How to Stay Motivated and Crush Business-Critical Projects

In this video, Rajesh Janakiraman, an engineering manager at Google, shares his insights and experiences on leading business critical projects while ensuring his team remains motivated and doesn’t burn out. Business critical projects can be intense, high visibility deadlines that often shift roadmaps and include executive-level oversight. Building the right team, maintaining communication, and managing expectations around these challenging projects are crucial to preventing burnout and driving results. Join us as we discuss the following: * How Rajesh defines critical business projects * The effects of business-critical projects on a team’s motivation and performance * Approaches to foster an environment of healthy competition among team members * The importance of balancing high-intensity projects with periods of rest and recovery * Strategies to protect your team from undue pressure from leadership * Lessons learned from real-life experiences with business-critical projects Learn from Rajesh’s expertise in this informative video and find out how to effectively lead your team through the trials and opportunities that come with business-critical projects. TIMESTAMPS * \[[00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=0s)\\\] – Introduction * \[[00:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=30s)\\\] – What is a business-critical project? * \[[02:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=150s)\\\] – How do you lead a business-critical project without burning out your team? * \[[04:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=240s)\\\] – How do you build motivation in your team? * \[[06:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=390s)\\\] – How do you communicate critical business projects to leadership and manage their expectations? * \[[08:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=480s)\\\] – What do you do differently as a manager for a business-critical project? * \[[10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=600s)\\\] – How do you manage a newly assigned team for a business-critical project? * \[[12:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=750s)\\\] – How do you motivate your team? * \[[14:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=870s)\\\] – How do you handle underperforming team members during a business-critical project? * \[[17:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=1050s)\\\] – How do you protect your team from leadership pressure? * \[[19:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=1170s)\\\] – How do you healthily manage competition between team members during a high-pressure project? * \[[24:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=1470s)\\\] – How do you handle an underperforming team member in a business-critical project? * \[[25:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534bFA7RVS8&t=1530s)\\\] – Can you share an anecdote about an intense project that didn’t succeed? Rajesh’s LinkedIn Profile, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aksraj/\](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video\_description&redir\_token=QUFFLUhqbDlNTG5JcDJEU2pKUVgtRnpWLUhHZ1J2UG4wd3xBQ3Jtc0trdjd6RDR2el9rQ080VkQxNXhrVmNaVUlQWHp2bkowNUZ0U3FXLWQ2STROX3ozMzBIOVJjRFU5eUpIZUV3NjJuLVRna2RWV2RHSHR0b1VwZHhkX2VtNDhPWGNhaVNsaWFtTlg0a19XNjZPRVNQSDlGcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Faksraj%2F&v=534bFA7RVS8)