Founders Ask Me This Question All. The. Time.

“We have a project management problem. What is the right system to use?”

Founders ask me this question all. the. time. 😅

The problem is, this isn't the right question to ask.

The project management system itself and the way it's used are rarely the true source of the pain.

➡️ Here’s what is:

• Expecting junior staff to train themselves.

  If there is not a professional, experienced leader to guide, teach, and support your junior team, then your business will suffer.

  You will continually be disappointed with the quality of your team’s output. You will continually be baffled as to why things aren’t getting done. You will continually be frustrated that no one “gets it.”

• Lack of proper communication.

  It never ceases to amaze when I come across teams who have bought into the idea that all meetings are a waste of time. So, naturally, in order to increase productivity they put a stop to most meetings.

  But this is counterproductive. Staff end up confused, frustrated, and feeling isolated.

  Truth is, all meetings aren’t a waste of time, and the right person will understand how to lead outcome focused meetings (and other communications!) to boost morale and efficiency.

• Hiring family and friends…for roles in which they aren’t a good fit.

  This problem often rears its head after months or even years of missed expectations and accompanying lack of accountability.

  I’ll be honest - no one wants to deal with this one so it usually gets swept under the rug to the detriment of the business. Having support from a third party can make all the difference in taking steps to address appropriately.

• Absent founder, founder who is openly disengaged, or founder who only shows up to criticize or change direction without warning or explanation…again.

  Culture starts at the top. And with small teams, that means we are talking about you, dear founder. Your team will pick up on your behavior and expectations quickly.

  If you don’t seem to care, then they won’t either. If you can’t set clear and certain goals for the team, then they will never reach them. And if you aren’t showing up, then don’t be surprised when productivity starts to wane.

It takes a self-aware person to admit any of these circumstances and, at the end of the day, the only person who can solve this one is YOU.