On a recent project I came across a very senior "Program Director" who is in a role that one day I'd like to be in myself. He was called in to consult and advise on a major project that I was leading.
Whilst I learnt a few things from him, overall I found that he had quite a hostile personality and lot of the time he seemed to be justifying his existence on the project rather than adding real value. He was acting like the type of person that I never want to be.
This got me wondering, do I need to be someone that I don't like to achieve my career goals in project management? Or is our profession flexible enough to allow those that work hard and dedicate themselves to their job, achieve their career goals regardless of their personality? What are your thoughts on this?
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Bernard GorePortfolio, Programme & Project Professional| NZ PoliceWellington, New Zealand
Certainly you don't need to be "that person" - however the role of Program Director does involve asking the very hard questions and being very firm on demanding answers, so you have to be able to do this, and this often heads into territory that can be quite confrontational. Not all the time, not as a default, but the role does require that when appropriate the person steps up and refuses to accept any BS, and sometimes that requires a very confrontational stance.
I have seen those who manage to do this sort of role without being as confrontational, but generally because they have an established position in the organisation in which they've earned an exceptional level of respect which means that pretty much everyone will already listen and respond exactly as they need.
On a more general tone, yes we all have to make compromises - very few are so lucky as to find that their desired goals align perfectly with their default personality - so we have to either shift the goals, or make changes to ourselves, or often both, until they align. It is your choice which you change and by how much, but unless you can get these close enough you will not achieve the goals.
Our profession as a whole is flexible enough to include many different styles, but individual roles have specific needs. Hard work and dedication is necessary, but not everything you may need for every role. Some roles demand more, whether it is inspiring leadership ability, incredible instincts and intuition, or a rottweiler-like tenacity. Saving Changes...
I had a similar observation in early part of my career. The first "PM" I saw when I was an intern, had a very deep negative impression on me - he was not a very pleasant personality - not someone you would aspire to be. Later I discovered that he was not a very successful PM either.
In course of my career I have interacted with some of the outstanding Project / Program Managers who can make their point, make things happen, without being coercive or hostile to the team.
I agree with Bernard, at times the profession demands that you confront with the situation to get things straight for the larger benefit of the program, but the key is to remember that you are confronting a problem and not a person. To be effective as a Program Lead, you must not shy away from a difficult situation that may lead to a confrontation, but my experience tells me that as long as you are communicating enough, explaining enough why you are pushing the team to a certain direction (again for the larger benefit of the program) and thrashing out any issues that stand in the way - you would finally see your team aligned with your thought process and marching towards the common goal. This is leadership and you also have to be flexible to listen to suggestions, as long as it does not distract.
A good PM is a missionary with the right empathy. Many times your hardwork will go in taking the team along the journey, coaching and mentoring and building a generation of good PMs and practitioners who would collaborate well to achieve the common goal. If you are handling a troubled project - you can expect practices that need to change - and there will be initial resistance to change for sheer inertia - and as a change agent you have to confront the situation but I have seen time and again that this can be done without a prolonged conflict within the team, and when the success comes, the team realizes why the change was necessary and your eminence as a PM is automatically established. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
"You are confronting a problem, not a person" - I love this point that you've made Amitabha. It's certainly something to consider when I'm tackling issues in my projects. Thanks for putting it so eloquently! Saving Changes...
Al TaylorI.T. Contractor| IndependentWaterloo, Ontario, Canada
be yourself grasshopper!
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Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
Of course you don't have to be like him to succeed. And who says taht he is successful and well respected within the role he currently has? Find a company where your talents and skills are valued, and if you can't do that in your current firm, go somewhere else. PM is certainly flexible enough to accommodate your personal style and let you be a success without copying his behaviours. Saving Changes...
