Mindset and Project Management

Luis -

I believe one's mindset contains a number of paradigms. For example, if one behaves like a Theory X manager, their mind may hold the paradigm that workers are lazy and need to be micro-managed.

Kiron

Your Mindset will most likely influence many aspects of a project. With mindset being an "established set of attitudes", you will need to work at adapting and changing the way you think.

This is more Nurture than Nature in my opinion - Mindset is established as we progress through life, even from the youngest age. You can adjust your vision by learning and listening to those around you, to gain different viewpoints of the world you exist in. To the same end, we are all influencers of others views.

People who are leaders, inspirational and open to change are usually more flexible in the control they have over their mindset.

In short - the mindset of a project manager will directly influence the outcome. This is not necessarily a negative point, but one that must be considered. Mindset is a big contributor to a person "fit" into a role.

Luis, great questions. Let me take them in order of length of answer!

Q1: What does Mindset mean to you?
A1: To me, mindset means attitude.

Q3: Can we change our Mindset?
A3: Yes, subject to Willingness/Ability (ref SLM, Hersey/Blanchard)

Q2: To what extent can Project Manager Mindset affect project outcomes?
A2: To a considerable extent. Consider the misguided mindset that the purpose of project management is to finish the project on time and on budget. Just think of how many PMs make this basic mistake and fail to understand the business context of the project, the stakeholder bias for the project and the constraints of the project, and how to thus apply the most appropriate project management techniques over the course of the project. Case in point, is a time-to-market project the same as a project subject to penalties? Of course not. PMs must know not just the data points of the Triple Constraints but the stakeholder biases for every constraint data point in terms of ranges, thresholds, and drop-deads.

Regrettably, most PMOs and PMs only discover these after the project is in the ditch. Hence, this becomes both a poorly managed project and project outcome and a missed opportunity for the best possible application of project management techniques in order to achieve the best possible product of the project outcome.

The project manager mindset needs to be much more business context, business outcome, and stakeholder oriented. Many people suggest, and I agree, the mindset for project management is often and regrettably reinforced by the PMI certification for project management which is based upon learning the PMBOK rather than competency in its application. This is not meant to be a discredit to PMI, rather just a calling out of an unintended consequence and resulting mindset.

How individuals view or interpret the meaning of the term mindset is subjective to that particular individual. From a high-level, mindset is an umbrella term for how we....think, visualize, interact, engage, listen, execute, plan, organize, live.

To what extent can Project Manager Mindset affect project outcomes?:

I am yet to read the book so my response might be more generic than in context with what the author meant.

The mindset is a mental state and a collection of thoughts and beliefs that can shape habits, and reactions. Sometimes these mindsets are formed and developed over a period of time while others are just spontaneous or short term based. This state of mind will definitely have either a positive or negative effect on how a project manager handles a project. I would say that a mindset in itself is a type of project risk.

It is important to note that the project manager is basically managing and handling two group of things- The tangible and the intangible. The tangible consists of physical and human resources while the intangible consists of elements that can be seen and felt but cannot be touched (eg. time).

If a project manager carriers his emotions into his project, there is a very big tendency that the project will be impacted positively or negatively. The right mindset of a PM must be guarded by emotional intelligence.

Personally, I tend to put my state of mind in check when working on projects. The more frustrated I get, the more I tend to take it out on team members and open up cracks for mistakes during integrated change control. A disturbed mind also tends to forget things and leave room for errors and delayed implementation of identified risk responses.

I will conclude by saying that every project has its "mindset and soul" and it is the job of a good PM to find that connection between himself and the project, rather then letting his mental state dictate how the project is actually executed. The only other acceptable mindset I would endorse for a PM without analyzing twice would be "Expert Judgement"

Dear Andrew

Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion.

Interesting what you wrote: "How individuals view or interpret the meaning of the term mindset is subjective to that particular individual"

Help me to understand. To you is Minset the same as Paradigm?

To what extent can Project Manager Mindset affect project outcomes?:

I am yet to read the book so my response might be more generic than in context with what the author meant.

The mindset is a mental state and a collection of thoughts and beliefs that can shape habits, and reactions. Sometimes these mindsets are formed and developed over a period of time while others are just spontaneous or short term based. This state of mind will definitely have either a positive or negative effect on how a project manager handles a project. I would say that a mindset in itself is a type of project risk.

It is important to note that the project manager is basically managing and handling two group of things- The tangible and the intangible. The tangible consists of physical and human resources while the intangible consists of elements that can be seen and felt but cannot be touched (eg. time).

If a project manager carriers his emotions into his project, there is a very big tendency that the project will be impacted positively or negatively. The right mindset of a PM must be guarded by emotional intelligence.

Personally, I tend to put my state of mind in check when working on projects. The more frustrated I get, the more I tend to take it out on team members and open up cracks for mistakes during integrated change control. A disturbed mind also tends to forget things and leave room for errors and delayed implementation of identified risk responses.

I will conclude by saying that every project has its "mindset and soul" and it is the job of a good PM to find that connection between himself and the project, rather then letting his mental state dictate how the project is actually executed. The only other acceptable mindset I would endorse for a PM without analyzing twice would be "Expert Judgement"

Luis, great questions. Let me take them in order of length of answer!

Q1: What does Mindset mean to you?
A1: To me, mindset means attitude.

Q3: Can we change our Mindset?
A3: Yes, subject to Willingness/Ability (ref SLM, Hersey/Blanchard)

Q2: To what extent can Project Manager Mindset affect project outcomes?
A2: To a considerable extent. Consider the misguided mindset that the purpose of project management is to finish the project on time and on budget. Just think of how many PMs make this basic mistake and fail to understand the business context of the project, the stakeholder bias for the project and the constraints of the project, and how to thus apply the most appropriate project management techniques over the course of the project. Case in point, is a time-to-market project the same as a project subject to penalties? Of course not. PMs must know not just the data points of the Triple Constraints but the stakeholder biases for every constraint data point in terms of ranges, thresholds, and drop-deads.

Regrettably, most PMOs and PMs only discover these after the project is in the ditch. Hence, this becomes both a poorly managed project and project outcome and a missed opportunity for the best possible application of project management techniques in order to achieve the best possible product of the project outcome.

The project manager mindset needs to be much more business context, business outcome, and stakeholder oriented. Many people suggest, and I agree, the mindset for project management is often and regrettably reinforced by the PMI certification for project management which is based upon learning the PMBOK rather than competency in its application. This is not meant to be a discredit to PMI, rather just a calling out of an unintended consequence and resulting mindset.