SuperPM Meets the Evil Dr. Doom

 

There you are, sitting in your manager's office, reading your annual performance review.

"Polly Project-Manager is faster than a speeding bullet," it begins. (Uh-huh, that's me.)

"In fact," it continues, "Polly is more powerful than a locomotive, and she leaps tall buildings in a single bound." (Right. No biggie.)

And then you get to the "Opportunities for Growth" section, and it stops you in your super tracks. "Polly's penchant for identifying risks and obstacles on every project has earned her the nickname 'Dr. Doom.' This tendency can make her seem like an unmotivated naysayer." Ouch!

Risk control is a key component of project management, and a standard part of most PM job descriptions. PMs are expected to be masters of risk identification, mitigation, contingency planning and resolution--always on the look-out for issues that could endanger their projects.

And yet, many a PM has been warned about apparent "negativism" when performance review time rolls around. What's a PM to do?

Of course, you will continue to include risk management as part of your overall project leadership. You cannot succeed in your job if you don't. The trick is doing it in a way that creates a more positive impression. Here are few ideas on how to do it.

Be supportive of new ideas

This simple advice can be difficult to follow--especially for inveterate organizers and …

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