Applying the Hawthorne Effect in Project Management

The Hawthorne Effect suggests that individuals will temporarily and generally become more productive when they know they are being observed.

One example of this is when I invite someone of influence, like a VP, to participate in a work session with my project team. Team members who normally pay less attention (read: multi-task) become visibly more attentive and alert, at least for the period this VP is present.

The original Hawthorne research concluded that productivity is strongly affected by relationships and social structure within an organization. Relationships and social structures are very complex, and so this post won’t attempt to do any type of critical analysis about how all that works. Instead, let’s look at something simple. How can a project manager use these powerful relational influences to make a project more successful? I have several suggestions.

Make assignments public and review progress in a group setting. This is a soft but direct way of creating expectations and making individual team members accountable to the entire team. If we know we’re being watched by the team and we are anticipating a public self-report on task progress, we tend to want to report positive results and to show the team that we are pulling our weight. Therefore, we tend to be more intentional about our work to accomplish that good result.

Establish and encourage individual relationships. Friends will do things for friends. It follows, then, that if there are strong personal relationships between team members, productivity could increase. When team members have personal bonds, they produce because they are doing things for each other. How do we create this? I do two things:

1) I become vulnerable. To set the example, I put myself out there. I take opportunities to talk one-on-one with team members about personal things (but not too personal), like something fun I did with a family member last weekend, or I might drop a hint about how my heart surgery has helped me better understand how to balance my time away from work. Don’t reveal everything, just say enough to tease the other person into asking questions or to encourage reciprocal vulnerability. This informs a safe space for each person and demonstrates a supporting environment. But, don’t force this type of openness, and don’t make it awkward for anyone – and please don’t break any HR rules! It should happen organically in the course of normal conversation. Understand that some people are more guarded than others, and that’s perfectly fine. I believe that it’s my job to take the first step in creating a safe and open workspace. Being a “real” person is vital to how this production machine works.

2) I encourage team members to work together one-on-one. When I have a project issue that needs to be solved and there are several people who hold key elements in the resolution, I often ask them to get on the phone or meet in person to collaborate on the solution. This shifts the responsibility and reward for solutioning and idea generation to team members. This is a powerful tool on project teams. It helps create ownership and forms a strong, supportive, and collaborative community within the team.

Take time to recognize and appreciate everyone’s work. Usually several times during each project I will send a personal note to each team member letting them know how glad I am for their contribution. This is most conveniently done when they complete a task – but it’s not the most powerful time to do this. The most powerful time is when it is spontaneous. It can be added as a side note in any other exchange. Sometimes I’ll stick in a “By the way, you’re doing great! We’re almost to the end thanks to you!” type of message. It doesn’t need to be wordy or overstated, and it shouldn’t be done so often that it loses potency. Sometimes I’ll introduce team members as my “Superstar of [fill in the blank specialty]”. These kinds of messages let each person know that you and others are watching them. Encouraging words are remembered and they help empower team members through the tougher times in a project.

The timing and the delivery of these suggestions is also important. Note that the Hawthorne Effect normally has a short lifespan. People tend to default back to their “normal” output level not long after they feel they are not being observed anymore. This means that project managers need to be mindful about when to engage various techniques that encourage stronger production.

It is also important to be watchful for signs of burnout. I like to say that the smart ones are the first ones to leave; which, will likely happen if people are made to work at maximum capacity for long periods without breaks. We don't want our best people walking.

And above all, be genuine. People become wise to fake and insincere statements or attempts at relationship building.

The next time you are looking for a little boost in production from your project team, consider ways to invoke the Hawthorne Effect.