Larry MinerFounder and Sr. Project Management of Decision Memory Systems| Decision Memory SystemsBath, Oh, United States
I attended a meeting recently where the new PMO Director explained to a room full of PMs that she wanted them to practice being humble. Now given my experience, project management is anything but humble. I've always seem it as a mentoring, leadership role and on occasion a contact sport with elbows, if required, on occasion. Your thoughts? Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
It is a wasted asked people to be humble as if humility was in a pill people can take. On the other side, what is being humble for that person? This show why project/program/portfolio management fail: the lack to put subjective terms into objective ones. Saving Changes...
Drake SettsuProject Manager / BloggerHi, United States
I understand what she was trying to convey. I been in the business a long time and people say some mean stuff about PM's behind their back and they are correct. Some PM's have no people skills and hit it off bad with a team from day one. Good PM's are able to connect with their people skills. Saving Changes...
Jim BongiovanniDirector of Technology Services| Cooper Medical School of Rowan UniversityVoorhees, Nj, United States
I agree with Sergio that some people are naturally humble, some less so, and you are not likely to change anyone just by asking them to change.
There was a Harry Truman quote floating around recently on various discussions relating to leadership, good and bad managers, etc...that resonated with me.
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
Others may have a different idea of what it means to be humble or if it is even a desirable characteristic. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
In fact, I think this new PMO director has a great way of thinking because being arrogant can be detremental to your team and project while being humble can help you gain people’s trust and build great working relationships. Saving Changes...
Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
It is always a balancing act how you interact with others.
The answer is not just to be humble. Humble is not the opposite of boastful or aggressive or arrogant. Humble can be to not make waves. Humble can be to allow others to walk all over you. Humble can be to be invisible. Humble can be self-centered. Truthfully, I do not think this word is appropriate in business.
Instead, be considerate and kind. Be a team player. Build each other up. Go ahead and be assertive when needed. Go ahead and take charge when needed. Step up and offer to help others. You can take credit for some great work you did, just remember to include everyone who helped you accomplish it.
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1 reply by Adrian Carlogea
Aug 28, 2018 5:53 PM
Adrian Carlogea
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"You can take credit for some great work you did, just remember to include everyone who helped you accomplish it."
With the risk of offending some people I have to say that this, at least in my opinion, is one of the statements that make PMs not to be liked by some people, especially by those that work hard on projects (not as project managers).
While PMs do deserve credit for their contribution the actual work is not done by them so they can't take credit for the great work done on projects. They can for instance take credit for how well and efficient the project was organized.
When a worker puts a lot of effort to deliver the project, in my opinion, it is simply humiliation to thank him/her for his/her "help". It is like the PMs has done most of the important work while the worker just helped a little bit doing trivial things. This statement in my opinion minimizes the contribution of the people that have done the actual work on the project.
Maybe by being humble that director was addressing this kind of statements that could make project team members feel humiliated.
Many PMs consider themselves superior to the other people working on projects when in reality they are individual contributor as well and peers to the other team members. Perhaps that director was trying to convince the PMs about this fact so that they would not consider themselves superior to the other team members when in reality they are not.
I do apologize if my comment was considered offensive but this is my opinion.
Larry -
PM's role need a lot of people skills and this management role is just not full of only authority but also has to have required leadership skills. Being humble is a very good quality in any environment and it will be definitely useful to earn the project team's respect & trust and ultimately to achieve project success. Saving Changes...
Vivek BhatiaPrincipal| The Bhatia GroupOakland, Ca, United States
I think PMs need to practice servant leadership.
The word "humble" means different things to different people who grew up in the same part of a given country, and VERY different things to people who grew up on opposite sides of the same country. Put people together from multiple countries and fuggedaboutit. What is viewed as humility in one is viewed as a weakness in another.
If one is going to use that word, they first need to define what it means. Saving Changes...
It is always a balancing act how you interact with others.
The answer is not just to be humble. Humble is not the opposite of boastful or aggressive or arrogant. Humble can be to not make waves. Humble can be to allow others to walk all over you. Humble can be to be invisible. Humble can be self-centered. Truthfully, I do not think this word is appropriate in business.
Instead, be considerate and kind. Be a team player. Build each other up. Go ahead and be assertive when needed. Go ahead and take charge when needed. Step up and offer to help others. You can take credit for some great work you did, just remember to include everyone who helped you accomplish it.
"You can take credit for some great work you did, just remember to include everyone who helped you accomplish it."
With the risk of offending some people I have to say that this, at least in my opinion, is one of the statements that make PMs not to be liked by some people, especially by those that work hard on projects (not as project managers).
While PMs do deserve credit for their contribution the actual work is not done by them so they can't take credit for the great work done on projects. They can for instance take credit for how well and efficient the project was organized.
When a worker puts a lot of effort to deliver the project, in my opinion, it is simply humiliation to thank him/her for his/her "help". It is like the PMs has done most of the important work while the worker just helped a little bit doing trivial things. This statement in my opinion minimizes the contribution of the people that have done the actual work on the project.
Maybe by being humble that director was addressing this kind of statements that could make project team members feel humiliated.
Many PMs consider themselves superior to the other people working on projects when in reality they are individual contributor as well and peers to the other team members. Perhaps that director was trying to convince the PMs about this fact so that they would not consider themselves superior to the other team members when in reality they are not.
I do apologize if my comment was considered offensive but this is my opinion. Saving Changes...
It is very good move from her, but and it is a big but, will that work in a team has more than 20 cultures and very diversified cultures and attitudes .. Saving Changes...
...being humble is a relative term and debatable. In Japanese and Korean culture, bowing head is common way to show humble behavior, while other don't do that.
As Project Manager, you have to be respectful to stakeholders, resources and trend/sentiments to acompolish your goals. I'm not sure about 'being humble' without any context. That PMO Director might have been speaking in certain context. Saving Changes...
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