The Professional Project Manager

Have you ever been in a meeting and you’ve thought “What am I doing here, I could be doing real work?”.

Of course you have, we all have. So, what do we persist with attending meetings when we know they probably aren’t the best way to get work done?

Imagine if you had to prepare a business case to have a meeting. You know, outline the expected costs and benefits and only get approval if the benefits outweighed the costs. Maybe that’s what we should be doing because if you want to add up the charge out rates of everyone in a meeting you probably aren’t getting any change out of thousands of dollars an hour. We accept this waste as a normal way of doing business but I bet if you asked for permission to get a thousand dollars cash from the companies bank accounts and flush it down the toilet you would get a solid “no” answer.

Don’t get me wrong, meetings can be a useful way to get decisions made, or collaborate on important issues, or spread information. But they usually aren’t.

Here are some tips to get real value from a meeting (please add yours to the list):

1. First, ask yourself why you need a meeting and if a meeting is the best way to get the work done. Can it be dealt with by an email, a phone call, an intranet post, or a coffee? If you do decide a meeting is the most efficient way to get the work done, then tell people this. I start every meeting I run by clearly stating what the purpose of the meeting is, and what success looks like.  
2. If you have a regular weekly meeting scheduled for your team, ask yourself if its really needed this week. Don’t keep having regular meetings just because they are in your calendar. And please don’t be the kind of team leader who gets each member of their team to provide a quick verbal update to the rest of the team if you have received written reports containing the same information. This really annoys me but it’s surprising how common it is.
3. Then choose the right amount of time for the meeting. How did human evolution end up where 3600 seconds (60 minutes) is somehow miraculously the right amount of time to hold a meeting for. Why not 47.3 minutes, or 67.18 minutes, or 3.142 minutes?? Don’t feel obligated to take up all the time reserved. In fact, nothing makes me happier than saying to people “I’m going to give you back 18 minutes of your day”.
4. Set a day and time that suits everyone you need to be there. No point having half a meeting if some people can’t make it.
5. Start on time. If the meeting invite says the meeting starts at 10am, start it at 10am on the dot. If someone turns up at 10:01am just record their attendance and write “late” beside their name. This may seem picky but once you add up someone turning up 1 minute late, and someone else being 3 minutes late, and someone else being 4 minutes late, you’ve probably waited for up to 10% of the allocated meeting time. Let people know your meetings start on time.
6. Only invite the people for the time they need to be there. If someone is number 3 on the agenda then let them know they can turn up 15 minutes after the meeting starts, and they can leave when they have done their part – or stay on if they are interested. In fact, anyone should be free to leave a meeting if their contribution is not needed.
7. All documentation supplied before the meeting should be taken as read. Nothing wastes time more than someone who hasn’t read the documents or insists on going through them at the meeting.
8. Don’t let two, or three, people have a conversation that they should have before or after the meeting. Don’t let the loud people talk over the quiet ones. Don’t let people dominate the meeting. Make sure people stay focussed, and ask them not to be checking emails etc. In fact if they are they probably don’t need to be at the meeting anyway. Actively solicit contributions from everyone there or otherwise you just get the extroverts talking.
9. Finish on time. If the meeting is due to finish at 11am and its 10:50am, and you can see you won’t get through everything then let people know that you will still finishing on time and you will follow up with people to get the remaining work done.
10. Record really good minutes and action points and distribute them quickly, and make sure you follow up with people before any future scheduled meeting.

As I said at the beginning, meetings can be a useful tool to get decisions made, or work done, but they usually aren’t. Start questioning those meeting invitations, and being brave enough to decline them – simply explain to people that you are focussed on delivering value to the organisation and the meeting isn’t the best way for you to achieve that. And if people persist in sending out meeting invitations ask to see the business case for the meeting :)

What are your tips for a good meeting?

Survivorship bias is a logical error that focuses on the survivors of a particular process, while overlooking those that didn’t make it. In the context of project management, this can lead to misguided conclusions about what it truly takes for a project to succeed.

The term "survivorship bias" originates from wartime observations when aviation experts examined planes that returned from battle in WWII to identify where they had taken the most damage. They mapped where all the damage was found and then with this information they considered reinforcing these areas to make the planes more resilient. However, a statistician named Abraham Wald pointed out a flaw in this approach. The planes they were examining had survived, despite their obvious damage. It was the planes that didn't return—those hit in other critical areas—that needed to be studied. By only looking at the survivors, they were missing vital data on the planes' vulnerabilities and in fact had they gone ahead they would’ve reinforced areas of the planes that didn’t need reinforcing, and not reinforced areas that did.

How does this relate to project management?

Imagine you want to discover the secret to successful project management (and who doesn’t?). You might be tempted to analyse only successful projects and identify common factors in them (like mapping damage to aircraft that made it back). You then describe successful project management according to these traits of these particular projects and focus your training on these processes, tools, techniques or competencies. On the surface, this seems logical right?

But here's the catch: by only looking at successes, you're missing out on a vast amount of data from projects that failed (the planes that didn’t return, and the reasons they didn’t return). These failures can offer crucial insights into pitfalls and challenges that successful projects either avoided or overcame (sometimes by dumb luck!).

Fortunately for us the world of project management is littered with failures. In fact, it could be argued that the ‘norm’ in project management is failure – after all, most projects are somewhat unique, and subject to a myriad of constraints and risks. I’ve never shocked at those oft repeated statistics that 60-70% of projects fail, often used by people to ask what is the point of professional project management when this figure hasn’t changed over 10 or 20 years. I always think that the number is a constant because that’s just what projects are – failure magnets – and yes, that’s a topic for another post but chime in on this if you want.

Success is not just a product of hard work, planning, and strategy. Sometimes, it's also about being in the right place at the right time – plain old dumb luck. Recognizing the role of luck in project success is essential. Also, don’t discount the role of external factors beyond the control of the project manager. Two projects could be managed similarly, but external factors, timing, or sheer coincidence could lead one to thrive and the other to flounder.

For instance, a company might initiate a project to launch a product just when there's a sudden surge in demand due to unforeseen circumstances, making the project seem brilliantly managed and executed. Another similar project might face unexpected competition or market changes. Is it fair to label one as superior management and the other as lacking, without considering the impact of luck, coincidence, or external factors?

And that’s why it’s important to analyse and learn from success AND failure. So yes, I’m saying celebrate failure as a learning opportunity. I’m not saying throw a party, give bonus’s and promotions, and advertise to your clients how wonderful you are at project failure. I’m saying, treat them as real opportunities to learn something that will help you be more successful in the future.

So don’t fall into the trap of survivorship bias. We all want to be more successful at delivering projects but to truly understand project management the factors that contribute to project success, we have to consider both the winners and the losers. So, maybe at your next monthly community of practice meeting, or your next post implementation review, or your next portfolio planning session, take time to have someone present about failures and what they learned from them. Do this without judgment, compare it to what you learn from successes, and you are probably on your way to discovering what makes your projects successful (oh, and please take time to really define project success and how you will measure it – again, that’s a topic for another blog, but chime in on this if you want).

In our daily interactions, whether we're mentoring a colleague, guiding a friend, or even giving directions to a stranger, the art of giving advice or passing on knowledge plays a crucial role. However, the way in which we deliver this advice, or knowledge, can make all the difference.

I’ve been seeing a lot of advice lately which focuses on the bad types of managers, the bad types of leader, the bad types of project management, the bad types of sponsor …. you get the picture. Somewhere it is implied that you need to watch out for, avoid, or actively manage these ‘bad’ examples. I think that if you read enough of these you will think that the world is only full on this type of person. You may also develop the belief that if you do the opposite of what the bad persons characteristics are, that this will mean you are doing ‘good’. This isn’t necessarily the case. The opposite of bad can actually be worse instead of good.

I appreciate that the authors of these pieces are genuinely trying to educate and pass on knowledge but there are much better ways to do this focussing on what is bad.

Imagine you're lost in a city somewhere, and you ask a local for directions. If they spend 10 minutes explaining all the routes you shouldn't take because of the bad things that can happen, you'll probably be more confused than before, and not really know where to start. On the other hand, if they give you a clear and direct good route, with perhaps a brief mention of roads to avoid, you'll be on your way in no time. The same principle should apply to the advice we give or receive in life.

Sure, it's essential to be aware of potential pitfalls and challenges. It gives a realistic view of the situation at hand. But, when the narrative becomes solely about what not to do, it can create a sense of fear or anxiety. The person seeking or receiving the advice might become overly cautious, second-guessing every step, and missing out on potential opportunities.

On the flip side, focusing on the positive aspects, the 'do's rather than the 'don'ts, can be empowering. It provides a clear path forward and encourages proactive action.

So maybe start to move away from a total focus on what’s bad, and start to focus on what’s good – there is a school of thought called Appreciative Inquiry that focusses on the positive and by repeating what is good hopes to crowd out the negative (very simple description btw).

Here are some benefits of being positive with your advice:

1. Clarity and Direction: Just like letting people know the direct and ‘good’ route in my earlier example, positive advising offers a clear path. It's easier to follow a roadmap of actionable steps than navigate a maze of warnings and what to avoid.
2. Boosts Confidence: Hearing about the potential successes and best practices can instil confidence in people. It reassures them that they are capable of achieving their goals. Let them know that good exists and is possible.
3. Promotes Optimism: A positive outlook can be contagious. By focusing on the good, you're fostering an environment of optimism and encouraging others to adopt the same perspective.
4. Builds Trust: When you offer constructive advice, it shows that you believe in the individual's potential. This can strengthen your relationship and build trust.

While the emphasis should be on the positive, it's also important to strike a useful balance. A brief mention of potential challenges or routes to avoid in any advice or learning can be beneficial. It ensures that people are well-informed and prepared for any eventuality.

So, the next time you find yourself in the role of the advisor or educator, or even LinkedIn influencer, remember the lost traveller metaphor. Guide people on the good route, highlight the positives, and watch them confidently go forward.

If someone tells me they will circle back to touch base about making sure we are on the same page to take a deep dive to use disruptive innovation to leverage the synergy of the team to grab the low hanging fruit to bring about a paradigm shift to move the needle towards a win-win solution I just stop listening. It’s an absurd statement full of jargon but unfortunately it’s not that far removed from many of the statements we hear daily.

Just stop and say what you mean in clear language without jargon!

Why? Because there are a lot of issues with using jargon in professional settings, such as:

1. Lack of Clarity: Using jargon can make communication unclear for people who are not familiar with the terms. They have no idea of what you are talking about and may not feel confident enough to ask for clarification or explanation.
2. Exclusion: It can create a sense of exclusion among team members or people who aren’t “in the know”. You are either part of the clique that uses it or you are an outsider. Not a great way to build cohesive teams or organisations. In client-facing roles, using jargon can alienate potential customers who find the language inaccessible.
3. Miscommunication: There’s a risk that the message may be misinterpreted if jargon is used ambiguously. I once knew a person who kept using a particular word in the wrong way. So not only was he attempting to sound smart using jargon to confuse people, he wasn’t using in the right way. But most people just nodded their head as if they understood what he was saying.
4. Inefficiency: Time can be wasted explaining jargon, which slows down the flow of information.
5. Perceived Pretentiousness: Excessive use of jargon can come off as pretentious or as an attempt to sound more knowledgeable than you actually are.
6. Global Communication: Jargon may not translate well across cultures or languages, complicating international business. I have been in many international meetings where participants have asked for clarification about not only jargon, but also local expressions – and I once had to spend 10 minutes explaining to a multi cultural group what the expression “flying by the seat of your pants” meant (message me if you don’t know).
7. Overcomplication: Simple ideas can seem more complex than they are, which might lead to unnecessary confusion or stress. Just communicate simply!
8. Unreliable Perceptions: People might use jargon to mask a lack of real understanding or to sidestep questions, which can erode trust. I met a project manager earlier this year who used this strategy to try and hide the fact his project was in deep trouble.

To help you out here’s a list of some common professional office jargon that you have probably heard today or at least this week. I’ve added a simpler way to express the same ideas:

1. Synergy – Try saying this instead: Teamwork or collaboration
2. Leverage – Try saying this instead: Use
3. Paradigm Shift – Try saying this instead: Fundamental change
4. Low-Hanging Fruit – Try saying this instead: Easy tasks
5. Touch Base – Try saying this instead: Check in or update
6. Take It Offline – Try saying this instead: Discuss later, not here
7. Circle Back – Try saying this instead: Follow up
8. Deep Dive – Try saying this instead: Detailed analysis
9. Bandwidth – Try saying this instead: Time or resources
10. Move the Needle – Try saying this instead: Make a difference
11. Win-Win Situation – Try saying this instead: Both sides benefit
12. Value-Added – Try saying this instead: Extra features or benefits
13. Boil the Ocean – Try saying this instead: Wasting time on too big a task
14. On the Same Page – Try saying this instead: Agree or understand
15. Pivot – Try saying this instead: Change direction or strategy
16. Think Outside the Box – Try saying this instead: Be creative
17. Game Changer – Try saying this instead: Something that makes a big impact
18. Scaling – Try saying this instead: Growing or expanding
19. At the End of the Day – Try saying this instead: Ultimately or finally
20. Disruptive Innovation – Try saying this instead: New idea that changes the market
21. Lean Into – Try saying this instead: Embrace or focus on

What have I missed; I am sure there are many more? Anyway, just be a better communicator by avoiding jargon!

If someone tells me they will circle back to touch base about making sure we are on the same page to take a deep dive to use disruptive innovation to leverage the synergy of the team to grab the low hanging fruit to bring about a paradigm shift to move the needle towards a win-win solution I just stop listening. It’s an absurd statement full of jargon but unfortunately it’s not that far removed from many of the statements we hear daily.

Just stop and say what you mean in clear language without jargon!

Why? Because there are a lot of issues with using jargon in professional settings, such as:

1. Lack of Clarity: Using jargon can make communication unclear for people who are not familiar with the terms. They have no idea of what you are talking about and may not feel confident enough to ask for clarification or explanation.
2. Exclusion: It can create a sense of exclusion among team members or people who aren’t “in the know”. You are either part of the clique that uses it or you are an outsider. Not a great way to build cohesive teams or organisations. In client-facing roles, using jargon can alienate potential customers who find the language inaccessible.
3. Miscommunication: There’s a risk that the message may be misinterpreted if jargon is used ambiguously. I once knew a person who kept using a particular word in the wrong way. So not only was he attempting to sound smart using jargon to confuse people, he wasn’t using in the right way. But most people just nodded their head as if they understood what he was saying.
4. Inefficiency: Time can be wasted explaining jargon, which slows down the flow of information.
5. Perceived Pretentiousness: Excessive use of jargon can come off as pretentious or as an attempt to sound more knowledgeable than you actually are.
6. Global Communication: Jargon may not translate well across cultures or languages, complicating international business. I have been in many international meetings where participants have asked for clarification about not only jargon, but also local expressions – and I once had to spend 10 minutes explaining to a multi cultural group what the expression “flying by the seat of your pants” meant (message me if you don’t know).
7. Overcomplication: Simple ideas can seem more complex than they are, which might lead to unnecessary confusion or stress. Just communicate simply!
8. Unreliable Perceptions: People might use jargon to mask a lack of real understanding or to sidestep questions, which can erode trust. I met a project manager earlier this year who used this strategy to try and hide the fact his project was in deep trouble.

To help you out here’s a list of some common professional office jargon that you have probably heard today or at least this week. I’ve added a simpler way to express the same ideas:

1. Synergy – Try saying this instead: Teamwork or collaboration
2. Leverage – Try saying this instead: Use
3. Paradigm Shift – Try saying this instead: Fundamental change
4. Low-Hanging Fruit – Try saying this instead: Easy tasks
5. Touch Base – Try saying this instead: Check in or update
6. Take It Offline – Try saying this instead: Discuss later, not here
7. Circle Back – Try saying this instead: Follow up
8. Deep Dive – Try saying this instead: Detailed analysis
9. Bandwidth – Try saying this instead: Time or resources
10. Move the Needle – Try saying this instead: Make a difference
11. Win-Win Situation – Try saying this instead: Both sides benefit
12. Value-Added – Try saying this instead: Extra features or benefits
13. Boil the Ocean – Try saying this instead: Wasting time on too big a task
14. On the Same Page – Try saying this instead: Agree or understand
15. Pivot – Try saying this instead: Change direction or strategy
16. Think Outside the Box – Try saying this instead: Be creative
17. Game Changer – Try saying this instead: Something that makes a big impact
18. Scaling – Try saying this instead: Growing or expanding
19. At the End of the Day – Try saying this instead: Ultimately or finally
20. Disruptive Innovation – Try saying this instead: New idea that changes the market
21. Lean Into – Try saying this instead: Embrace or focus on

What have I missed; I am sure there are many more? Anyway, just be a better communicator by avoiding jargon!