It’s important to recognize what powers a team to deliver the best they can when it comes to medical device projects. Is it the power? Purpose? Prestige? It’s the project manager’s responsibility to understand team members’ verbal and non-verbal cues to keep them motivated and high functioning. That’s where the emotional intelligence of the medical device project manager comes into play.
The following factors characterize the emotional intelligence in project managers.
The project manager’s awareness of self
It is not possible to lead and guide others without being aware of our:
- Triggers (emotional and otherwise)
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Emotions
- Preferred personalities
- Core beliefs
- Preferences
When a project manager is self-aware, they can better understand what makes their team members tick. If they know their weaknesses when it comes to leading a project to success, they can work on them. If they are aware of their strengths, they can build on them. They can lead their team to success with authenticity, integrity, and clarity.
The project manager’s awareness of the Individuals that make up the team
The project manager should know each of their team members reasonably well. They should know:
- What motivates them
- The amount of feedback and interaction they like and need (or don’t need)
- How they work with every other member of the team.
- What they can talk about socially.
- Their needs and wants in relation to the medical device project.
- And so on.
That will help the medical device project consultant or manager develop a project structure that addresses each members’ needs and requirements while optimizing their skills. E.g. waterfall project management vs. Agile project management. Do the team members work better linearly, with a fixed set of tasks and towards a set end goal? Or are they better equipped to quickly change direction and focus to adapt to changing requirements? This also depends on the kind of structure the project needs and if it is the right fit for the team, which brings us to the next point.
Project Fit in Organization’s Project Portfolio
- What kind of a project will the team be working on? (Why is the company undertaking the project? What is the project going to do for the company?)
- Where does it fit in the organization’s portfolio? (is it a low-priority project with high impact? A high-priority project? What’s the organization’s vision for the project?)
- What kind of input will it require from each team member? (Including, but not limited to their skills, time, knowledge, and presence)
- How will working on this particular project impact each member personally in their career? (Will it give them recognition? A sense of shared purpose?)
Having the answers to these questions early on will enable the medical device project manager or consultant to understand how to connect and rally each team member around the project. A good idea, especially if one or more team members don’t fit in with the rest of the team. They can be encouraged by the fact that high performance project teams and their members get noticed. Or that even a low priority project, if done right, can enhance the project team’s status within the organization and help an individual’s career.
Awareness of the team EQ is also an important part of Emotional Intelligence in project managers
A project manager should also be aware of their team’s Emotional Quotient(EQ); individually and collectively. And they need to know that early on in the project. They should know:
- Who’s in the team and how they can work together.
- When to leave team members alone and when to conduct team-building exercises and round table meetings.
- If there’s tension between team members and how to resolve it. (Hint: It’s imperative that the project manager notices the tension early on and makes haste to resolve it. As it’ll impact the performance of the entire team)
- When to motivate the medical device project team.
- How to build camaraderie. (One can do that by identifying the similarities between team members and using them to build familiarity. Is it the Simpsons? Plants? Needlepoint? No matter how big or small the similarity, it helps break the ice and connect individuals)
For a project to be successful, the team members don’t have to like each other, but they need to respect each other. And it’s the project manager’s job to ensure that happens.
– Tom Waddell
Emotional intelligence in project managers helps them get the most out of their employees and teams while benefiting each member of the team and the medical device company as a whole.
If you’re a medical device company interested in getting the most out of your team but don’t know where to start, reach out to us. Our expert project managers will set you up for success.