Slow and Steady: Coming In Second Isn't Always Bad

  Governance   PM Network  

It’s all been very hush-hush. You’ve spent months working on a project so very “bleeding edge” that it could catapult your company to the top. You’ve kept all the documentation under wraps and sworn your team to secrecy to maintain total control of the project release. Nearing the finish line, you’re certain this project is destined to change the face of the marketplace—and quite possibly your career. And then the word comes down. Your competition has been working on a nearly identical project all along. And it’s set to hit first.

In a hyper-competitive business landscape where innovation rules, it’s inevitable a company is going to sometimes be bested by a project from a rival organization. It just has to know how to respond, and part of that responsibility lies with the project manager—who may be in for some stressful times.

“You have to have a strong stomach to lead the cutting-edge projects,” says Shane McWilliams, PMP, senior program manager at Dell Inc., a global computer company based in Austin, Texas, USA. “And you can’t be afraid of questioning assertions. You have to be confident enough in your ability as a project manager to question your marketing team, and even your executives, if the assertion being presented to you conflicts with the essence of what you are trying to …

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