A key part of your job as a leader is to keep your team motivated and on track when things start to go sideways. Here are some strategies to try if a project is failing and you need to boost your team’s morale.

Your team’s project might not be going well because the organization’s goals and vision aren’t clear, so get the team together to re-establish or re-define these goals. This can breathe a second life into the project and allow you to troubleshoot, locate pain points, and define a path forward as a team.

Then, to remove obstacles, reprioritize people’s work, reassign work altogether, and reallocate project resources (including budget) as necessary. These sorts of interventions will help reduce redundancy and clear bottlenecks that are getting in the way.

Next, recognize that different people are motivated by different things—for example, career-development opportunities or monetary incentives—and tailor your leadership approach accordingly. And schedule a weekly project meeting to create regular feedback loops about what’s working (and what’s not) so you can course-correct quickly.

Finally, celebrate small wins. Recognition boosts morale and promotes optimism—both of which lead to a sense of forward momentum on your team.
This tip is adapted from “Keep Your Team Motivated When a Project Goes Off the Rails,” by Rebecca Zucker
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