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Your engineering team is facing a challenging project phase. How can you ignite motivation and drive success?

When an engineering team hits a rough patch, maintaining momentum is key. Implement these strategies to boost morale and productivity:

- Set clear, achievable goals to provide direction and a sense of accomplishment.

- Celebrate small wins to keep spirits high and acknowledge progress.

- Encourage open communication to foster a supportive environment where challenges can be addressed collaboratively.

How do you motivate your team during difficult times? Share your strategies.

Engineering Management Engineering Management

Engineering Management

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  3. Engineering Management

Your engineering team is facing a challenging project phase. How can you ignite motivation and drive success?

When an engineering team hits a rough patch, maintaining momentum is key. Implement these strategies to boost morale and productivity:

- Set clear, achievable goals to provide direction and a sense of accomplishment.

- Celebrate small wins to keep spirits high and acknowledge progress.

- Encourage open communication to foster a supportive environment where challenges can be addressed collaboratively.

How do you motivate your team during difficult times? Share your strategies.

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Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
61 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Krishnanunni K

    Senior Delivery Manager AI/ML Practice | Product & Solutions Architecture | Technical Leadership @ Rappit

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    One thing I believe to be done in tough times is that - Do not bring negativity. Avoid talking about what if we fail/mess-up - Lead by example. Don't sit aside and command, instead work with people closely. Help them with whatever you can - Create fun and energy rather than micro-managing. - Put your best mentors to assist any bottlenecks - Make sure no one burns-out - Shield and filter out external-pressure - Appreciate Appreciate and Appreciate !!!

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    24
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    Tom Johnson

    Senior Manager Engineering / Maintenance at Toyota Battery Mfg. North Carolina.

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    1. Provide structure and a continuous road map for the team. 2. Show up every day and continuously connect the team to other departments to foster a one team approach. 3. Check in often with them and make “focus” time and “get into the weeds” a few hours a week it’s them. 4. High energy and positivity day in day out.

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    10
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    Michael Pace

    Sr. VP of Space RF Systems | P&L Leader | Relentless Innovator

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    The key to getting through challenge times like this is to define incremental inch stones that are: 1) achievable 2) specific 3) motivating. These inch stones provide lights along the tunnel that help people feel positive progress while also knowing that they are heading in the correct direction. In addition to this, you must rely on the culture that you had before the challenge to solve problems together with transparency, focus, and resolve.

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    9
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    Engr. S M SHAMSUL FARHAN,PMP, CLSSBB

    Head of Operations | Manufacturing Transformation Leader | Expert in Operational Excellence, Industrial Innovation & Supply Chain | PMP® | CLSSBB | CSCM™ | MBA (DU) | MSc Engg (BUET)

    • Report contribution

    Motivating an engineering team during a challenging project phase requires strong leadership, empathetic support, and strategic action. It’s crucial that the team understands how their work impacts the larger organizational goals. Break the project into manageable tasks and celebrate small victories that pave the way to success. Actively identify and eliminate obstacles to maintain progress. Demonstrate your commitment by being involved and accessible, while maintaining an optimistic perspective to inspire confidence. Empower team members with ownership of specific tasks or decisions, ensuring they have the tools and support needed to thrive.

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    7
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    Farhan S.

    Business Operational Excellence Consultant | AI & Sustainability-Driven Solutions | Helping UAE/GCC Businesses Optimize Efficiency, Reduce Costs, and Achieve Sustainable Growth

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    Following actions can be opted for team,facing challenges 1. Keep their moral high 2. Be a part of their exercise and identify the bottleneck 3. Collaborative leadership style is ideal for such cases 4. Guide them to take a break of few time to rethink, brainstorm, plan , strategize and make a new action plan.

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    6
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    Basil Zaman KV

    Engineering Manager

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    I always believe lead by example. Don't expect your team to deliver something you yourselves cannot do. Actively participate in the project, be an individual contributor. Visibility is another key factor. Create dashboards/Gantt chart etc to analyse and visualize the challenges. Setting realistic expectations is also essential. Ensure jargon like "fast paced environment" is not equivalent to "overworked and fed-up" team mates.

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    6
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    Sneha Joshi
    • Report contribution

    keeping calm stable mind with positive attitude to complete the challenging task but not impossible is the key to achieve the desired task.

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    5
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    Patrick Gardner

    Sr. Quality Engineer at General Dynamics

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    The answer is throughout the replies...open discussion, pull team together, gather the facts around the issue, brainstorming to get various perspectives. Quickly eliminating noise, those ideas that are easily determined to be irrelevant. Stay focused on diving deeper, support efforts to obtain the answers to the unknowns. Assign task, document outcomes, stay involved throughout the process and with implementation. Lastly, confirm the results are achieved and the changes are robust and maintainable.

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    4
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    John Jernigan

    Electrical / Mechanical & Commissioning / DCS SME / QAQC Project Manager / Navy Veteran / CEO True Measure Controls, INC.

    • Report contribution

    Show up each day and lead!! Be the example to your team, by working with them, this effort will certainly strengthen everyone and leading by example is the best way that I know to motivate others. With any team, you should encourage mentorship’s, pairing the experienced with those that need guidance, and reward them both when they work through tough milestones. Keep the negativity at bay, it can be a huge inhibit and eats through a team like a cancer. When milestones are reached, celebrate and encourage everyone however and with whatever means you can think of to keep your team engaged, as long hours can burn the spirit from you. We don’t always, even seldom have enough resources for any given project, empower them and they will win.

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    4
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