I have been a project manager for 20 years and recently switched from telecom to the banking industry.
I just recently started at this new company. My project has been ongoing for 1.5 months (since Jan 3rd). When my manager's boss asked for a project update status, I had very limited updates. Now my ability is in question and perhaps my job on the line.
What happened during Jan 3 - Feb 17.
- the main technology team had to onboard a new PM and solutions BA. Previous ones that worked on the high level requirements and solutions left the company. New PM and BA on-boarded mid-Jan.
- at first, there was some confusion on accountabilities on the requirements with the new PM. My colleague mentoring me recommended a soft kickoff with all stakeholders including the sponsor to ensure all stakeholders are aligned.
I followed the advice of my mentor but my reservations are as followed:
- the primary business VP stakeholder hasn't been on-boarded. They are the ones that are required to explain their current state in order for the tech teams to start their development
- ideally, I would like to speak to all stakeholders prior to a kickoff.
- for above reasons and without clear requirements, I felt a soft kickoff was premature. I don't want the kickoff with VPs turning into a debate session. Soft kickoff is scheduled for next week.
My manager indicated as a senior PM, I should know about the soft kickoff. She also thought I wasn't tracking the project properly using PM practices. Additionally, I should have a plan to a plan, which I agreed. I am unsure if this is an excuse, but being new to the company, this was difficult without proper support.
To date, I have a project plan (although with very limited information), all meeting minutes, RAID log, project charter (not quite completed due to above reasons).
Although my manager is in the loop of the issues, in hindsight, I should have provided her (and perhaps the sponsor) a weekly status report highlighting the continuous hold ups.
For me, it's odd the project is handed off to start when a key VP stakeholder responsible for the front end process (the users) hasn't been on-boarded. In my past companies, I have done team kickoffs to introduce everyone and open up discussions. However, a soft kickoff of above nature is new to me and seems premature, especially when an important stakeholder hasn't been on-boarded.
Are soft kickoffs of above nature common PM practices? Also, how should I have handled the project differently? I definitely wasn't happy with my updates to my manager's boss and in hindsight, should have done a different approach. However, regardless of how I spin it, there was very little to update in terms of progress. Appreciate any input and advice. Saving Changes...
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Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Jason never heard this term soft kickoff.
A kickoff can have different contents and purposes (align to a goal and a plan, team building, setting team charter, bind a sponsor to the project) though. And yes, there always should be a soft part to it, a people / softskills view.
Any PM tool & technique is subject to adaptation by a company, often set by previous highly valued PMs.
So my guess is your new company has seen 'soft kickoffs' and they have expectations about this and, as your manager behaves, other PM standards. Hard to comply if you do not know it. Maybe there is a PM handbook or lessons learned where it is documented? Or your mentor might know where it is documented.
And yes, engaging 1:1 with key stakeholders from day 1 is critical, and you seem to have missed that. There is not much benefit in looking back, you can try to restart relations. Saving Changes...
A soft kick-off is analogous to a letter of intent in relation to a formal signed contract. Its purpose is usually to get the project rolling with the core stakeholders while ancillary stakeholders are onboarded and a charter is developed. It is common when there are external vendors involved who can't be engaged and participate in a formal kickoff until the project has progressed past usual initiation activities.
I would say that frequent touch points with your direct manager to make sure you were both on the same page as far as expectations on both sides go is important. In one of the first one of these, you could set expectations with your manager that they will need to give you a chance to get properly ramped up and hence they may need to run interference with their seniors until you are fully up-to-speed.
I have not heard the term "soft kickoff" before, but based on your description, I have seen that kind of activity many times before, with different names. In product development for example, a small core team of a few key individuals may be chartered to go scope out the larger project, identify the key challenges, risks, and outline but not fully define the implementation plan for the complete project should the sponsors decide to move forward based on the preliminary analysis.
A notable problem I see in your situation is that your manager is using imprecise internal office jargon like "soft kickoff" and they expect you to fully understand it. Correcting that requires you both to work together.
As a senior PM, I frequently onboard people with extensive experience but new to our organization or specific role. I spend a lot of time coaching them on the workings of our business, and the expectations for their projects within that framework.
Your manager seems to assume that their internal processes are universally practiced elsewhere using the same jargon. They are not. Every business is different.
You need to seek more regular feedback to clarify the expectations. Once a week status might be sufficient for your program level reporting, but you need regular one-on-one feedback from your manager such as what key points are typically expected in your reporting. They understand the expectations of the stakeholders and should help steer you in the right direction, but not micromanage your daily work.
As you better understand the organization by clarifying the unspoken expectations in near to real-time, you will become more autonomous. Until then, regular feedback and smaller course corrections will yield better results than infrequent milestone reviews where you learn that you are far off the target. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I am in a similar boat, having started a familiar assignment but with a different employer.
The people at your new employer have expectations, just as you do. You need to clarify both sets of expectations. This will happen through a lot of questions, meetings and trial & error.
Give yourself, and your manager, some time to get acclimated. Things will fall into place soon enough. Saving Changes...
Thank you everyone for the great feedbacks! I will need to repair relations and do have a plan for clearer communications with my manager. Saving Changes...
Latha Thamma reddiSr Product and Portfolio Management (Automation Innovation)| DXC TechnologyMckinney, Tx, United States
