I always see a project’s positive atmosphere as something fostered by the project lead. If the tone of the project during stressful times are negative, that’s the critical moment of damage. A project lead needs to consider how his stress is showing to the team, and I have always believed he should shield his workers from it if possible. I have seen some pretty strong people cave in when the going got tough, some real professionals but like everything else, the atmosphere eventually changes in some way and people recover.

When it comes to motivating people, it seems to me there are those people that are self-motivated. They are workers because it is in their drive and they do not usually care about doing anything but a professional job. A lazy or poor performer is almost impossible to motivate any which way. But even the good workers can get down and out during difficult projects and I think that is when it is so important to be encouraging. After all, most people just want to be heard, and appreciated, and feel like they make a difference. I think that is the essence of management.

Brian