Category Archives: Leadership

May 26 2014
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Leadership

The Powerhouse PM – A Driver With an Edge

The key role of a Project Manager (PM) is driving things to conclusion. The Powerhouse PM must go far beyond simply asking for and managing to dates. It involves driving details of EVERY “critical path” conversation, and not leaving anything up to chance.

Case study example – I was recently on a con-call with a project team in which we were discussing a critical path issue that was STILL not resolved. What remained was one of the team members on the call (Team Member A) needed to answer a few questions for Team Member B (who was not on the call), so that he (Team Member B) could complete his work “today” in order to remain on plan.

Team Member A indicated that he would get with Team Member B by the end of the day to answer his questions.

Some may think “ok, that issue is behind us: next item.” Wrong!

First, we must consider the fact that Team Member A is in California and Team Member B is in Massachusetts. So, this end of day commitment would be too late for Team Member B to be able to complete their work “today.” So, I asked “is there any reason why you can’t book time on this person’s calendar, right now, such that you could meet with him immediately following our call?” He was more than happy to oblige. I just needed to ask…

To some, this may seem like a “nit.” However, the Powerhouse PM has a different mind set which includes “shepherding” things to conclusion, ensuring “silly little delays” don’t occur which could impact the project. That is, we must DRIVE these items and not leave it up to chance. Otherwise, the (non-surprising) outcome would have been finding out on Monday that the 2 people didn’t sync up and the issue remained unresolved. Hence, a delay. I hate that 🙂

In closing, Powerhouse PM’s must be a “driver with an edge.” They intently listen for little details that could signal a risk of delay or miscommunication. And, they shepherd things along to conclusion! If this doesn’t occur, you will merely be a project “reporter” (in our case study example) letting the team know on Monday that there is a delay on completing a critical path item.

A Powerhouse PM doesn’t just report the news, they MAKE the news!!!

Click here to view the next article in the series.

May 19 2014
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Leadership

The Powerhouse PM – Lives in Dichotomy

Having found myself in a myriad of project situations I learned (long ago) that no one technique works every time, with every person and under every circumstance. It is not as simple as saying “when I see this, I do that.” Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. And, if we always approach things one way (exclusively, with too much emphasis) we can unknowingly overcompensate from one perspective and under compensate from another, causing unanticipated outcomes on the project and/or relationships.

As such, the Powerhouse Project Manager (PM) must be on his/hers toes at all times, continuously sensing and responding as the situation warrants. This requires balancing what would seem to be a dichotomy of principles and techniques. The definition of dichotomy being: division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups. In Botany: a mode of branching by constant forking, as in some stems, in veins of leaves, etc.

Many years ago there was a software developer on my team who made a comment, something to the effect of: “I can’t quite figure you out. When [this happened] you responded one way. When [that happened] you responded differently. I would have thought you would have responded in a similar manner…” The reality was, there were different players involved and seemingly benign factors to consider in each situation. After doing the necessary “real-time processing” during each scenario I provided a unique response for each, which resulted in a positive outcome supporting the project’s success.
The following list is meant to give the reader a sense of the many principles and techniques that a Powerhouse PM works with, which seem to be a dichotomy:
  • Wields a velvet hammer – Drives the team, while never leaving anyone feeling “beaten up.”
  • Maintains direction and control while at the same time ensuring team members feel that they are key contributors with opportunities to frequently flex their muscles (they get the soapbox / podium and plenty of exposure).
  • Doesn’t just report the news; they MAKE THE NEWS.
  • Is a tenacious babysitter; but never a nag.
  • Performs as a senior player in the organization / on the project while being willing to roll up his/her sleeves to perform ANY task necessary.
  • Speaks their mind while leaving “openings” to obtain feedback and is willing to acknowledge when s/he (being the project emporer) is wearing no clothes.
  • Ensures the team knows: If we fail, it is my fault. When we succeed it is all on you!
  • Creates a fun team / working environment while ensuring s/he is taken seriously, as a professional!
  • Never worries about or second-guesses their role. They “just do it“, using personal power and performing as a “force of nature.”
  • Sees the forest AND the trees which requires frequently adjusting focus.
  • Is not afraid to ask the “dumb” questions as they frequently turn out to be “not so dumb” after-all.
  • Builds / maintains rapport with senior management and individual contributors, resulting in both viewing the PM as a trusted advisor; even mentor.
  • Follows a plan and method but knows when to call an audible (real-time course correction).
  • Can drink from a firehose without drowning by effectively assimilating large amounts of information and makes lucid observations that propel the team forward!
  • Divides and conquers while connecting all the dots.
  • Is like a duck: Water (stuff) rolls off it’s back (the seen: mannerisms and emotions) while paddling like crazy underneath (the unseen: real-time processing / thinking).

In summary, there is NO ONE WAY or silver bullet for any situation. The Powerhouse PM must have a large repertoire of approaches to draw upon in order to respond effectively to each unique set of circumstances and make constant / real-time adjustments.

I hope you find this helpful, if not intriguing. Future posts will expand on “some” of the items above.

Click here to review the next article in the series.

May 13 2014
1 Comment
Leadership

The Powerhouse Project Manager – Introduction

My business (Customer Centricity) launched in 2002. Our flagship offering is the Customer Experience Assessment. Firms of all sizes engage us to perform this 360-degree review of how they manage their customer interactions and relationships. While this gets our “foot in the door” the majority of revenue comes from our Project Management services. This includes driving projects resulting from improvement opportunities identified in our assessments and many other types of initiatives (CRM, ERP, PLM implementations and upgrades, post merger/acquisition “whole company” integrations, etc.).

Being the “chief cook and bottle washer” I play many roles including: developing new business opportunities (most of which result from word-of-mouth referrals), speaking engagements (such as the upcoming SCORE conference in Boston), managing the business and finances, recruiting / coaching team members, engaging with clients, etc.

Clients reach out to engage me (personally) when something has gone WAY off track on a project they were attempting to drive with internal resources or when a high-profile / high-risk initiative (i.e., post acquisition integration) needs to be driven home. While these projects aren’t rocket science, the client needs a leader with the scars of experience to, quite simply, get’er done!

Upon engaging with a client I organize the team, define a detailed plan and management reporting process and drive to get (or keep) things on track. If/when it is appropriate (defined as a well performing team against a well defined plan) I’ll work with the client (after several months of driving the project) to backfill me with a project manager from my team. This occurs if, and only if, it is appropriate and agreeable to all involved. Otherwise, I’ll stay on board to drive the project(s) to completion.

The reason I take this approach? As “chief cook and bottle washer” I have other duties to attend to which make it difficult to remain engaged, with a single client, on a long-term / full-time basis. So, if/when appropriate I help support the economy by engaging others to perform under my good name.

While this approach has worked quite well over the last 12 years, there have been (just a few) “hiccups” inspiring me to write a series of posts on the topic of “The Powerhouse Project Manager.” This being the introduction. My goal is to post on this topic weekly (until I run out of steam) so that aspiring Project Managers (PMs) have fresh grist for their mill each week.

What were the “hiccups”? As good as the PMs on my team are, in a few (out of dozens of) engagements the client has said something to the effect of: “There is a gap between what PM-X provides and what you were providing. If we had started with PM-X we would not have known any better as s/he is doing fine. You just happen to provide a bit more of what we need. Would you consider coming back?”

Oh, the burden I must bear 🙂

What can an aspiring PM do to become a “Powerhouse PM?” To perform at a level that would make them an indispensable resource? One that their client or company would NEVER consider letting go?

I will cover this in future posts. Since I’ve written (more than) enough for a single post I’ll end here by suggesting that if you want to get started down the path read other entries in this blog categorized as “Leadership.” You can do so in 1 of 2 ways:

  1. At the top of this post, on the left, under the date, click on “Leadership.” All posts for this category will instantaneously be presented to you! Gotta love WordPress!
  2. Near the bottom of any page of this blog, on the right, you’ll see a pick list labeled “Categories.” Select “Leadership” and voila, the same thing will happen (you will be presented with all posts for this category).

I plan on having fun with this. Hope you enjoy the process!

Click here to review the next article in the series.

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