Strategic Project Management

If you've ever been to the circus you've seen what I'm about to describe. A trainer walks into the center ring followed by several dogs who proceed to run up skinny ramps, up and down teeter-totters and jump through hoops. Unfortunately, the circus isn't the only place I've seen this.

I was talking with a colleague the other day, and she suggested that 25-55 percent of most project requirements are unnecessary. In my opinion, she is in a position to know. Her job is to consult with project leaders and project management vendors all over the world. I must admit, although I personally believed that many project managers are compelled to force their teams to jump through a lot of hoops for "process" sake, I didn't think it was that bad.

I myself have been forced to jump through what appeared to be meaningless hoops from time to time. What's more, unlike the dogs at the circus, the hoops I was forced to jump through weren't even for the entertainment of others (at least I hope they weren't). I wonder how many of us have lost our way in the morass of process and lost track of the fact that projects are the vehicle we use to accomplish something. The processes we use should serve to make the complicated world of projects easier to navigate, not more convoluted and complicated.

I have often felt like we implement complicated processes for the sake of process—when much of the work we do doesn't require such a heavy burden. Of course there are times when formal processes and governance are required for project success. However, it is incumbent upon us as project leaders to weigh the value of process against the value of providing value to our organizations quickly and often.

I suggest we consider a more flexible leadership approach. A simple project, that consists of a dozen or so simple steps in a "to do" list, neither diminishes the value of the project nor the skills of the project leader. In my opinion, the simplest solution that produces the most value is often the best. And, the project leader who recognizes that is worth his or her weight in gold.


 

I had a fantastic weekend. Winter flyfishing is a great way to get out of the city, spend some time in a beautiful spot and challenge yourself. I spent Saturday morning on a quiet little section of the Provo River fishing tiny little midge patterns to rising fish. I was with someone who knew the river much better than myself, what patterns to use and what approach to take. I lost count of the fish I caught...yes, it was that good.

I think one of the things I am most excited about is that I learned a new tactic I had not experienced before and caught a mess of fish. It was the perfect approach, the perfect morning on the river making it just about the perfect weekend.

Like my day on the river, I don't think it really even matters how long you've been at it, there's always more to learn. And, I don't think it matters who you learn from either.

I believe one of the reasons I had such a successful morning on the river was because I was in the mood to learn something new and experience something different. I trusted my teacher, did what he suggested and saw success. Not just a little bit of success, but a lot of success. Without a doubt, even though it was the end of January, I probably had the single most productive day of fishing that I've had in the last couple of seasons. I can't wait to get back out. (Ice in the guides and all.)

What's more, it was only a minor little "tweak" to how I might have approached the river if I had been on my own. It isn't always major changes that can make a difference in productivity. Sometimes it's minor little changes that can produce exponential improvements. That is something I've learned from leading project teams that happens to translate to flyfishing.

I've also learned that effective learning includes an open mind to who is doing the teaching. I've worked on many teams and can honestly say that I've learned from people with very little experience as well as those with years on the job. In my opinion, learning is a life-long pursuit that requires an open mind, willingness and the ability to see what's going on around us.

The day I stop learning is the day it's time for me to quit.

What are you doing to continue to learn? What do you do to keep an open mind?
 

Through the years, I've had the opportunity to work with and manage some great people. Most were highly motivated and anxious to contribute However, I've also worked with others who, no matter what we did, were never able to catch the vision of their role. Over time, it became apparent that they were not able to contribute effectively with an increased level of autonomy. Ultimately, their role on the team was eliminated and they were replaced.

I have often asked myself, "How do you choose the right team?" In a world where self-directed teams or teams with a lot of autonomy over time-lines and deliverables are the norm, building the right project teams becomes more and more important. Although there's no way to guarantee that you've put together the perfect project team, here are five traits I look for that have helped me find engaged, motivated and responsible project teams:

1. Do they have the skills I need to make the project successful? Because I will be relying on them to do their jobs (so I can do mine), I always look for people who have demonstrated that they know what they're doing.
2. Do they have the ability to learn and stretch? I look for people who aren't afraid to try new things, take on additional responsibility and think "outside the box." I learned a long time ago that collaboration with people of different skills can be very productive.
3. Will they plan well and work together with other members of the team? A superstar who is a jerk doesn't help the team. He or she might be highly skilled, or even the "best" at what they do, but if they don't get along with anyone, I won't add them to my team.
4. Are they willing to take (and offer) constructive feedback? Don't call it criticism. Criticism doesn't help anyone, but feedback and honest critique can help a willing learner improve and increase their skills. That includes team leads and project managers. A willingness to incorporate constructive feedback allows everyone on the team to improve.
5. Can I count on them at crunch time? Every project seems to run into times when people need to put forth extra effort to make things happen. It seems like no matter how well you plan, there are always things that crop up to cause grief. It's important that we can count on each other to pitch in with a little extra effort when this happens.

Building a team that shares all these traits is easier said than done. However, it's critical to consistent project success and absolutely necessary for project managers who are working with empowered team members.

How do you pick your project teams? How can you tell if you have the right combination of skills?

 

We spend a lot of time talking about the best way to manage projects, communicate with stakeholders and engage project teams. All those things (and dozens of others) are critical to whether or not projects are successful. However, none of them matter if we aren't able to execute.

Have you ever worked with someone who could talk a good game, knew all the lingo, could draft a wicked proposal and could convince the boss that he had "the right stuff"—but couldn't get anything done? I have. I've not only worked with them, I've worked for them. Working with them is frustrating. Working for them is demoralizing.

If we loose sight of the fact that our responsibility is to actually get stuff done, we might as well turn in our project manager badges and start flipping burgers (not that there's anything wrong with working in fast food). You get the point. Leading a project team is about getting stuff done.

The CEO doesn't care how the Gantt chart looks. He could care less about the milestone path. All she cares about is that the projects we are working on are successfully completed, provide the value they were intended to and don't cost a lot more than the anticipated budget. He (or she) wants us to get stuff done!

Next time you're about to start a new project and create the "perfect" project plan, stop. Ask yourself, "What is going to be the most efficient way to ensure that this project is done right, meets the stated objectives and doesn't go over budget?"

If it requires a well-defined milestone path, great, create the plan. If it requires a simple "to do" list for one or two members of the project team, all the better. The simplicity of the plan does not negate the importance of the project or minimize the skill of the project leader. Project management methodologies and project tools are just that, tools. To be used by a skilled project leader to meet objectives—to get stuff done.

Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. In other words, making things complicated for the sake of justifying our existence is silly. I think it was Einstein who said, "Any idiot can make things more complicated, it takes a real genius to make things simple." My apologies to Einstein if I have misquoted him. I'm on a roll and too lazy to look up the quote.

I hope you get my point. If we remember that our primary objective as project leaders is to get stuff done, not create sophisticated project plans, shouldn't we be looking at those solutions that are the simplest to execute? It's better for the team, it's more practical for the organization and it's better for us.

Please don't misinterpret my rant as implying that we don't need well-defined project management methodologies, we do. We just don't need them for every project. I have actually watched people spend several hours on a project plan for a project that would only take an hour or two to finish. Does that really make a lick of sense? Of course not.

When you look at a new project and create a new plan, what do you do to implement the simplest methodology for accomplishing the most? How do you make sure your project teams are known for execution when the rubber hits the road, rather than spinning wheels?
 

When the Fox first saw the Lion he was terribly frightened, and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he came near the King of Beasts he stopped a safe distance and watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day with him, asking him how his family were, and when he should have the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted from the Lion without much ceremony.

"Familiarity breeds contempt," suggests the Aesop's fable.

Sometimes I wonder if the same is true for project teams. In many project environments, team members and project leaders are able to work together on different projects for months (if not years). I'm sure we've all experienced the "honeymoon" phase when a new member joins the team. The contributions of the new team member are welcomed and appreciated. However, over time, that person's contribution becomes a "known commodity" and may not be unappreciated, but definitely becomes expected.

Sometimes we pre-judge whether or not a particular team member is able to contribute to something out of the realm of their normal responsibilities, because we have known them for long enough that we aren't willing to give them an opportunity to contribute something more. Familiarity breeds contempt, right?

As project leaders (at least in my opinion), we need to be willing to give people opportunities to grow and develop. For the most part, I've experienced that most people appreciate those opportunities, and I've noticed that there are often times when people surprise me.

Several years ago, I needed to add a couple of people to the team. The advice I received from someone a little older and more experienced was, "Pick one person you think you can really rely on and someone else you think could use the training and experience."

I followed his advice, and to my surprise, the person I thought could use the training turned out to be the strongest member of the team. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish much of what we did without him. Since that time I have found that to be true more than once.

Familiarity may breed contempt, but only if you allow it to do so. I know it's easier said than done, but try to throw pre-conceived notions about people out the window and give everyone on the team opportunities to learn something new and become more valuable to the team.