At some time in your project the time will come when you have to defend your position or decision on issues.
The same thing happens in every project I am involved with, in fact if no one ever questions your decisions or position on issues, there may be something very wrong with the project. That’s because the team are not willing to communicate problems or concerns to you openly.
As a regular contributor to forums like Technorati, Projects@Work, this Blog and others, my opinions and observations are sometimes questioned. It is very healthy to get these questions and respond to them accordingly.
Here’s how and why:
- Ensures that all the participants understand why a goal or position has been taken and let’s them “own” it
- If team members can’t question your decisions, then you are excluding valuable input to make them even better
- Creating a “one way” communication steam of decisions and assignments works against teamwork
- If staff find you unapproachable, they will try and avoid bringing important issues to your attention until it may be too late
- It’s a good thing to have to defend your decisions, makes you a better manager and ensures you know how to communicate your reasons
