Strategic Project Management

Over the years I've read dozens of articles (and even written a few myself) about what it takes to plan and execute a successful project. However, over the years I've discovered that opinions are like belly-buttons, everybody has one and they're all different. Although there's no doubt in my mind that sound project management methodology includes a number of considerations like risk, reward, resource needs, and stakeholder buy-in, I'm convinced that the linchpin for project success is the end user and how he or she interacts with the project management process.

What's more, without end user buy-in and adoption, PPM software implementations fail. Period.

I believe there are a number of reasons this is true. Not the least of which is that the workforce has changed. In the 30 some years of my career, I have observed almost a generational change in attitude about how the workforce responds to management. Today's workforce doesn't seem to be motivated by a command-and-control management structure. They are looking for a bigger role in the process than "do what you're told."

Recognizing and appropriately responding to this reality empowers project managers because:

1. It engages project team members in the process making project management tools adoption easier
2. It allows those closest to the work (individual team members) to capture more accurate status and other project information
3. Team members with greater ownership in the process are more likely to meet deadlines and milestones than their less engaged contemporaries
4. It allows project managers to spend more time managing projects and project teams and less time managing spreadsheets and building reports

Of course linchpin doesn't necessarily mean "silver bullet." There will be some team members who just won't get it, and project managers will have to make some hard decisions about who is on the team and who isn't. That being said, project teams and project managers who are able to work together in this type of environment will enjoy an atmosphere of more meaningful collaboration, enhanced creativity, and greater project success.

What are you doing to create a more engaged workforce?

 

About this time last year my Boston Terrier Cosmo passed away. He was, in my humble opinion, the best dog that ever lived. He was a gentle and loving companion who transcended his canine nature and became one of our family. It didn't matter if I had been gone for five minutes or a week, he was always glad to see me and truly exhibited unconditional love for me. As he got older he may have lost a step or two, but he was still willing to jump in the Jeep for ride, sit by my side on the couch, or chase a ball or stick thrown in the back yard.

You might be asking, what made Cosmo the "perfect" companion. And I would have to say, we understood each other. Although he didn't speak English and I didn't speak canine, we were able to effectively communicate. Cosmo taught me a lot about being a successful "accidental" project manager.

From the first few days he joined our family as a tiny "beanie-baby" puppy, throughout all of the 13+ years of his life, I made it a point to communicate clearly, concisely, and consistently with him—and he with me. My instructions were never ambiguous and his reaction to my instructions became consistent and predictable. (I wish I had known Cosmo when my children were small, I probably would have communicated with them in a more consistent and less erratic manner.)

Here are some of the management tips I learned from Cosmo:

1. People want to do a good job, they just need to know what a good job is: Cosmo's nature was to please me. He wanted to be a good dog, it was my job to teach him what being a good dog was. The people on project teams aren't much different. Most people want to do a good job. If you are clear up front as to what a good job is, most team members will work to do it. What's more, when it comes time for a review, they will know whether or not their performance has measured up or not—you won't need to tell them.
2. Hold people accountable to expectations: If Cosmo ever did something I didn't approve of, all it took was a look from me and he would straighten up. Once project team members know and understand what a good job is, it's important to regularly hold them accountable for their performance. Give them an opportunity to report on what they are doing and how they are meeting expectations. Accountability is not a bad thing. In fact, it's an important part of building effective teams. What's more, people crave ownership and accountability in the workplace.
3. Praise publicly and specifically: Cosmo loved hearing that he was a good dog. In fact, he actually seemed to like it when I praised him in front of someone else (however I could be imagining that). Most people like to be recognized for a job well done. That being said, insincere platitudes will fall flat. If you are going to recognize accomplishment, make sure and make it specific and sincere. "Great job Johnson," is not as meaningful as, "Johnson, all the work you did on that Acme project will really help us get their order. Great job."
4. All dogs are not Cosmo: I guess it doesn't really matter if it was because they were never taught properly in the beginning (or if they were just bad dogs), some dogs just don't respond the way Cosmo did. As you manage people, you will find that there are team members who just won't respond to this (or any other management approach) and will need to be let go. Just because they are available doesn't make them right for the project team. I don't let just any dog come into my house and sit on my couch with me.

Of course, there is a difference between people and animals...isn't there? However, regardless of the way you manage projects or your project management software, we can learn a few things from the best dog that ever lived. I have found that incorporating this people management approach into my work management methodology very successful when working with teams responsible for creative problem solving—you might too.

Do you have anything to add to the list?

 

Long before the prime-time police drama Law and Order, there was Dragnet.  As a kid, I used to watch Dragnet's Joe Friday interview people, investigate crime scenes, and catch the bad guy every week.  Every episode started with, "The story you are about to see is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent." 

When interviewing witnesses, Friday was famous for his deadpan, "Just the facts, ma'am."  He didn't have the time to waste with superfluous information, if he had the "facts" he could solve the crime.

In reality, reporting the status of all project-based work to stakeholders isn't much different.  Here are five suggestions that will make your project-status reporting run smoother:

1. When you do your reporting is often as important as what you report.  Make sure the timing of your report will provide the most benefit to the stakeholders involved.  For example, reporting on a problem when there is still time to do something about it is valuable—waiting until it's too late, isn't.
2. Make sure the information you are reporting is accurate and trustworthy before your presentation.  Out-of-date or inaccurate information is of no value for making decisions.  Validating that status information is timely and up to date is critical for making well-informed decisions.
3. Present information that is relevant to your audience.  Different information is important to different individuals and job roles.  For example, information that would be important to share with the project team would probably not be relevant to the CEO.
4. Ensure that the information presented is in the medium best suited for the audience.  A PowerPoint presentation might not be necessary for a team meeting, but could be important when presenting to the executive team.
5. Make sure you have all the details of what you're presenting.  There's nothing worse than sitting in front of a room full of stakeholders not knowing the answer to your CEO's questions.  If you don't have the full details of what you're presenting, make sure you have someone there who does to help with the presentation.

Leveraging your project and portfolio management software to capture status information as tasks are completed is valuable, particularly if your project software provides the reports and dashboards stakeholders need to review information and make decisions.  However, taking a little time to consider each of these elements before your next status meeting will help make your presentations more effective.

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As a teenager, I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor at my high school swimming pool. I spent the summer teaching two- and three-year-olds to swim. Over the three or four years I taught swimming lessons, I noticed that there were some traits that successful swimmers had in common:

1. They overcame their initial fear of the water
2. They could hold onto the side of the pool and kick
3. They weren't afraid to get their face wet and could blow bubbles under water
4. They had fun splashing and playing in shallow water

As a swimming instructor, if I could help my students foster these behaviors, it wasn't long before they were jumping off of the diving board and swimming to the wall of the pool. If I could work with them all summer long, I could help a non-swimming three-year-old progress from blowing bubbles to swimming laps.

Successfully managing projects isn't really that different. I've noticed that most successful project managers are able to:

1. Make sure the project has a strong sponsor.  Every project needs a sponsor who will evangelize the value of the initiative throughout the life of the project.
2. Make sure the project is adequately funded.  The temptation is to take whatever funding is offered, but without adequate funding—it's usually the project manager who ends up in hot water when the project fails for lack of financial resources.
3. Pick the right team.  Make sure the team includes all the skills that will be needed for success.  Just because someone is available, doesn't always mean they are the best to work on your project.
4. Plan.  Planning is more than just preparing to deliver the final product.  It should involve a continual process of evaluation and adjustment.
5. Know the end before you begin.  Make sure you know what the outcome of a successful project is before you start.  What does "done" mean?  Financial experts call this an "exit plan."
6. Prepare for change.  The very nature of projects create change.  Whether it's a new product or an improvement in process or technology.  Makes sure to prepare for the change.

Regardless of the particular work management methodology you choose, or even the project management software you use, if you are able to encourage some basic project management behaviors that have proven to produce successful projects, I can't promise that you'll be able to swim laps, but you'll likely become skilled at leading successful project teams.

Are there any other basic practices we should add to the list?

 

A good caddie is critical to a successful tournament for a golfer.  On the golf course, a caddie has a number of basic responsibilities:

• Ensure that the proper number of clubs are in the bag
• Help in the selection of clubs for specific shots
• Let the golfer know where pin placements are for each hole on the golf course
• Alert the golfer to where a good spot to hit their shots would be, and if they miss, where to miss
• Help read putts if needed

A great caddie will have walked the course and knows everything there is to know about the softness of the turf, the condition of the sand traps, and has personally paced off the yardage for each hole.  This information allows the caddie to provide the information the golfer will need to play the best round of golf possible.

Throughout the course of a project, it's often the tough decisions made by stakeholders that make the difference between a successful project and one that fails.  Sometimes the importance of stakeholders in the success of project based work is overlooked.  However, it's vital to keep them informed with the most timely and reliable information possible.  Regardless of  the project management software you employ or your particular work management methodology, here are three keys I've discovered to encourage successful stakeholder involvement:

1. Ensure that stakeholders, sponsors, change agents, and champions, are involved and in agreement throughout the project.
2. Guide the decision-makers through the key steps to success and make sure they are applied consistently throughout the project.
3. Keep stakeholder's decision-making efforts based on the best practice areas that have helped other projects deliver successfully to achieve the desired results.

Not unlike the relationship between a professional golfer and caddie, the biggest benefit to keeping stakeholders in the loop is an increase in stakeholder collaboration and a more successfully portfolio of projects.

How do you keep stakeholders engaged in your projects?  Do you have any suggestions that I may have left out?