SNAPSHOT FROM PRACTICE 11.4 Managing Low-Priority Projects So far the discussion of team building has been directed primarily to significant projects that command the attention of assigned members. But what about projects that haye low priority for team members: the perfunctory task forces that members begrudgingly join? The committee work people get assigned to do? The part-time projects that pull members away from the critical work they would rather be doing? The projects that cause members to privately question why they are doing this? There is no magic wand ayailable that transforms mildly interested. part-time project teams into high- performance teams. We interviewed seyeral project managers about such project scenarios. They all agreed that these can be very difficult and frustrating assignments and that there are limits to what is possible. Still. they offered tips and advice for making the best of the situation. Most of these tips focused on building commitment to the project when it does not naturally exist. One project manager advocated orchestrating a large "time" investment up front on such projectsin the form of either a lengthy meeting or a significant early assignment. He yiewed this as a form of down payment that members would forfeit ifthey didn't carry the project to completion. Others emphasized interjecting as much fun into actiyities as possible. Here rituals for building team identity come into play. People become committed because they enjoy working together on the project. One project manager eyen confided that the perfect attendance at her project meetings was due primarily to the quality ofthe doughnuts she proyided. Another strategy is to make the benefits of the project as real to the team members as possible. One project manager escalated commitment to a mandated accidents prevention task force by bringing accident yictims to a project meeting. Another project manager brought the high-ranking project sponsor to recharge the team by reinforcing the importance of the project to the company. Most of the project managers emphasized the importance of building a strong personal relationship with each ofthe team members. 1i."|.|'hen this connection occurs. members work hard not so much because they really care about the project but because they don't want to let the project manager down. Nthough not couched in influence currency terms. these managers talked about getting to know each member. sharing contacts, offering encouragement. and extending a helping hand when needed. Finally. all the project managers cautioned that nothing should be taken for granted on low-priority projects. They recommended reminding people about meetings and bringing extra copies of materials to meetings for those who have forgotten them or can't find them. Project managers should remain in frequent contact with team members and remind them of their assignments. One manager summed it up best when he said, "Sometimes it all boils down tojust being a good nag."