It may be second nature for your company to give out high fives and kudos to your internal team. Even in the era of the Zoom Meeting, we take the effort to show appreciation for the hard work of our team members. This boosts morale, encourages teamwork, and contributes to the wider company culture. But what happens when we extend this practice outward to the external teams responsible for your projects?
Having outside vendors involved in your project can be a little awkward at the beginning—they can feel like team members adjacent at project start-up. Unfortunately, some projects continue down this uncomfortable path as neither the contracted nor the internal staff bridges the gap between acquaintances and colleagues. This causes miscommunications, tensions, and “us vs. them” thinking. You’ve probably experienced this firsthand on past projects—its not a great feeling, and it’s not conducive to successful project completion.
So how do we begin to create a space in which both internal and external team members can operate efficiently and effectively with one another? We believe the best way to ensure a project goes smoothly is by instilling mutual respect throughout the team. When you praise the good work of external members, offer high fives (or a friendly elbow bump), and work together, it encourages your staff to do the same. Lack of communication is one of the most common causes of a derailed project. Showing appreciation for your entire project team is a great way to build confidence and responsibility in everyone involved.
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