The “e” in Email

Alright, I’ve had it with project leaders who think that the whole job can be done from a keyboard! I recently helped one of my client companies hire a project manager for a professional services business. The CEO told me they wanted help because “The last 3 project managers didn’t work out.” Yeah, that’s a sign that somethings cookin’ in the project management kitchen. t seems that the last project manager was there for a year and had NEVER been to visit a customer. Now, mind you, this was a professional services firm, and the people working on the projects were pretty much ALWAYS at the customer site. I innicently asked “How did this person manage the project?” The answer, of course . . . EMAIL! Paper cuts all over my body just prior to a lemon juice bath couldn’t have put me into more intense convulsions. (more…)

Weathering the Storm

Mike Witley, PMP at Fireman’s Fund in Novato notes that “Often times life as a project manager seems more like crisis management rather than project management…”

So at the PMI Breakfast Roundtable meeting this morning Mike invited us to share “the phrases, philosophy, and places of strength” that we latch onto to keep us going in times of crisis.  (more…)

Thumbs Up for Feedback!

• Bob is consistently late to meetings.
• Sara’s tasks are always doing “just fine” up until the last minute – then suddenly there is a crisis and it can’t be done on time.
• Your overall team effort seems to be losing momentum compared to your pace at the beginning of the project.
• Michael and Susan are strong team players and often go the extra mile behind the scenes to support the team – but their effort is too often not explicitly recognized

Sound familiar? (more…)

Crossing the Knowing-Doing Gap

A couple of days ago I adamantly asserted that people working on projects sometimes know what needs to be done but don’t do it for various reasons. This behavior is typical of those stuck in the gap between KNOWING HOW to do something and actually DOING it.

How can project leaders enable people on our teams to cross that gap?

1. Challenge people about their own contribution to the circumstances that are keeping them stuck.

2. Confront them with their own power to effect changes to these circumstances. (more…)

More or Less Planning?

When I ask project management students to list actions that are key to successful projects, the overwhelming majority of things on the list are related to planning.

We actually spend most of the time and energy in execution and control rather than planning. So, what’s going on? I think the students’ lists reflect frustrations - struggling to change and cope with plans that do not accurately incorporate reality. Their perception is that much of the struggle could be diminished through better planning. (more…)

The Knowing-Doing Gap

If knowing “HOW” to do something were enough we’d all be rich and thin. There’s always some reason why well-intentioned, educated, experienced professionals are doing the opposite of what they know makes sense. Frequently it’s because they are really busy, and can’t possibly do what needs to be done until someone ELSE changes first, usually their boss, or someone in a different department. “If only” someone or something else would change then THEY would be able to do what they need to do to accomplish the goals. (more…)

Priorities

In a previous post long ago I urged setting priorities even though everything SEEMS to be #1. Why don’t people set priorities? I think it’s because they don’t understand how to use them properly and fear they will result in critical work being back-burned forever. Not so - priority lists actually INCREASE the amount of work that gets done, as much as doubling it due to reduced waste from constantly jumping from task to task. (more…)