Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Viewing Posts by Dmitri Ivanenko PMP ITIL
The Power of Ownership
Categories:
Teams
Categories: Teams
| Ownership of even a part of a project is a powerful thing. Ownership is tangible and allows for acknowledgment, achievement and recognition. Once a part of a project is owned, it can also be reported on and tracked, making it visible to other project stakeholders and team members. No matter what goes on in the organization, a task that is owned is a task that will have more chances of completion, with pride and focus on outstanding performance. As such, the task tends to be delivered on time, within scope and budget. Micromanagement does not have to exist when ownership is present and the team agrees to the game plan. Instead, there is clear and visible status reporting with team members eager to present their progress -- good or bad. This transparency allows the team to focus on the right solution and approach, with a clearer view of the roadblocks and their resolution. Defenses tend to come down as we focus on delivery: doing what we are expected to do and doing what we know we can and should do to deliver quality results. When ownership is truly present, team members exchange workable ideas in a productive discourse. We're open to see our own blind spots, areas that we naturally overlook or don't think to question. And when the realization of the specific blind spot is a reality, it creates a clearing for something new. |
Clearing Your Team's Blind Spots
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Consider a team in which all members are performing at the optimal level. You would see them engaging internal and external staff members only when necessary. They would deliver on requirements without having to consult you every step of the way, allowing you to be the chief who oversees a big project from a higher level rather than micromanages. When team members aren't performing at their optimal level they are often constrained by blind spots. These are the internal roadblocks specific to each team member that we often label as communication issues, team dynamics, management style, and cultural and organizational biases. Having a blind spot means not being able to see the complete picture. When we can't see the complete picture, we make up what is hidden by using context such as our knowledge, experience, goals and motivation. Blind spots limit us because we lack the runway length required to let our ideas take off; we impose constraints that prevent us from understanding the goal, coming up with solutions and choosing the one that works best. To expand your runway requires a well-integrated framework of communication and teamwork based on two main principles: clearing those blind spots by empowering the team to help each other and owning your enterprise. In part two, I will expand on the power of ownership and how to tie these principles together. Can you think of the blind spots that you were faced with in any of your previous or current projects? What was your way of dealing with them, and what was the impact on the results you produced? |
Why I Like Being a Project Manager
| I have often been asked in the past about the benefits of working in project management. Having worked for many businesses in various roles, I have learned that what I like most about project management is the variety of roles and the type of environments I am exposed to. I was always drawn to the concept of managing, but didn't really want to stay with the same environment or be involved in long-term operational work. Project management appeals to me because it allows me to: - Manage teams - Work with different teams on the new projects - Work in different cultural environments - Be exposed to various architectures, systems - Manage my time and efforts against very specific deliverables - Work in multiple departments or areas, thus being able to gain insight into the ways of managing projects by looking at different angles and listening to different points of view The project management cycle is so finite that it creates an opportunity to refine skills a lot faster. As a project manager moves from one stage to another, you get to know the components of project management delivery. Therefore, you have many opportunities to improve how you manage each of them, be it budgeting, generating the scope of work, generating a work breakdown structure or managing the risks. The opportunity for lifelong learning in project management is also a benefit. While you get to do a complete job with the skills you have -- therefore covering all aspects of the project management -- you also get an opportunity to specialize in a particular area, such as risk management or schedule management. What other benefits have you discovered? |
Project Manage Yourself
Categories:
Teams
Categories: Teams
| Getting team members committed to the project scope, budget and schedule is a matter of removing any roadblocks and helping resolve any conflicts. Sounds simple enough. It's what project managers were trained to do, more or less. But while the project manager has a lot to do with getting everyone aligned on the right approach, how team members manage themselves impacts the project outcome just as much. Here are some things project managers and team members should keep in mind to make sure the outcome is what everyone has planned: --Think twice before engaging extra team members. Be ready with a plan of what you need from the resources and whether they're in a position to provide it. --Treat external staff members that help out with the project as if you had to pay for every minute of their engagement from a mini budget that you will be held accountable for. --Make sure you're aware of how your role and your deliverable contribute to the final project result. And validate that role and deliverable with the rest of your project team to ensure you're only working on what's going to add the most value to what is required. --Be able to account for the work you've done and prove that it directly related to the scope and activities assigned to you. Be completely responsible for everything you commit to along the way -- as if you might be audited. --Create your own measure of success and communicate it to the team. Be ready to show the results of your work, whether you're asked for it or not. --Be aware of time wasters -- they eat away from the time you have available to deliver your assigned tasks. Make your own efficiency one of your accountabilities. When each individual manages his or her time and tasks with these basic rules, the entire team is better positioned to deliver on time, on budget and within scope. |
Breaking Your Commitments
Categories:
Career Development
Categories: Career Development
| In my previous post, I talked about work commitments. Sometimes success in project delivery requires breaking those commitments if they are not in line with your goals. If you need to break a commitment, I recommend the following steps: 1. Identify a commitment you have made that is not benefiting the project. 2. Consult with the project manager and/or supervisor whether this activity can be removed from your list. 3. Identify someone suitable to deal with this task. Seek advice from your manager when in doubt. 4. Once you've secured management authorization, transfer the details of your commitment to that person. 5. Advise the person to whom you originally made the commitment that the task has been reassigned to another person, and explain the reason for this action. Depending on your role and authority, you may be able to deal directly with the person to whom you made the commitment, and you can resolve the conflict without involving other parties. There's no magic formula for undoing what's done. But by breaking such commitments in this professional manner, you are renegotiating the terms of your commitments and earning trust and credibility. |