If you worked on many projects, I’m sure you have encountered this scenario more than once! Have you worked on a project where the team’s motivation has waned as a result of a single person’s attitude? Or perhaps there is that one negative person who you typically try to avoid when forming your project team?

The motivation and attitude of a project team is a delicate item, that can be easily swayed, but it is imperative to reaching a successful outcome. Maintaining the teams morale is an often overlooked aspect of project management. When managing a pursuit team working on a new opportunity, it’s arguably even more important. This is where “The Broken Window Theory” comes in.

To explain succinctly what the theory is, I’ve taken the text below from Wikipedia;

The broken windows theory was first introduced by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, in an article titled “Broken Windows” and which appeared in the March 1982 edition of The Atlantic Monthly. The title comes from the following example:

Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it’s unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside. Or consider a sidewalk. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of trash from take-out restaurants there or even break into cars.

So, in short, once a negative element takes hold, it tends to consume it’s host. That applies to broken windows in a neighborhood, to litter on a pavement, to the upkeep of a street and, in my opinion, to the attitude of a project team.

Take some time to recall a project you were negative about at it’s conclusion? Was it truly because there was something you believed was wrong OR was it a case that you subscribed to the negative attitude prevalent among the team?

The good news is that if you are familiar with this concept, you can watch out for people peddling a negative attitude and quickly address it. As is very often the case, communication is key to arresting this development and preventing the rot from setting in to your team.

The Team has an Issue. Discuss the Issue – If the team has a concern, it should be raised and discussed accordingly. The issue should be documented in the project Risk Register to ensure a mitigation plan is developed in time to address the risk.

An project member is overly negative. Coach him or her to be more positive – Initially, it’s important to understand the concern and address it accordingly. However, if a person continues to be negative and is regularly using team meetings to air his/her issue, then you need to move quickly to address it. This is the equivalent of some litter gathering on the pavement in the example above. The best option is to talk, one-to-one with the person and explain your concern regarding their attitude. They may not be aware of the influence they have. You can then work with them to ensure they feel their concerns have been adequately addressed.

If they continue to voice their issue at meetings and therefore, infect your team with that attitude, it’s important to limit their opportunity to do so at your meetings. As a project or pursuit manager, you should always endeavor to keep meetings on track and on topic.

If you have a feeling that your team is losing morale or the attitude is waning, it could be the case that a negative feeling about the project has set in. It’s not too late, but move quickly to find the source and address it accordingly. Alternatively, when you start a new project, get your team motivated to work on it and excited at the potential outcome. Keep the time motivated by not allowing the rot to set in. The project team is your neighborhood; don’t let there be any broken windows.