Igor ZdorovyakDirector of Projects| ImmunovantFair Lawn, Nj, United States
Common Mistakes Project Managers Need To Avoid. Even Senior Managers Can Learn From. CYA!
CYA - Cover Your Gluteus. Your gluteus maximum, gluteus medius and gluteus minimums.
Project Managers keep the world moving. It might be a bold statement or even a grandiose view. However, it is not necessary false. We all evaluate our current situations, prioritize, make decisions and adjust as we go through our day. All to make the project a success.
Now let's get our ego back down to earth and be a little more humble and real. Just like on earth there are moving forces like changing weather patterns, titanic plate shifts, volcanic eruptions. There are also forces in the business that are moving. Sometimes those forces don't move the way we want them to. Some of the forces are so strong that they might run you over.
To mitigate natural disasters there are insurance policies that one can take. At work CYA is that your insurance policy.
Not all forces are created equal. A complement to your boss about you is a good thing. A complaint to your boss about you is not a good thing.
Documentation is your CYA. It's not just an insurance policy. It Is part of your job.
Document the decisions that were taken.
Document the pro's and the con's of those decisions.
Document the outcomes of those decisions.
Than when the time comes. Unfortunately, it will come at some point of your career. You can present your CYA insurance policy to your boss or your sponsor.
Most negative forces that will come in business is when stakeholder doesn't get their way on a project and does something that will put his or her position in a better light. And, put your management of the situation in a negative light.
There is a saying that "The more SH_T that is thrown against the wall. The more it will stick."
Do your do diligence as a Project Manager in documenting the decisions that have taken place. Not just for the business sake. But for yourself as well. You can't help the business if you are no longer there because someone decided to put their agenda items on their priority list at your expense. Saving Changes...
