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Viewing Posts by Conrado Morlan
Fill in the Blanks for Junior Project Team Members
Categories:
Generational PM
Categories: Generational PM
| The other day, a member of my project team e-mailed me and proposed that we consider starting a new project. The new project would complement a project we are currently working on. Eventually, I learned that the project board had rejected this proposed project before. I discovered that a stakeholder who had pushed to start the project several times -- despite the fact that the board discarded it -- approached my team member, who happened to be a junior member and new graduate. As a new member to our team, I had to explain the project selection process of our organization. The board selects projects from a business-oriented approach. Under this direction, projects produce business benefits that will contribute to achieve organization's strategic objectives. The proposed project did not fit this mindset, but as a new project team member, how could he have known? I explained further to this project team member that in this mindset, project professionals must wear a business and technical hat. Depending on the situation, project managers must ensure that their project teams deliver projects that will produce the benefits and results that the organization is looking for. This is just one example of how project professionals will need to be able to coach "multi" teams, especially those made up of new and young project members. You can't assume that everyone on the team shares your same knowledge. Eventually, the junior team member understood why only projects that will help the organization fulfill its intended purpose should be selected. A few days later, we met with the stakeholder to ask for specifics about the project with regard to the organizational benefits. How do you coach junior project team members when they are less knowledgeable? |
Are you a Technologically Reliant Project Manager?
| In the professional world where technology is omnipresent, we as project and program managers are used to tying our personal and professional lives to technology and gadgets like smart phones, tablets, GPS, etc. As a result, some organizations are trying a "day without email" on Fridays and/or weekends to encourage more face-to-face and phone contact with customers and colleagues. How do you think this would be received by a multigenerational project team? For baby boomer and silent generation team members, face-to-face may be a preferred communication method. But for members of Gen Y, not communicating by email may make them feel like a fish out of water because of their preference for virtual communication. As the "day without email" idea progresses gradually, employees in these organizations are probably realizing that business functions are about human relationships. This is an opportunity to foster a coaching environment in which Gen X and Gen Y will be able to hone their interpersonal skills supported by senior project team members. For those project team members who use technology frequently, discuss alternatives that will reduce the dependency of email in their daily activities. How much do you depend on technology for your daily activities? How would your project team survive the "day without email" policy? Would you enjoy having a day free of email? |
Inspire Your Multigenerational Team
Categories:
Generational PM
Categories: Generational PM
| Although the multigenerational team has always existed, project performance can be affected by the project manager's leadership style. The project manager must inspire the members of different generations while recognizing and reconciling generation gaps to develop a healthy environment within the team. To do so, you must: 1. Win the team members' trust and loyalty Successful leaders need people around them who share the same mission and vision, and are enthusiastic about it. As a project manager, you must win the trust of the people you are leading. Your experience as project manager and confidence in your ability to succeed will inspire and make people believe in your capacities as project manager, regardless of what generation they are part of. 2. Do things differently Think about new and different ways to approach a project or project tasks. Get feedback from your team members and peers to use different approaches, tools and techniques when addressing project tasks. This will motivate your team members to take a more active role in the project. 3. Thank those who help your project to succeed Project success depends on how well the project team performs. Great leaders know that showing appreciation is a great way to show people they are valued, which everyone appreciates. Say "thank you" and recognize publicly those who helped the project to succeed. Define and communicate to the project team a recognition system and, from time to time, let them know how much you value their efforts and how much they mean to your organization. As a project manager, what are you doing to enhance your leadership skills? How do you lead and inspire multigenerational project team members? Read more about acknowledgement. |
Resolve Communication Issues in Projects
| After a recent project progress meeting with my team, one of the senior members and I discussed the face-to-face communication challenges we have with other members. We concurred that when the person receiving information has a low retention, it results in false assumptions and misunderstanding the topic of discussion. Why is this happening? Why, if the person receiving information confirms that everything is clear, do we still we face communication issues in projects? Usually, it's because taking notes in a meeting is going away, as many team members wait for a meeting recap that notes their action items. In face-to-face communication, we spend most of the time listening -- and apparently, we're not good at it. We filter what we want to hear and that may result in a broken message. The senior member of my team referenced earlier is part of the silent generation. He mastered his listening skills in an environment without all of the ways to "replay" conversations that we use today. In addition, he mentioned that the communication environment was "less polluted" than today, where we are bombarded with things that affect our ability to pay attention. I asked the senior team member what are the key elements of good listening skills, based on his experience. He recommended:
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Build Generational Awareness on Your Project Team
Categories:
Generational PM
Categories: Generational PM
| There are certain interpersonal skills that project managers must master in order to analyze situations and interact appropriately, as outlined in Appendix G of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)--Fourth Edition. The skills include political and multicultural awareness. But, since the project team environment has evolved over the last 10 years, I think a new interpersonal skill should be required, not only for project managers but also for team members and stakeholders: multigenerational awareness. Generations as cultures are based on invisible values, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions created by shared experiences and events. These differ across generations, and each will likely feel or behave differently in the same situation. The lack of cultural awareness may lead to a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the situation. As a project manager leading a multigenerational team, you must know how to handle generational differences. Try to empathize with someone from a different generation and understand where he or she is coming from. Listen to the meaning behind words and interpret non-verbal clues rather than applying generational stereotypes. Focus on making that connection with individuals of different generations to build a meaningful relationship. When your multigenerational project team disagrees, in my experience, it's often because people are following those generational fundamental values. As the project manager, you need to assume a humble attitude and question rather than assert. Asking people to explain themselves before assuming anything shows respect. Building awareness around generational differences in your project team can ultimately help avoid any problems. Encourage your team to: Avoid making quick judgments of values. Try to understand the value and its historical reason. Values evolve as people live their lives in different periods of time. Define a balancing act. Figure out how to manage different perspectives and different ways to doing things. What are you doing to build generational awareness in your team? Read more posts from Conrado Morlan. Read Dmitri Ivanenko's post on Answering the Loaded Question in Project Management. |