According to the PMBOK® Guide, specifically within the Manage Team and Develop Team processes, a project manager must balance their leadership style based on the project environment and team dynamics.
The Shift from Directive to Collaborative: While a directive style (Command and Control) might be necessary in crises or with inexperienced teams, persistent use of this style with skilled team members can lead to decreased morale and frustration. The prompt indicates that the team is providing recommendations, suggesting they are knowledgeable and engaged.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence (EI): Emotional intelligence involves self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. By applying EI skills—specifically active listening—the project manager can acknowledge the team ' s contributions, validate their expertise, and understand the root cause of their frustration. This does not necessarily mean the project manager must adopt every recommendation, but the team must feel that their input was heard and considered.
Impact on Team Performance: High EI in a project manager leads to improved team synergy, higher levels of trust, and better conflict resolution. Moving from a strictly directive approach to one that incorporates empathy and open communication helps transition the team through the stages of team development (Tuckman Ladder).
Analysis of other options:
Option A: While following the plan is important, this response is " dismissive. " It reinforces the directive behavior that caused the frustration in the first place rather than addressing the interpersonal conflict.
Option C: Simply telling a frustrated team to " self-organize " without first addressing the leadership friction or providing a framework for that autonomy is likely to lead to further chaos or " storming. "
Option D: The lessons learned log is for documenting organizational knowledge, not for avoiding immediate interpersonal issues or team conflict. Recording issues there for " future action " ignores the current threat to team productivity.
Per PMI standards, the project manager serves as a leader and a facilitator. Using Emotional Intelligence is a critical " Power Skill " that allows the project manager to adapt their style to maintain team motivation and project momentum.
