ProjectsAtWork

Burnout is everywhere in the work world, and it hurts morale, performance and ROI in both obvious and subtle ways. But burnout is a sensitive issue that can be tricky to discuss — and even harder to fix.

Many people are reluctant to admit that they are suffering from burnout, while others may not even realize it. They think the problem might be their own doing. Others know that burnout is affecting them, but they don’t see a way around it and feel trapped — until they quit, quietly or otherwise.

We recently polled the ProjectManagement.com community about burnout and its main causes, asking: If you’ve experienced burnout in the past year, what was the main cause?

More than 40 percent of almost 200 respondents said they were overwhelmed with too much work and too little time. About 20 percent are uninspired with no direction or sense of purpose. Another 20 percent feel unappreciated with little recognition or support. About 8 percent said they feel disconnected, lacking collaboration or a team bond. And a fortunate 12 percent said they had not experienced burnout in the past year.

It doesn’t help that far too many organizations and managers do not even acknowledge that burnout is an issue, so they don’t recognize (or simply ignore) its symptoms. As a result, they never actually reckon with the causes of burnout. But they certainly suffer the consequences, from turnover to turmoil that hinders execution and stifles innovation.

The latest episode of PMI’s Projectified podcast focuses on Overcoming Burnout and Change Fatigue, with guests Rose James, PMI-ACP, PMP, and Mary Tresa Gabriel, PMP, discussing how they are helping organizations and teams find healthier ways to deal with these issues. Project team leaders can benefit from their insights.

The first step in overcoming burnout is simply to talk about it. “This helps [team members] understand they are not alone in their journey. Everyone has gone through it,” Gabriel says. “Don’t treat is as a sign of weakness.”

And that kind of transparent communication can help to reduce burnout. “Because when our team members want to talk about burnout, it is more likely they are okay to show their vulnerable side, which comes only when they trust you and when they are open to share with you,” Gabriel says.

In addition to providing a safe, open environment to discuss burnout, project leaders have an ongoing responsibility to provide clear direction to team members. Without it, “they may feel lost, confused, and struggle to find the real meaning of what they are doing,” Gabriel says.

Likewise, project leaders need to protect their teams—and themselves—from excessive workload and unrealistic timelines, which was the leading cause of burnout, according to our PM.com poll.

“If they are constantly faced with unclear expectations and shifting priorities or lack of proper information about the changes, this itself can cause a lot of uncertainty within the team, which can cause burnout.”

Easier said than done, right? In the podcast, James highlights two interconnected “pieces” that project leaders should connect.

The mindset piece can be as straightforward as making sure to take frequent breaks from the work to help the mind relax and reduce stress. But just as important, James says, is “to reframe threats as challenges, because when you are in a burnout state, your mind tends to see challenges as threats, or little mishaps as huge threats. If you put too much pressure on the team to achieve the goal too fast or to implement the change too fast, or frequent changes, your team is going to crack.”

The behavior piece is even trickier, James says. It’s about teaching the team how to learn to say ‘no’ tactfully. How do you do that? James says that project leaders and team members must make the case —in reasonable, rational language—that adding more to their current list of initiatives is going to diminish the quality of output.

And if that doesn’t work? Well, when delivering value isn’t valued more than just delivering … when the talk of mental wellbeing is just, you know, talk … then burnout will continue. And everyone will lose.

So, make your case or make your move.

Whether you’re leading a project or contributing to one, you are on the frontlines of your organization’s success. Do it with purpose, transparency and empathy.

“Ninety percent of employees in any organization work on the frontlines. That’s where companies interact with customers, solve the most problems, establish norms, and cultivate culture,” says Eric Strafel, author of The Frontline CEO. “Yet most organizations today cling to old-fashioned systems that keep senior leaders and frontline workers apart.”

That’s not an encouraging observation, but it sounds like a chasm that project leaders are well-positioned to bridge. After all, project managers are expected to understand their organization’s strategic goals and bring that vision to their project teams—the frontlines of getting things done.

From stakeholder engagement and customer requirements, to reporting and managing change, project leaders are continuously connecting their team members to the higher purpose and value of their work. They play an integral role in creating a can-do culture of collaboration and problem-solving. They inspire and stay on course—or adjust when needed. They connect the dots. Do you?

In his book, Strafel presents strategies that can help empower frontline workers to make decisions and solve problems on their own—again, something project managers should already be doing. “Frontline leadership pulls employees into the decision-making process, so that solutions are sought, found and acted upon in the area that matters most—where the work gets done,” he says.

Strafel presents a roadmap for implementing frontline leadership in his book. Here are three recommendations (or reminders) that will make you a better a project leader:

   > Know Your Purpose and Live It. Without purpose, project teams and individuals can veer off in different directions, impacting productivity, and undermining the goals of the organization and customer. That’s why it is so critical that project leaders keep the purpose of the project work front and center—from kickoff to closeout, and every interaction in between. This laser focus will not only help to ensure that everyone is on the same page, but it can serve as inspiration, especially when the going gets tough.

   > Practice Radical Transparency. Radical transparency requires a dramatic shift from top-down leadership style which assumes that only senior management can be trusted with vital information and the ability to make decisions. Not only does this impede decision-making, but it causes an “us-versus-them” mentality. Radical transparency, on the other hand, builds trust. Project leaders foster transparency when they behave authentically, discuss what is really going on, solicit feedback, and take appropriate action. This transparency should extend beyond the organization, guiding the way you work with customers and stakeholders as well. 

   > Show that You Care. Strafel urges leaders to stop valuing performance over people. “Get to know [them], learn how they want to build their careers, what they care about, and then help them move toward their goals,” he advises. He also notes that when it comes to caring, many leaders talk about the value of diversity, seeing it as a source of strength. Yet they fail when it comes to inclusion. Part of caring is making sure that everyone, no matter who they are, feels welcome within the project team.

Purpose. Transparency. Empathy. Three powerful pillars to lead by.

You know, we’ve all been schooled about the triple constraint—the project management triangle of scope, time and cost. But there should be no constraint when it comes to leading your project teams with a sense of purpose, radical transparency and genuine empathy.

Honor that leadership triangle on the frontlines and you’ll be circling success more often than not.

There isn’t much good that can be said about COVID-19, but it appears that many organizations, project leaders and teams rose to the challenges it posed to their work.

All of us are doing things differently than we did 16 or 17 months ago before offices closed and travel ceased. Our organizations are planning, managing and delivering projects differently, too. And in measurable, demonstrative ways, that’s actually turned out to be a good thing—or at least the start of something good.

Forced to pivot suddenly in March 2020, many organizations and teams became more focused on outcomes than processes. It was the only way to keep critical initiatives up and running, to meet strategic goals, to stay in the game. In doing so, a new kind of organization is emerging—something Project Management Institute’s new report, Pulse of the Profession 2021: Beyond Agility, calls a “gymnastic enterprise.”

These gymnastic organizations are empowering their people to become "changemakers" who, regardless of their role, are inspired and equipped to turn ideas into reality. This happens when people continuously get better at what they do, by building a holistic portfolio of skills. And it happens when they're supported by a strong organizational culture, strong leaders, and a strong talent management function.

Here are some key findings from the report, released last month:

>> Despite the pandemic, organizations and their people found new ways of working and delivering value, with digital transformation leading the charge. And although many planned projects were put on hold, of those that did forge ahead, more met original goals and business intent, more were completed within budget and on time, and wasted investment due to poor project performance declined compared to last year's survey.

>> Gymnastic enterprises were more likely to have high levels of organizational agility (48 percent versus 27 percent) and to use standardized risk management practices. They were able to adapt faster to the pandemic, being far more likely to have undergone business change in 2020. And they were much more likely to have seen increased productivity (71 percent versus 53 percent) and better project outcomes in 2020—in turn, resulting in less wasted investment, according to the report.

Gymnastic enterprises are empowering their people to work smarter in three key ways:

   1. Mastering different ways of working—whether that’s agile, predictive, or hybrid approaches, or a range of tech-enhanced tools

   2. Elevating people skills—what the report calls power skills—to ensure effective leadership and communication

   3. Building business acumen to create well-rounded employees who have deep expertise and can see the bigger picture.

The report explores these new ways of working:

>> Gymnastic enterprises are more likely than traditional enterprises to use agile and hybrid approaches, and less likely to use waterfall. Yet it isn’t as simple as moving away from waterfall, but rather taking a more balanced and customized approach for the project at hand.

>> Gymnastic enterprises are outpacing traditional enterprises in the use of cloud solutions, the Internet of Things, AI and 5G mobile internet to manage projects. But more importantly, they're using technology to augment human skills and help their people continuously improve, prioritizing the enterprise-wide adoption of complex problem-solving techniques; AI-driven tools; on-demand, microlearning apps; and career assessment tools.

Ultimately, it comes down to a people first approach. With their focus on augmenting human skills, and on creative collaboration, gymnastic enterprises put the highest priority on collaborative leadership. They also prize adaptability, an innovative mindset and empathy.

But building an environment where changemakers thrive doesn’t just magically happen. The role of organizational culture cannot be understated. Gymnastic enterprises are far more likely than traditional enterprises to prioritize delivering customer value, aligning with organizational values, and embracing digital solutions, according to the report.

Where gymnastic enterprises aren't doing better than their traditional counterparts, however, is diversity at the top. For example, just 44 percent have at least one female leader in the C-Suite. But they're working to plug the gap: 63 percent are putting a high priority on fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, versus 51 percent of traditional enterprises.

So there’s still very important work to be done. There always is. But many organizations, with changemakers at the forefront, are moving in the right direction.

You can download the full report here.

Does your organization practice diversity? I’m not talking about a Human Resources handbook that covers equal opportunity hiring and anti-discrimination policies—every organization checks those legal boxes. I’m talking about embracing diversity. I’m talking about demanding true diversity.

The latest Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report from Project Management Institute—A Case for Diversity—is a timely one. It shows the value and benefits of inclusive project teams, shows where companies are currently in their attitudes versus actions, and offers a blueprint for making diversity a reality. All project professionals should read it, and make sure their executive leaders find a copy in their in-boxes as well.

Most project leaders already recognize that culturally diverse and gender diverse teams increase project value—88 percent, according the report. They know a “mix of mindsets” leads to fresh approaches, faster problem-solving and far better solutions.

“Being able to draw from a spectrum of backgrounds and experiences”—be it race, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture or nationality—“fuels innovation, unleashing perspectives that might otherwise go unconsidered,” the report states.

But knowing and doing are two very different things. Large gaps exist between what organizations proclaim and what they have actually achieved. Only 33 percent of respondents say their organization has a culturally diverse senior leadership team, and nearly 60 percent say there isn’t a single female in their C-suite.

Cross-cultural awareness and communication are also lagging. Half of respondents say their organization is below average at educating teams on cultural norms and practices to improve collaboration with global stakeholders. And just 18 percent say their organization offers a formal mentorship program to develop project leaders.

Diversity requires action. To build inclusive, future-ready project teams, organizations need executive sponsors such as chief diversity officers to lead the charge and make sure the message of inclusion is heard at every layer of the org chart, the report states. “Companies can also boost diversity with distributed teams, drawing in talent from different locations—with different voices and different ways of working.”

Networking groups, mentorship programs and focused recruiting efforts are all fundamental to developing diversity in the workplace.

The diversity dividend—the ROI in inclusion—is real. The report finds that clients want to see themselves reflected in the project teams they call on to execute their strategic goals, and that Gen Z's best and brightest want to work for companies that demonstrate a commitment to diversity.

A Case for Diversity concludes with three principles that organizations should focus on to make diversity a reality:

> Walk the Walk: The desire for diversity and inclusion is clear—but ambitions must be backed by actions. To achieve real outcomes, organizations need a strategic plan.

> Reexamine Assumptions: The post-COVID-19 reality is revealing new ways of looking at inclusion. By tapping into technology and rethinking the old office requirements to allow for more distributed teams, companies can reach valuable new talent pools and ensure diversity.

> Reflect Your Audience: There’s value in visibility. To attract and retain employees, clients and business partners, organizations must assemble teams that truly reflect their diverse audiences. With the right mix of perspectives, companies can better understand—and deliver on—what end-users really want out of a project.

Future-ready project teams will be diverse teams. Demand nothing less.

Download A Case for Diversity here.

A major renovation project at Denver International Airport is sending out Mayday signals, with cost overruns that could exceed $350 million and delays measured in years. It’s déjà vu all over again. 

I once did a story on an infamous project debacle—a complex baggage-handling system that had delayed the opening of Denver’s new airport back in the 90s. Years later, I focused on the project rescue that had finally got the system working. I can’t speak to the issues plaguing that same airport’s current renovation project in 2019, but revisiting the lessons shared in that 2002 case study just might help you get a troubled project back on track, too. 

At the crux of Denver airport's baggage problem—as with so many projects gone wrong—were promises that couldn't be kept. Such a complex baggage system had never before been attempted, and the contractor originally estimated it would take four years to complete. But caving to political pressure to cut ribbons and craving a big commission. the contractor squeezed the schedule down to two years. About a year in, as problems began to multiply, airport officials called on a team of rescue specialists.

No two projects are alike, and few operate under the intense media glare that fell on the Denver airport, but the rescue team’s systematic approach to salvaging the situation is instructive. It shows that project recovery is not an exact science, but it is often rooted in a most eternal of quests: the truth. The recovery required rapid stabilizing, ongoing reprioritizing and team rebuilding. And at each step, some hard truths had to be told.

Unload the Baggage

On a failing project where finger pointing is as abundant as straight answers are scarce, separating the core problems from the distractions is a crucial first step. Everyone has opinions about what has gone wrong and why. In Denver, it took eight weeks of meetings to stabilize the situation and set a constructive tone that would guide the turnaround.

“It's imperative that you take time to take a balanced look at the overall situation," says Phil Veal, an infrastructure project turnaround specialist. "It doesn't happen overnight or in one meeting. You have a series of meetings that are tough for everyone. You slowly work on making people see the big picture."

For the picture to come into view, airport stakeholders had to come to grips with the fact that the original opening date had passed. "You need to put that to one side, and say, 'Here's where we need to be, here's the date and here's how we're going to get there.' This is where you need to establish trust by talking honestly and scientifically with all the stakeholders."

Only after taking stock of the situation could the project's requirements be renegotiated and, once agreed upon, a new strategy developed.

Reality Check-In

Team members have to acknowledge the need for project recovery, too. When consultants arrived, they were handed piles of reports on tests showing on-time delivery of bags was actually improving. Digging deeper, they found the numbers had to improve at a rate 10 times greater in order to declare the system ready. "By looking at this curve, there was no way they were going to meet the required metrics for opening the system," Veal says. "But they were still saying, 'We'll open it,' because they had to."

Team members were also fighting too many fires, or perhaps hearing too many alarms. "If one bag in every 1,000 was falling off the conveyor, they were sending a team to solve that issue," Veal says. "That sucks up valuable time and effort. You worry about that later and go figure out where 100 bags out of 1,000 are being lost. You need to focus on the real crisis points."

Unrealistic performance measurements and the inability to rank priorities had overwhelmed the team. "They had never dealt with anything quite this complex," Veal says. "There were so many problems unlike any of the other projects they had delivered. They couldn't see the woods for the trees."

They developed a "70 percent solution." It involved this question: What will keep the most people satisfied for six months until we can get the rest of the system running?

The answer may have seemed as cold as a jet's cargo area, but it was honest. "We could put up with travelers complaining that their bags were 15 minutes late to the carousel [on arrival]," Veal says. "But we had to get the outgoing bags through the gate in the target time, otherwise aircraft can't depart. It wasn't realistic to deliver the whole complex system, but if we got this significant part running to satisfactory levels, then we could declare this airport open."

Cut to the Chase

“It is easy to get confused between meaningful metrics and a sheet full of numbers that aren't germane to the issues," says Veal. "A misperception is that if you have an inch-thick report with a bunch of data, the team is on target. A concise report is much better for decision-making.

When managing projects, Veal circulates an executive report to facilitate what he calls the "elevator conversation." It summarizes the top issues so that if you run into a stakeholder, you can pinpoint in minutes what is going well and what needs improvement. If a project manager is talking for an hour about the issues, then they don't know where to focus energies.

Prepare for Turbulence 

Once the system's requirements were adjusted, the team had to adjust its attitude and approach as well. As the project was broken into chunks of work that people could get their heads around, changes were made in who was assigned to do what.

"You need to realign the team and send the signal that things are different now," Veal says. "You don't do that by sweeping out the entire team. You put capable people in a couple of key roles." 

Typically, a troubled project is lacking a technical expert or a delivery specialist, and sometimes both, Veal says. He developed "tiger teams" charged with resolving specific parts of the project. Then, as a project regains momentum, you might tweak the team again. "Over time, you start thinking about how you strengthen or refresh this team, and you reassign people who don't have the capabilities to match what you're trying to achieve."

It can be effective for the recovery specialists to "shadow" the project leaders and other key technical or delivery roles. It may be just a case that people got distracted by the detail and lost in the complexity of the system, so they need someone to make sure they have the correct perspective. There's no single way to strengthen a team. You need to be situational in your approach.

Create an Early Win

In addition to determining a project's crisis points, it helps to find a secondary issue that can be fixed fast to improve perceptions. For example, Denver airport visitors saw bags falling off carousels during tests, creating a poor impression that fed bad publicity.

"It's not a crisis point, but it may be something you artificially raise in your hierarchy of issues," Veal says. "If you can resolve it, you can use it as a public relations lever and a stepping stone to greater things.”

Cleared for Landing

In the heat of a project recovery effort, participants often lack the perspective that the passage of time can bring. If it feels like a war has been fought, victory is sometimes hard to recognize. Veal says the experience is not always as bad as it seems upon reflection.

A positive, supportive partnership with the project sponsor or client is not only helpful, but often essential to success. By the same token, success requires the project team to act with the urgency of a vested owner when red flags arise. From both sides, it comes down to insisting on the truth, however difficult that may be.

Team leaders and members must have the courage to speak out at the earliest signs of trouble. And they have to be brave enough to tell the project leaders what's going on.

"Human nature is to shy away; and then the problems build until it's patently obvious you're not going to deliver anything," Veal says. "You need to always confront the issues as they arise, in the open, with honesty and integrity."