When Project Managers Attack!

As a project manager I have had my share of frustrations over the course of my career. Some days while working on certain projects I feel like why bother. I get to the point of thinking, if others don't care about the project's objectives, why should I? I can only give one good reason why the project manager should care about their projects; THAT IS WHAT WE GET PAID TO DO!

Certainly there are other reasons to care: a sense of ownership, responsibility to our customers, a commitment to finish what we started, personal pride, professional integrity, because it is the right thing to do, because others are counting on us, because as leaders we must always do what is expected, etc, etc, etc...

Project managers wear many hats. We are members of teams, leaders of teams, we are followers, we are stakeholders, we are fiscal planners, we are risk managers, risk takers, planners, schedulers, mentors, quality assurance reps, writers, motivators, listeners, we are empathetic, we are sympathetic, we demonstrate common sense when others don't, we demonstrate a fair and balanced approach to problems, and lots more.... You get the idea. You can see why we are sometimes frustrated. You can see why we need to be as professional as we can all the time.

I have communicated with many people that read this blog, and there is a lot of frustration out there in the Project Management world. The consensus seems to be that yes, there are organizations that do a good job of Project Management and have a great support structure for their project managers. But, it seems that a large majority of organizations don't do a very good job implementing and/or supporting project management, and according to what I hear, quite a few do a terrible job.

In many organizations the project manager position (if one exists) isn't viewed as a profession, but a job that can be performed by virtually anyone in the organization. That can be frustrating for those of us that consider ourselves to be professionals. We all get frustrated sometimes no matter what job we have. We all feel like we aren’t being supported which can lead us to believe that we are being “setup to fail”.

You know what, we all get paid to do a job, and sometimes the job isn't easy, fun, or structured the way we would like. If our managers value us as individuals then they should be willing to hear our ideas about what we need to be successful.

Keep in mind; the project manager can’t be successful on his or her own. They need a management structure in place that is committed to seeing Project Management succeed. Management must at least agree that Project Management adds or can add Value. Management must be able to state the Value that Project Management is adding or should be adding to the organization. If management can’t do that then you probably need to find a new place to work. It is that important.

As you probably know by reading this blog I usually try to reinforce the basics of Project Management, and today won't be any different.

Rule #1 - Team Conflict hurts Projects!

Team members need to remember that they must manage their departmental responsibilities as well as their project tasks to support the project to which they are assigned. Their management needs to assist the team members in setting priorities so that the project work doesn't suffer when the departmental work becomes more important.

Rule 2 - Management Apathy Hurts Projects!

All levels of impacted management must remember that if they are not engaged and interested in a project's success then their lack of support is a major contributor to project failure.

Rule #3 - Poor Planning Hurts Projects!

Project Management can only work when the project manager is given time to plan properly. Also, the project sponsor must explain the project's objectives clearly, and most importantly, obtain the entire team's commitment to meet the all of the project's objectives (this is a critical planning component). Simple project management principle: If you Fail to Plan, then you Plan to Fail. The failure to allow enough time for proper project planning is the sponsor's fault.

Keep fighting the Good Fight!

Loose Lips Sink Ships!

Have you ever heard of the "Three Ships to Success"? The one that is considered the best to have and/or demonstrate is Kinship. Kinship requires that you take time to nurture and build your relationships to make them stronger. The second ship is Sponsorship. This requires that a senior person in your organization take a personal interest in your career and your success. The third ship is Showmanship. This ship is your ability to delight and amaze your superiors, peers, and subordinates with your abilities and talents. While the three ships are important, without ability, skill, and knowledge the three ships will not take you very far.

While you work on your "three ships", keep in mind that if you work in a highly political environment you need to work on the following:

Don't criticize others.
Use data to back up your claims and don't exaggerate your needs or your customer's requirements.
Try to understand the political process where you work no matter how hard that may be.
Understand that many rules are out of date, no longer make sense, are not enforced, and are often ignored. Use this to your advantage, but never at the expense of another person, group, or your organization's reputation.
Prove yourself through your efforts, not by talking about what you once did.
Be respectful of others. Keep in mind they determine if you are treating them with respect, not you.
Be reasonable (this can be difficult). Note - I'm not sure who determines reasonableness.

On a personal note, I have never liked or performed up to my highest potential in highly political environments. The things I have listed above are weaknesses of mine and are things I need to work on to be a better project manager.

Remember relationships based on personal preference and personal styles are often major contributors to highly political organizations. Lastly, keep in mind the perceived and demonstrated values of your organization will drive the politics.

Rule of the day, the Three Ships of Success can help you to overcome political hurdles.

Project Management - Don't Do These Things

Don’t believe everything you are told about a potential project’s benefits. Investigate for yourself and plan accordingly.

Don’t take on a project that doesn’t have a strong sponsor that is committed to seeing the project succeed.

Don't forget that most project assumptions should also be risks.

Don't set project expectations that are higher than reality can deliver.

Don't try to define reality too early in the project planning phase.

Don’t define solutions that do not address needs.

Don’t forget to manage customer expectations.

Don’t forget to thank your team members for the good job they are doing.

Don’t be a whiner. A leader never whines and a whiner never leads.

Don’t forget that leaders need to have credibility.

Don’t forget that credibility requires honesty, dedication, commitment, and capability.

Don’t forget that people are the number one reason for project failure.

Don’t forget that empowering teams is a management function.

Don’t allow others to influence your attitude. Be positive in the face of adversity.

Don’t forget to have fun while working on your projects.

Don’t forget that Project Management is mostly art and some science.

Four Project Principles - Don't believe the Hype!

As I was reminded recently, it is always good to go back to the basics of what you know when confronted with issues that seem overwhelming.

Here are four basic Project Principles and some of my ideas regarding what to watch out for when managing your projects. As always, I welcome your feedback.

E-mail me at sfseay@yahoo.com

(1) Projects are often constrained from the start (Initiation Phase) by a fixed, finite budget and defined timeline. In other words, many projects have budgets that have strictly defined constraints and a timeline with a set start and end date. This is obvious to all project managers, however what is not so obvious is many times these budget and timelines are not sufficient (or realistic) to accomplish the project’s objectives. From the start, ensure the project sponsor is aware that budget and timelines may need to be renegotiated as project planning progresses.

(2) Projects can have many complex and interrelated activities that need to be coordinated so that proper organizational resources can be applied at the proper time. The big thing to watch out for here is "proper organizational resources". While you may not have input on which resources you get for your project, you do have input on the project’s estimates and schedule. Do not allow others to dictate unrealistic schedules or estimates for resources that are unproven, unreliable or untested.

(3) Projects are directed toward the attainment of a clearly defined objective(s) and once they are achieved, the project is over. Yea, right! Not all projects have clearly defined objectives, and if they do, they are not always achievable given the budget, time, and organizational constraints. Not only that, your organization’s culture can be a huge impediment to successfully managing your project. Be very careful when accepting a new project to ensure you are not being setup to fail. Do not accept projects with unclear or unrealistic objectives.

(4) Projects are unique. Because they are unique, the risks are great and failure is always an option. Minimize the risks by informing your sponsor that until you are finished with your initial project planning activities you may not be able to provide realistic budget and time estimates. Once you have completed your initial project planning activities, (project planning is continuous) provide your sponsor with an estimated budget and time range, and remind him or her that as planning progresses these ranges will be adjusted to closer reflect reality.

Strategic Planning and Other Myths

Are your completed projects adding value to the organization? Was an ROI calculated for the project during or prior to Project Initiation? Did the project benefits ever come to fruition?

Virtually all projects - unless mandated by law or born out of technical or business necessity - should either reduce costs or increase efficiency. One way to ensure the organization will be working on the right projects at the right time is to involve the executives up front in aligning, prioritizing, and ranking proposed projects, and then ensuring they link to the Strategic Plan. If the proposed projects do not align to your organizations strategic goals then they should not be undertaken.

If your organization is good at Strategic Planning, you can avoid many of the traps that plague most organizations.

Poor Strategic Planning Traits:

There is no formal document that links the organization's projects to the organization’s strategic goals and plan.

Senior Management is not engaged in strategic planning, which leads to complaining later about how long it takes to get projects completed and frustration over why certain projects were cancelled or not started.

Projects are started without enough resources or have poorly qualified resources assigned to them.

Many projects that are completed do not achieve any improvements and actually end up costing the organization more money than if they had not undertaken the project.

Project priorities continually change, and resources are always in flux or in conflict with competing organizational needs

Project Managers have low morale and are pessimistic about achieving their project objectives

Executives have set measures that relate to their silos, which can conflict with what is best for the organization

Business plans ignore systems that are broken or in need or repair/replacement

Poor strategic planning almost always leads to undertaking wasteful projects. Even a good strategic plan will not be successful if the organization does not have the right people, tools, and data in place to support the organization's goals.

Project Management Websites

Today's posting includes some hyperlinks to a few Project Management websites. I use these sites on occasion and they all have something of value for the Project Manager. On a side note, some of the sites are government related, technology related, or process oriented.

In many cases you may need to do a search on "Project Management" to find what you are looking for.

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Minnesota Office of Technology

PM Boulevard

GanttHead

TenStep Project Management Process

American Society for the Advancement of Project Management

Florida State Technology Office

Tech Republic

Software Program Manager's Network

Good, Short Article on Project Failure

Click here for a good article on Project Failure. I would also add that your Project Management Processes, if poorly designed, can be a contributing factor in project failure.

Stupid Things Project Managers (and others) Say!

Quality Planning is only concerned about the number of bugs/problems in the final product.

The delivery date is going to slip because we have learned about new requirements.

Projects are always late and over budget. We shouldn't worry.

We can't predict our final costs because the requirements are changing.

The estimate is in line with management expectations.

Our schedule is good because we used a project-scheduling tool.

We can always add people to meet the deadline.

We are behind schedule because the customer can't make up their minds.

We can cut our testing time to make the delivery date.

Good people make up for bad processes.

Our process is good because it is repeatable.

If they quit we can quickly hire someone to take their place.

We don't involve the people doing the work in estimating because that will increase costs. Besides, they will just inflate/pad their estimates.

Using a Tool is not a Risk.

The sooner we begin coding the more successful we will be.

We will save more by reusing code, not architecture.

We will worry about the cost of maintenance later. There is no time now.

If it doesn't work we will fix it when we have time.

We don't need to document because we put comments in our code.

Technical people don't like to write documentation and we shouldn't insist that they do. Besides, they are terrible writers.

You can't blame the Project Manager. How were they supposed to know?

All of the problems we have been having our 's fault.

Trust me; we will deliver everything you want on time and at or under budget.

I think you get the idea. As Project Managers, we were hired to tell the truth and include the good, the bad, and the ugly in our status reports. Sugar coating project issues and problems for management will only get us in trouble later. Don't make excuses. Use status reports, e-mail, voice mail, and most importantly face-to-face meetings to relay project status. Don't be afraid to deliver bad news. Just make sure when you present management with issues and problems with your project you have a plan to get it back on track.

Be Responsible, take Ownership, and most importantly, be Trustworthy.

Constructive Behavior

Many of us deal with difficult people using the age-old adage of an "eye for an eye". If we are snubbed, we ignore the other person. If we are disrespected, we in turn show disrespect. If someone cheats us, we cheat them. This mentality is not only self-destructive, but is damaging to the career of a project manager.

When we reciprocate with bad behavior against another, nothing is resolved. By reverting to negative behavior we have fallen into a lose/lose relationship where nobody wins, and we do as much damage to ourselves as we perceive we do to others. What can we do when we feel bombarded by the negative attacks? There are several things we can do to avoid the trap of reciprocating rudeness with rudeness.

I suggest that you read a couple of books I have found to be enlightening. The first is Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and the other is "Love is the Killer App" by Tim Sanders. Both books offer powerful insight into the human condition and more importantly offer critical advice you can use everyday in all of your relationships.

Some things to be aware of when dealing with others:

Be aware of the Perceptions others hold about you

Keep a balance between your Emotions and your Actions

Seek first to Understand, then be Understood (Stephen Covey Habit)

Be an Active Listener

Diagnose before prescribing

Consult with others you trust before making important decisions

Be Trustworthy

Don't Coerce, but Persuade

Accept the fact that some people will just be Unreasonable

Be the Solution, not the Problem

The best times in life and the worst times are usually tied to our relationships. Do not be a victim of your relationships, but an example of how others should act.

More random thoughts

The last several months have been challenging for me as a project manager. In fact, if I think about it my entire career in project management has been a challenge. Some days are better than others, but as I look back over the last eighteen years I'm glad I chose the profession of project management.

Over the course of my career I have met many people that call themselves project managers, but when questioned about their processes, they don't have much to say. Without a repeatable project management process in place, I'm not sure what you are doing, but it isn't project management.

You will find as I have that many people are promoted to have the title of project manager because of their organizational, business, or communication skills. Others are promoted because they are a highly valued employee and with good technical skills, but their personality isn't geared towards managing people. For project managers to be successful, keep in mind what I have repeated in the past - focus on process, communications and results in everything you do. Any person that is well skilled in these three areas will be successful in what ever endeavor they seek.

As PMI says, project management is both a science and an art. We must continually improve our skills (Sharpen the Saw) and always be aware of our communications. Dealing effectively with challenges and adversity will ultimately define who we are as project managers (god or bad). More times that not you will be judged and assessed on your personality, not your performance. Keep that thought in mind when dealing with your peers, your manager, and your customers.

Skills, Reputation, and Performance

As with any profession, your career prospects improve with ever increasing skills. Project Managers must have the skills to do the job, but also must have success in managing projects. One key to success in any field is to set goals. Ensure that your manager has bought into your goals and will use them as a basis of your performance review.

We must be ever mindful that our reputation affects our careers. A good reputation is earned and takes years of effort. You must be known first as trustworthy, an effective team leader, a person that works well with others, and for your resourcefulness. A project manager's job is unique because not only do we have to be great communicators, but we must also manage to the triple constraints. In addition, we must instill confidence with those we work with, and let them know that our project’s objectives are attainable, relevant, and important to the success of the organization.

When you take on a new project people’s perceptions will be based upon your performance, your results, and your communications. This falls in line with my view which says that all employees (including those at the top) should be measured (equally) on the Processes they use, the Results they achieve, and their Communications. What good are results when you have violated many or all of your department's/organization’s processes or have communicated poorly, which caused descent and ill will among your peers? Results are always important, but not at the expense of Process and Communications.

Remember, you don't need a high profile to succeed. You can achieve more with a very low, but exceptionally successful profile. You will know you are on the right track when management comes to you with the really hard work that needs to be done quickly, but efficiently without sacrificing you or your manager's integrity.

Don't take it Personally

Many people have fallen into a bad habit of taking things too personally because they want to protect the smaller picture (self) instead of the big picture (other people, relationships, the situation, and sometimes the truth). How do we get through the times where having a positive attitude seems impossible? Well, we can always choose to act as if the positive feelings/attitudes are still there. It is that simple, and it is always our choice.

We choose all of our feelings and actions. No one else is at fault for what we think, what we feel, and how we act. As Project Managers we can't let others dictate how we feel about ourselves. Project Managers by nature need to have thick skin and can't let the opinions of a few dictate how we feel and act.

It isn't a radical idea to believe that we can choose how to behave, regardless of how we feel. Additionally, by changing our behavior we might just discover that behaving differently can change how we feel. This changing of behavior knocks aside the notion that feelings help us find truth, especially when we are trying to assess an important business or life situation.

I feel that the old saying "Perception is Reality" is destructive. Many people act solely on what they perceive. Perception is only Perception. We can argue about what Reality is, or is not, but basing Reality on what we perceive can really screw up Reality for us and everybody else.

Mental Note for Slow Learners: Sometimes it seems like you can't change anything. Sometimes by changing yourself you change everything.

To the Idiot Mobile!

Here we go on another project journey. You have met with your stakeholders and all of them are in agreement as to where the project is going (objectives), what the journey will look like to get to the project’s destination (plan), and what can be expected when the project is complete (deliverables). But wait, your project (like a journey in a car) has been taken over by somebody else and is now out of your control. You have just found yourself in the back seat (no longer driving and in control) of the Project Idiot Mobile. You discover quickly that it is careening out of control and you are on a white-knuckle ride to who knows where. What do you do?

I have taken a ride in the Idiot Mobile more than once and here are some tips you can use to avoid this mind-numbing ride.

Be the Leader of the Team From the Start. Control the keys of the Idiot Mobile and don’t let anyone drive it and make sure you always leave it in the garage. Don’t assume anything unless it is documented in your project charter’s assumptions section. Don't allow stakeholders to take over your project and direct it onto a path that wasn't agreed upon in the Project Charter.

Understand Politics is a Way of Life on Your Project. Understand you will have to deal with people who don't want you to succeed. As Tom Peters said be aware that your project can fail because of "...people that are envious, people who feel their turf is being invaded, people who have a b-i-g stake in the status quo, people who are just plain afraid of change. Therefore, you will need ... Herculian (Clintonian) political skills to ... nuetralize ... finesse...and in some cases just plain outsmart-surround-coopt ... these naysayers".

Have Thick Skin. Be smart up front and try to recognize who will be unsupportive of your efforts. Be prepared with a response. Be able to accept criticism and bounce back quickly. Know when you are on the wrong path and get on the right path quickly.

Make Strong Allies with Those that Have the Power. Remember that those with the power make the decisions. A good project manager is a good politician, and also keep in mind that Politics is The Art of Getting Things Done.

Project Ethics

An ethical Project Manager is a successful Project Manager. The PMI has established a Professional Code of Ethics that all Project Management Professionals (PMP) must adhere to. These ethics are meant to ensure that all PMPs abide by a set of values, and they live up to those values in pursuit of their careers.

Project Ethics won't ensure you are a successful project manager, however not behaving ethically will almost always ensure your project will fail. As stated in the PMI Code of conduct, which in my opinion is the most important ethical behavior, a project manager must accept responsibility for his or her actions. This means admitting to all your stakeholders when you are wrong, learning from your mistakes, and putting actions into place that will help you to avoid making the same mistake twice.

A project manager is responsible for all activities that occur or fail to occur on their project. It is unethical for a project manager to blame others for mistakes that were clearly the fault of the project manager.

Do you have the ethics to accept and take responsibility for your mistakes? Are you willing to do this in the face of your harshest critics? If not, you need to leave the project management profession because you aren’t a mature, responsible professional, and as such you are hurting the profession of Project Management.

2005 Resolutions

2004 is almost over and it is time to make some Project Management resolutions/goals for the New Year. In looking back over the past year I can see where I have made some mistakes, and I see these mistakes as learning opportunities. Now is the time to resolve to make changes in how I manage my projects.

My 2005 resolutions are:

Be a better listener

Apply the principles of Earned Value to more of my projects

Begin each project with the end (deliverables) in mind

Rely less on e-mail and more on face-to-face conversations

Be a better Project Leader

Accept the fact that criticism from others is part of the project life cycle

Be willing to accept failures and use them as learning experiences

Believe that most people on your project team are doing the best they can do

Be positive, enthusiastic, and supportive of others

ProjectSteps

ProjectSteps has been updated with a bright white font so the site is more readable. I have vacation this week so I will be busy working around the house and enjoying the Christmas holiday.

Have a very Merry Christmas

Can you hear me?

Do you manage your projects mostly from your desk? Are you falling into the trap of managing projects via e-mail, voice mail, fax, letter, and failing to communicate with your customers and stakeholders face-to-face?

People value one-on-one conversations. A project manager that doesn't spend significant time on his or her project speaking directly to their customers will not be as effective as the one the takes the time to conduct meetings in person.

As project managers we are selling "experiences" and "solutions". Can you effectively sell your ideas as a faceless e-mail machine? Can you "WOW" your customers with tired voice mails and bland status reports?

Good customers want to see you as much as possible. They want to feel your enthusiasm, experience your excitement, and have you tell them eye-to-eye that "it’s all good".

Don’t cower (and sour) behind your keyboard sending status reports and e-mails and think your are doing your job. You can't gain your customer's trust unless you speak with them one on one.

As Tom Peter says, "If there is nothing special about your work...you won't get noticed, and that means you won't get paid much either".

It is hard to get noticed when people can't see you. BE VISIBLE!

What I Believe - Part II

When it comes to Project Management, "what I believe" is that we all must follow Stephen Covey's advice and continually "Sharpen the Saw". After reviewing the new version of PMI's "Guide to the PMBOK", I must say it is much more readable and logical. I spent some time recently sharpening the saw by reviewing the new PMBOK, and while it isn't a book you would want to curl up with on a cold winter's night, it is the foundational reference for Project Manager's everywhere and we all need to be familiar with its content and terminology.

The last few weeks have been challenging for me as a Project Manager. Uncooperative team members, hidden agendas, and scope change requests have been running amuck on my projects. Through it all I have relied on proven Project Management processes, techniques, and tools to help me through the rough spots and get my projects back on track.

As I develop an internal training course – Introduction to Project Management - I'm reminded that we all need to remember the basics of Project Management.


Do you have a signed-off Project Charter?
Do you have a Project Sponsor that is actively involved with your project?
Do you have a cohesive, high performing Project Team? How do you know?
Do you have a written Project Plan (word document)?
Do you have written, agreed upon Requirements?
Do you have a Cost and Schedule Baseline?
Do you have a Communication Plan?
Do you have an Implementation Plan?

Don't forget the "basics". Project Failure is often linked to neglecting one of the above items.

What I Believe

Tom Peters is an inspiration to me. He brings so much passion to his beliefs and states them in a way like no one else. After reading his "This I Believe! - Tom's 60 TIBs" I became inspired to start a series entitled "What I Believe". I certainly don't have Tom's passion, nor do I have his brain power or writing abilities, but I do know "What I Believe" and I will attempt to pass some of those beliefs here (as I have in the past).

In the Project Management world What I Believe is the average project team member has a very low level of what I call "project success maturity". My experience has shown that many of the people I have worked with - or that have been assigned to my project - are only interested in themselves or their "silo" of responsibility. I have to say this is one of my greatest frustrations as a project manager. After saying that I also realize that this is my problem to solve.

When managing projects, I understand that I have to be the focal point of the energy, emotion, and passion that drives the project forward (and hopefully inspires those around me to see the bigger picture). If there are people on the team that don't want to play, and I and the other team members have made a concerted effort to get them on board to support the project, then they need to find somewhere else to play. I have no problem telling them that and helping to facilitate the process of having them removed from the team.

As Tom Peters says "... all quests worth undertaking - a Girl Scout merit badge or a Nobel Prize require audacity and willpower." To paraphrase Tom, we need to continually challenge conventional wisdom, accept the lumps, and persist until vicotry.

What I Believe? Be a great leader, be passionate about what you are doing, and always challenge assumptions.

Don't allow unmotivated, emotionally unintelligent people to change your course or dictate new rules.

Can I get an AMEN?

Break it Down

When faced with large projects the first thing I try to do is to break the project down into smaller, manageable chunks of work. Many of our projects can be large and complex. Breaking the project down into management tasks will help to:

Simplify the process of creating Metrics to manage project progress

Reduce Risk by creating shorter timelines with less overall scope

Make it easier for individuals and groups to understand the Work they must perform

Make Planning easier and more realistic

When creating your Project Charter be sure to address all phases of the project, but emphasize that the project will be delivered in phases. In addition, make sure your Project Charter clearly addresses the:

Project Objectives

Project Benefits

Project Risks (initial assessment)

Project Constraints

Project Assumptions

Project Dependencies

Resource Requirements

Project Cost and Duration estimates (establish your range for this estimate and state it)

What the Project won't address or deliver

There are other items that can be included in the Project Charter, but addressing the above items clearly and getting the sponsor's buy-in will be critical to getting your project off to a good start.

For more information regarding a Project Charter click here