My thoughts today are partially inspired by Tom Peters whom I have written about in the past.
A great/WOW project always changes (Has to be for the better) the way organizations work.
Tom Peters says – “WOW Projects = Changing the Rules”
He also says, “Changing the Rules = Pissing off members of the Establishment”.
If your project is pushing massive change through your organization there will be people that are going to be upset, and some of them might try to derail your project. These small thinkers will be envious, jealous, might feel you are invading their turf, or are just afraid of change. Sometimes you will have to use your political skills to go around them, go through them, or better yet find ways to get them on your side. All three approaches can take time, energy, and patience.
Quick Rules and Thoughts
Project management politics can be brutal. When big changes occur big guns come out.
Politics is life; however politics can and must be managed if your project is going to be successful.
Don’t let the status quo kill your great ideas or derail your project. Be flexible, but firm when it comes to implementing your project's deliverables, but don’t ignore the political realities.
Politics is the art of getting things done. As Tom Peters says “No Politics=No Implementation”.
Develop powerful allies in your organization to help you get your project implemented. Be sure to show appreciation to all those people that help you along the way.
Don’t implement anything in your project that can’t be verified (verifiable milestones).
Monday, March 03, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Organizational Project Management Dysfunction
Studies have shown there are lots of out of control projects in organizations. One of the contributing factors to this fact is the lack of qualified project management professionals. Many organizations tag people and assign them to run projects even though they have little to no experience and/or training in project management. Even with training, we know that training alone does not make a project manager. It takes years of experience to build project management competence.
Project management is a discipline, and as such requires people with self-discipline, and project management knowledge and experience to be successful. Too many times organizations look at a person’s technical and/or functional skills and make the assumption they can train them in the project management basics. They also wrongly assume these individuals will make a quick, smooth transition and be effective, capable project managers. You aren’t effective at anything if you aren’t measured against your performance. Most “accidental” project managers fail miserably because they don’t have the experience, or aren’t interested in doing the job.
Immature organizations tend to add project management to people’s job function rather than recognizing that project management is a profession. Organizations won’t be successful entrusting large complex projects to accidental project managers.
Organizations can help themselves by realizing that project management competence is measurable, and project management results are what matters. If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Inconsistent project results are many times the result of having the wrong people planning the wrong things in the wrong order, and using the wrong resources at the wrong times while following the wrong (or no) process while looking for the wrong results.
Competency at anything requires training, knowledge, and experience. Providing project management training without the benefit of ongoing mentoring is just asking for poor project results and dissatisfied customers.
Project management is a profession. Training alone doesn’t build professionalism. It takes lots of time and varied experiences, and even then some people never become professional project managers. I have said it before and believe the statement that “knowledge plus experience equals wisdom”. Without wise project managers an organization stands little chance of consistently delivering successful project results.
Project management is a discipline, and as such requires people with self-discipline, and project management knowledge and experience to be successful. Too many times organizations look at a person’s technical and/or functional skills and make the assumption they can train them in the project management basics. They also wrongly assume these individuals will make a quick, smooth transition and be effective, capable project managers. You aren’t effective at anything if you aren’t measured against your performance. Most “accidental” project managers fail miserably because they don’t have the experience, or aren’t interested in doing the job.
Immature organizations tend to add project management to people’s job function rather than recognizing that project management is a profession. Organizations won’t be successful entrusting large complex projects to accidental project managers.
Organizations can help themselves by realizing that project management competence is measurable, and project management results are what matters. If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Inconsistent project results are many times the result of having the wrong people planning the wrong things in the wrong order, and using the wrong resources at the wrong times while following the wrong (or no) process while looking for the wrong results.
Competency at anything requires training, knowledge, and experience. Providing project management training without the benefit of ongoing mentoring is just asking for poor project results and dissatisfied customers.
Project management is a profession. Training alone doesn’t build professionalism. It takes lots of time and varied experiences, and even then some people never become professional project managers. I have said it before and believe the statement that “knowledge plus experience equals wisdom”. Without wise project managers an organization stands little chance of consistently delivering successful project results.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Attributes of Great People
What common behaviors or attributes turn ordinary people into great people? Here are a few I have assembled from various sources, including Tom Peter’s book "Reinventing Work, The Project 50" .
Great people almost always have had some of the traits below.
They are Risk Takers
They often don’t appear rational
They are obsessed with success (success is clearly defined up front)
Their ideas are often ahead of their time
They can be peculiar, creative, off-the-wall
They are often described as irreverent
They have a burning passion to make their dreams come true
They are determined to make a difference
They have little tolerance for the “the way it has always been done” crowd
They have thick skin
They have charisma
They thrive on chaos and often love to generate chaos
They are great at what they do
They hate J.A.M.S – Just Another Mediocre Success (Tom Peters)
They have a positive influence on the lives of others (not everyone, all the time)
They make lots of mistakes and are quick to admit they made them
They often ask forgiveness vs. permission
They hate, hate, hate politics and petty people. (They will occasionally play the “political” game to get what they want, but they know most career politicians are disingenuous, self-centered, and are only interested in furthering their own careers.)
They are great at marketing
They are often (not always) great listeners
They are masters of the little (important) things
They know how to sell
They hate whiners, complainers, and corporate Dilberts
They aspire to something higher than themselves
They are concerned with doing the “right” thing
They often make lots of people mad (usually the politicians and career procrastinators)
They know how to laugh
They call others out for a lack of commitment or disingenuous behavior
They know that most of the “suits” are empty
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Should project managers adopt some/all of these behaviors? The great ones already have.