Low morale improvement of a team
Trust triggers autonomy
Several weeks ago, a mentee consulted me for the team management problem. His situation was interesting, because he was in an outsourcing company that often had to deal with multiple customers. And for each project, it might only lasted 1 to 2 weeks, for small feature development.
Also, there was not a technical manager who could help him manage the team. He was the only manager, but he was a project manager. And he was going to quit because he thought it hard to persuade the customers to take agile principles to tackle their requirements.
Additionally, he felt depressed with the team because they are demotivated to develop. Often, he had to push them to make progress. Even he tried to clarify what happen to them but failed. The team was in low morale, passive, and no autonomy. So he turned to me for help.
I bet some some people somewhat met similar conditions before, so I’d like to share some reflections regarding to the condition.
I intuitively replied：”There is a deep root cause that there is not sufficient trust between you and the team.”
Well, he was going to quit so I knew he consulted me just for avoiding similar situations happening in his next job. Therefore, I shared with him 3 possible reasons that might cause the consequence.
👉 Excessive workload or unrealistic expectations
Overloading the team with work or setting unrealistic deadlines can lead to burnout and demotivation. Regularly assess and balance the workload to ensure it is manageable. Involve the team in estimating project timelines and provide realistic deadlines. If necessary, negotiate project scope or additional resources to prevent excessive stress.
However, in this case he suffered from negotiating with customers. As the team estimated they need totally 40 hours to complete a feature, the customer might require them to release it within 30 hours, and it was hard for him to reject. He cannot even complain to the boss.
👉 Lack of autonomy and empowerment
If team members feel micromanaged or have limited decision-making authority, it can impact their motivation. Foster a culture of trust and empowerment by delegating responsibilities, encouraging autonomy, and involving the team in decision-making processes. Provide them with the necessary resources and support to make informed choices.
👉 Inadequate communication and feedback
Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, lack of alignment, and frustration within the team. Maybe he had no authority to reject any requirements from the customers, which made the team unable to believe he could manage the customers’ expectations. Even he tried to motivate the developers to work, the team didn’t buy in.
For such a tough condition, it is important to encourage open and transparent communication channels, both formal and informal, in the very beginning. Conduct regular team meetings, provide feedback on performance and progress, and actively listen to team members’ concerns and ideas.
If you had the similar problem as the mentee, and need a free talk to clarify your thoughts, don’t hesitate to reserve a call with me. I would answer your questions as possible as I could.
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