Are You a Project Leader or Firefighter?

Naomi Caietti, PMP is managing editor of NaomiCaietti.com. She launched her own consulting company to provide global, on-demand virtual services for clients that need a speaker, author or coach.

  Leadership  

“Why do so many professionals say they are project managing, when what they are actually doing is firefighting?”
– Colin Bentley

As a project manager, do you feel more like you’re managing or firefighting? You came in on Monday with a plan all laid out for the week. Now it’s Friday and you can’t wait until 5 p.m. Did you spend all week putting out fire after fire on projects in your organization—only to feel exhausted and lacking focus on what your priorities should have been each day?

Organizations today need leaders, not firefighters. Project leaders should be focused on the big picture while delivering project outcomes, results and overall value to the organization. Many times when a project is in trouble, an organization may call on a firefighter—a PM that knows how to quickly put out the fire and clean up the mess.

Many times, the PM may not be up to the challenge. It’s a recipe for disaster for any journey-level or seasoned PM. In hindsight, is this the best way to manage projects of any size and complexity and demonstrate project leadership in your organization? Clearly, a PM is a valuable asset for more than firefighting; get them involved right up front to help drive successful delivery, outcomes and results that add value to the bottom line.

Last year, I was asked to join a panel of experts on Twitter…

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