success of the project. Empowerment involves providing team members with the support they need to achieve their goals. When done effectively, these strategies can result in improved productivity, higher quality work product, increased employee satisfaction, lower turnover rates, better customer service, increased profitability and more cohesive working relationships between team members.

Not everyone is adaptable so those that are need to coax along those that aren't. We need to explain why things need to change versus staying as they are. Once they understand the need to adapt they are more likely to get on board and be willing to learn/change. We also need to hear why they feel things need to stay as they are so they feel they're being heard. In this way we all learn and together we make the changes as needed.

The concept of “adapt and learn” is highly relevant to managing a difficult team. It emphasizes the importance of being flexible and open to new approaches while continuously improving through learning from experiences. So, you can impact your team management by 1.Encouragement a Growth Mindset, 2.Fostering Open Communication, 3.Embracing Change, 4.Development of Adaptability Skills. By incorporating “adapt and learn” into your leadership style, you can help your team become more resilient, responsive, and effective in the face of challenges.

I have always found Lead by Example as the most effective way to bring the change as a leader. Team has a tendency to follow - it is practice known across that is not only confined to the projects - look at how great leaders have influence across the world - they have all lead by example. No matter how difficult the team is, your confidence in yourself as a leader and showing them with most relevant examples, is what makes the difference.

"Lead by example" means to act in ways that you would like others to emulate. It's about setting a good example through your own behavior, hoping that others will follow suit. In a leadership context, it involves demonstrating the qualities, work ethic, and attitude that you expect from your team members. By doing so, a leader can inspire and influence their team to adopt similar positive behaviors and attitudes.

To build better relationships in a difficult team: - Communicate openly to foster a safe space for sharing ideas. - Set clear goals to align team efforts. - Recognize achievements to boost morale. - Support team members when they face challenges. - Resolve conflicts quickly and fairly. - Engage in team-building activities to strengthen bonds. - Lead by example with the qualities you want to see. - Promote personal development for professional growth. - Show empathy towards team members' challenges. - Be flexible to feedback and make necessary adjustments. Based on my personal and professional experiences, these steps can help create a more cohesive and effective team.

I don't believe in the concept of a "difficult team" in management and leadership. Instead, there may be challenging projects, stakeholders who don't see eye to eye, lack of trust within the team, or conflicts etc. Whatever the case, imho it's helpful to remember the Management 3.0 principle: "Manage the system, not the people." Look for the root cause of the project's difficulties, identify what these issues are, and figure out how to improve the system to solve them.

As a summary, I think that if you are managing a difficult team the most important thing is to manage their expectations, to clarify the objectives of the project, to create the best atmosphere of trust and understanding, to open up all the communication channels and finally, to be ready to give and receive feedback. If there is something that it is limiting us from understading each other, I would analyze the root-causes and find a common agreement.

Nominar responsáveis para cada área do projeto sendo estes “masters” determinados em conjunto (time e gestor) pode integrar mais a equipe e valoriza as habilidades e capacidades de cada um! Ainda podemos considerar que esta responsabilidade de um membro do time pode criar um engajamento ainda maior da equipe, pois este master conhece mais na prática e no dia a dia sobre determinado assunto/área do que o próprio gestor.

Read Crucial Conversations. It's a wonderful repository of advice apicable to many situations, personal and professional. Genuinely trying to understand people without judgement is a challenge.