5.Ask questions. Projects can be complex. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to know more about any of things mentioned above.

6.Communicate. Asking questions is communicating, but so is giving updates. Checking in with others. Coordinating schedules. If you are a project leader importance of communication can’t be overstated. If you are any team member other than leader, communication is just as important. You can’t leave it to leader. Check in with others. Get their input. Find out when pieces you will need will be completed. Update people on your progress. Communicate!

7.Break it down. Take big project steps and break them down into definable tasks that you can get your hands around. By breaking tasks down work won’t feel so daunting, you will find interdependencies and you will be able to stay on track much more successfully. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Break down overall project, and your individual steps into bite sized pieces.

8.Look at past. If a version of this project has been done in past, look for lessons learned to improve your results this time. Think too about other projects you have been involved in. Even if project was smaller or larger and goals were very different, there are likely lessons you learned that you can apply – things you did well that you would want to repeat… and things you could have done better that you can correct on this project.

9.Look to future. Take a little time to document best practices and ideas that work for you during project. Whether this is a formal task for everyone on project, or just your own notes to help you to continuously improve, investing a little time now will make your contributions to all future projects more valuable and efficient.

There are many more ways you can contribute to great project success. Take these nine ideas as a starting point – as a checklist of things you can do, regardless of role you play. Taking action on these ideas will help you feel more confident and successful in your role on project team, and will help project’s goals be reached much more successfully.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

Generate conversation. Don’t deliver goals in email when you ask people to join team. Don’t put it in packet of materials people get when being hired. Make time to have conversation. The alignment we are searching for needs to be deep – almost visceral. Help individuals and team develop meaning and purpose. Help them understand how they can create work that matters.

Get team’s help. Get their input. Remember that you are trying to create alignment and agreement. When people have chance to shape goals of team and when they have opportunity to have input into those decisions they will have greater agreement with goals.

Provide a connection. Teams need someone in leadership “above” them that can provide support and resources, someone who can answer questions and keep them on track. Some people call this a team sponsor. The sponsor shouldn’t be on team; rather they provide leadership, support and connection. The sponsor keeps team from feeling like they are all alone.

Make them accountable. If alignment is clear and goals set, then team needs to be held accountable for results. In organizations where accountability has been lax in past, this may seem like a jolt, but it won’t be long before this accountability not only drives results but improves team dynamics too.

It is easy to see how these steps will help a team succeed – it is easier to do that when they know what success is. But more than helping them deliver a desired result, sense of clarity, meaning and direction that these steps create help teams get over many other hurdles that teams face in terms of commitment and “getting along” with each other.

Why?

Because people want to belong to something that matters, they want to be a part of making a difference. They want things to believe in. When we give them those things, collectively they will work through many personal issues and challenges and they also become more committed to end product.

As leaders we can help teams find these things, and at same time improve our likelihood of getting results we want. All it takes is effort, communication and commitment to help teams get aligned with most important goals of organization.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.