By Purpose Plus Industry Leading Grant Support


Why does it feel incredibly fulfilling and even enjoyable to work on one grant application, then completely soul sucking on the next? I’ll let you in on the reason – your team is not (team)working. How effective and engaged the grant writing team is will directly influence how successful the application management process will be. And, of course, the quality of the overall application is greatly hindered when a team is not communicating well. Try these three surefire ways to communicate effectively and get the best out of your team.
 

1. Set expectations early (but make sure you deliver on them)

If you think back to the last time you were frustrated with someone, chances are they simply didn’t do what you expected they should do. Misaligned expectations wreak havoc within a grant application team. Manage expectations from the start with these techniques:

  • Clarify each person’s role on the application. Reduce ambiguity and confusion about who is responsible for what by making it clear from the beginning. You’ll reduce the likelihood of something falling through the cracks.

  • Assign a single lead for each returnable document or response section. This person is solely responsible for closing out comments and providing final approval so that the document can be sent for final production or portal submission. Please note the “single” part of the role – this is critical for things to run smoothly!

  • Agree on due dates for meetings, content development, reviews and production. Making sure everyone is on the same page for when things are due and what their level of involvement will be allows the team to manage their workload effectively and reduce undue stress.

To avoid feelings of resentment, it’s important to monitor these expectations and touch base with people who aren’t meeting them to find a resolution.
 

2. The quality, duration and frequency of your meetings matter

No matter the duration or the complexity of the grant application – you need meetings. For grants, the types of meetings you might need to hold or attend include:

  • Kick off meeting: Kick things off initially by reviewing the submission plan details, including the grant requirements and deliverables, milestones, expectations, and any crucial information. You can also take this time to introduce the team that’s been assembled.

  • Progress meeting: Scheduled at appropriate intervals to best ensure progress of the grant application, these meetings are perfect for tracking progress, spotting roadblocks, and evaluating resource needs.

  • Strategy workshop: Establish and quantify the key win themes to influence how the application will be structured and written.

  • Content development workshop: When looking to advance sections of the grant applications, content development workshops are a great way to brainstorm the structure and elements of a response or document with Subject Matter Experts directly.

  • Review meetings: These meetings, sometimes required with document leads, senior management, and grant writers, help wrap up the document content, getting it ready for production.

  • Debrief meetings (internal and with the funding provider): Getting feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and where to improve from both the grant team and the funding provider is incredibly valuable. It helps the team make valuable adjustments in future grant applications.

It might sound obvious, but be prepared. When you’re ready to go before you step into a meeting, you communicate better and increase the chances of a productive outcome.

To make sure your meeting is as productive as possible, try to:

  • Create an agenda with the discussion topics ahead of time and send it out to everyone if you’re leading the meeting. This allows your team to come ready to contribute insights and information.

  • Figure out what you want to achieve from the meeting. This way, you can stay focused and know when you’ve hit all your points. It also helps you decide if a meeting is necessary or if a quick call, email, or Teams message might do the trick instead.

  • Engage each person by asking them to share their thoughts. Toward the end of the meeting, go around and ask if anyone has questions or anything to add. This approach makes everyone feel valued and gives quieter team members a chance to share their insights.

  • Find the perfect balance for meeting duration and frequency. By understanding your team’s availability and individual work styles, alongside grant application milestones and requirements, you can tailor how you schedule and run meetings to be more effective.

Bonus Tip: Don’t be afraid to let the team know when a conversation has gone off track – instead, suggest a standalone meeting with the purpose of workshopping their ideas in more detail.


3. Cultivate a sense of ownership in team members

Never underestimate the power of getting your team’s buy-in for a successful grant application, which you achieve by encouraging team members to:

  • Collaborate in team decision making and provide input on planning and issue resolution

  • Tackle meaningful tasks independently, while providing the support they need

  • Understand how their individual role contributes to the overall success of the team, and

  • Help build a positive, respectful, and inclusive team culture by communicating openly and recognising great work and ideas.

On your next grant application, set your team up for success by effectively managing expectations, holding productive meetings and promoting buy in from everyone involved. Whether you are working with the same team or jumping headfirst into a brand new one, taking steps to communicate effectively with your team will lead to better quality and improved team satisfaction.