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Tag: Communication

Don’t Be Confused by Quality

Written by Patti Gilchrist on . Posted in Articles. 5 Comments on Don’t Be Confused by Quality

What is quality? There are many different definitions of quality thus the term may cause confusion for project managers.

For the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, you need to understand that quality is defined as conformance to requirements. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines quality as “the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements.”

Quality management involves ensuring the project meets defined needs. The PMBOK states that quality management “ensures that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.”

With quality defined in these terms, you can begin to appreciate and more readily understand that clearly stated requirements are essential. Requirements should define project scope, describe what is considered to be acceptable quality, and indicate how quality will be measured. This is critical to understand for the exam.
Many project managers do not understand quality in these terms. There is a tendency to think that quality means the best material, the best equipment, and absolute perfection (zero defects). As a result, many project teams deliver additional scope based on impressions of what the customer might like or assumptions that these extras will be acceptable to the customer. This is referred to as gold plating.

PattiJuly5th1As an example, let’s consider the Classic Italian sports car — the Lamborghini.

While you can’t deny that the Lamborghini is an elite and stylishly impressive car, don’t confuse discriminating taste or personal preferences for what will satisfy the project needs or objectives. Perhaps it is too costly. Perhaps it is not practical. Perhaps it is overkill for what is needed, etc.

In most cases, the customer does not expect, and cannot afford, a perfect solution. And although the Lamborghini may be on the customer’s wish list, it may not offer a practical or financially feasible solution.

Gold plating, or giving the customer extras, is not recommended practice as per the PMBOK. From this example, you can see how such extra efforts can be futile and even detrimental to the project. Gold plating can lead to failed customer experience, cost and schedule overruns, project delays, or even project failure.

Instead you need to understand the voice of the customer (VOC), which refers to the stated and unstated needs of the customer. Before you begin designing any product or service, you must know and understand VOC.

Quality must be defined based on objective criteria. CTQs (Critical to Quality) are a product, service, or process where performance standards or specification limits must be met to satisfy a customer requirement. CTQs define what is perceived to be important to the customer. Thus, CTQs ensure you are delivering value to the customer.

CTQs link customer needs gathered from VOC data with specific, measurable characteristics.

So don’t get confused by quality. Don’t let personal preferences and assumptions cloud your judgment. Instead, focus on delivering what the customer needs and establishes as important, and not what you think will impress them.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Strategies to Improve Communication and Follow-up to Team Members

Written by Brenda Hallman on . Posted in Articles. 5 Comments on Strategies to Improve Communication and Follow-up to Team Members

Getting the Most from Your Project Staff
Part 3 of a 3 Part Series

As a Project Manager you are tasked with getting work done through others.  It may seem simple, after all these individuals are assigned to the project team and just need to do their job. But this is not reality. 

What is reality is that project resources are often assigned work beyond your project and may even be involved in other projects.  It is typical in the popular matrix project organization that team members do not report directly to the project manager, but rather a functional manager.  This makes it even more important that the project manager have the skills to get work accomplished through others. Even the most experienced project managers continually report this as one of their top challenges.

In this three part series you will learn techniques that will maximize your ability to get the most from those individuals assigned to your project.  The strategies presented will provide a solid approach that can be used immediately with your team. 

 

Part 1: Tips to gain commitment from your project team

Part 2: How to be comfortable with escalating when work is not being completed

Part 3: Strategies to improve communication and follow-up to team members

If you have read Part 1 of this series, then you have established the guidelines to gain commitment from your project team members.  However, the work does not end there!  You need to keep up efforts to maintain the best possible dynamic for those involved in your project.  This article discusses strategies to improve communication and follow-up to team members.

Schedule: Where are we going, when do we need to be there, and who is driving?

  • The schedule is not just valuable for planning, but should be maintained. This will provide a mechanism to keep team members up to date on any changes to their assignments. 

E-Mail: Can’t live without it, so let’s make the best of it.

  • Minimize volume of messages – keep it short and simple.
  • Make sure the content is clear and organized.  Re-read before you send so you are sure it’s accurate.
  • Don’t include individuals who are not necessary to the message.  We all wish everyone would do that, don’t we?
  • Include dates for any action items you are including in the message.
  • Highlight names and dates if possible.
  • Consider the message subject so that messages can be sorted, or located easily.  Be consistent with all of your messages.
  • Utilize the e-mail message as a follow-up to an informal meeting or agreement.
  • If you have details, consider storing it elsewhere and reference the details in your message; or you can place details at the bottom of the primary message and direct those interested to that section. 

Issues: We all have them.

  • You should utilize this as a primary tool for keeping problems and action items in sight and on track.
  • Be sure your Issues log is kept up to date. Team members should be able to refer to the log and rely on it’s accuracy. 
  • Share!  It’s great to share your issues, but sharing your issues list is even better! 
  • Be certain that all of your issues have a due date and an assigned resource!  As a note, ASAP and TBD are not dates!

Meetings: Respect the time of your meeting attendees.

  • Plan your meetings – this is not an overrated concept:
    • Consider what you really need to accomplish at the meeting.  This will help to build a tight agenda and dictate the format necessary for the meeting.
    • Think about who you need in attendance, and when.  Inviting resources to the ‘part of the meeting’ that is relevant to them, rather than expecting everyone to sit through the full meeting, can minimize frustration when individuals have other work to accomplish.
    • If possible, build the agenda for structured attendance time such a ‘reverse pyramid’ styled meetings or holding small subgroup meetings.  A reverse pyramid meeting includes topics of relevance to all attendees at the start then the agenda works down to more specific topics allowing attendees to dismiss when their areas of interest are covered.
    • Contemplate placing team members who may not be needed for a specific meeting to be ‘on-call’ for that meeting.  This will provide them the opportunity to work from their desk, but be available to the meeting if needed.
  • Review the agenda and objectives at the start of the meeting.  If you are incorporating any of the strategies above, inform the attendees so they are clear on how the meeting will flow and why other members may not be in attendance.
  • Schedule recurring meetings so attendees are in the habit of knowing when meetings will occur.
  • Start on time!  Arrive on time!  End on time (or early!)
  • Cancel if the meeting if it is not necessary to meet in person. 
    • If you choose to do this, send an update to the team so they have a status.
    • It is not recommended to cancel often.  Your team members may come to expect this and plan not to attend.  Also there is always value in human interaction and discussion.  You may have individuals with something to contribute and they will not have a forum for that input if meetings are cancelled.
  • Keep on track, we all appreciate it!  If a topic goes astray, consider sideling the topic for follow-up or if all attendees are engaged and it is valuable discussion, consider adjusting the meeting to allow for further discussion.
  • Meetings don’t have to be 60 minutes.
    • Consider starting ‘off the hour’, such as 11:10am.
    • Hold 15 minute status meetings when possible; it’s amazing what can get done when you have a short window of time.
  • Make your team aware that you are being considerate of their time!  Take credit for being respectful of their time and let them know so they will shower you with appreciation!

Meeting Minutes: Not fun, but inevitable…

  • You should have already determined requirements for project meetings and documentation and have this stated in the project management plan
  • Make every attempt to have minutes distributed by the end of the next business day
  • Minimize content as much as possible.  Minutes, with few exceptions, should not be transcripts of a meeting.
  • Minutes should be written as statement of facts
  • Action items should be including with due dates

Hello!  Stop, Talk, Stroll…

  • Stop by your team members desk, have a chat, ask how it’s going.  This will show your interest in them, and their work.  It will provide a little one-on-one opportunity for them to bring up any questions or concerns. In some cases it may even minimize deviations from the work schedule. 
  • Pick put the phone and say ‘hello’.  Again, keeping in touch is invaluable for your relationship with the team.

You are probably thinking by now that this all sounds like more work! Yes, you have figured it out… but it is promised that the end result will pay off.  You will experience more engaged team members who are clear on what is expected of them (you will make it easy for them!) and it will minimize the need for continual follow-up, ultimately saving you time and frustration.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

What are the Top 3 Obstacles in Projects?

Written by Lisa Anderson on . Posted in Articles. 4 Comments on What are the Top 3 Obstacles in Projects?

FEATUREMay23rdWhen I spoke at the Project Managers SIG in Silicon Valley recently, we spent the majority of the time talking about overcoming obstacles.  Upon returning, I faced several new obstacles in a construction project I’ve been coordinating, and so I’ve been thinking of the critical importance of overcoming obstacles.  Obstacles are common in any project.  Thus, how effective a project manager is at overcoming obstacles will largely determine success vs. failure.

One of the keys to overcoming obstacles is to think about potential issues that might come up down-the-road……NOT to become a negative complainer (so let’s not go down that road!) but to be better equipped to surmount them.  In order to best address this topic, I’ve compiled obstacles from my clients, personal projects, speech participants etc. and have identified the top three: 1) Lack of clarity.  2) No Time to Rally.  3) Priority conflicts.

  1. Lack of clarity:  It is amazing how often the project teams I work with can quickly achieve success by stepping back and thinking about the basics.  What is the goal?  Why are we focusing on this task?  What will really matter to the end results we intend to achieve.  It is hard to succeed when you don’t have a full understanding of the project.
    In the last 15 years, there’s been a tendency to add complexity to projects.  For example, we typically want to implement the latest and greatest functionality in our ERP systems; however, I often find we haven’t fully thought through the effort involved vs. the benefit or the timing of implementing these types of changes.  Often times, we can achieve the same benefit through a simpler approach and save the extensive resource needs for when the functionality warrants the investment.  The same theory holds true in countless situations.

  2. No Time to Rally Support:  Do you need the support of your team?  How about project sponsors and top leadership?  Of course!  Yet it is not always easy to find the time or simple to ensure your project stands out in the crowd.
    With your project team members, consider the following tips:  Make your project an object of interest.  Create a buzz.  Why would people want to be on your team?  Be the type of leader where everyone fights to be on your project.  Don’t be fooled.  You have competition even if your project is a “required” part of your team members’ responsibilities.  How will you stand out in the crowd?  Let your personality show. 

    For project sponsors and top leadership, you must relate your project to VALUE.  How will it help achieve company objectives?  How will it help individual leaders succeed in the organization?  Be visible and promote your project.  Relate it to improving customer service levels, speeding up results, increasing profitability etc.  Soon you’ll have an overwhelming number of offers for support.

  3. Priority Conflicts:  Let’s assume we follow the advice to clarify project objectives.  Everyone is on board.  And we’re sailing along until we hit the wall full force with a priority conflict.  Happens every day. 
    For example, in an on-time delivery project, a conflict arises between the Customer Service Department and the Planning Department related to expedited orders.  Customer Service is doing its best to satisfy customer needs and wants to change the schedule/ priority for the urgent order.  On the other hand, Planning wants to make sure the current orders are assured to get out the door on time and doesn’t have the bandwidth to review additional requests.  Both are focused on the objective of on-time delivery yet a conflict arises. 

    I’ve found the best way to overcome these types of obstacles is to re-clarify the objectives.  Is the company’s priority on oldest orders, customer feedback, or dollars shipped?  If it isn’t clear, get the two department heads together to discuss the topic.  Many times, talking through issues can lead to a solution.  If objectives are clear, perhaps you have a conflict in how to get to the objective.  Again, bring the appropriate resources together to debate and determine the best path forward.  You must set it up so that no one person succeeds if the team fails.  Ensure “win-win” is the philosophy.  Then, I guarantee the team will come to a conclusion. 

Overcoming obstacles is a part of our everyday routine.  Those who can jump over hurdles quicker and better than their competition will not only ensure project success but will also thrive in their careers.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

10 Steps to Creating a Project Plan

Written by Elizabeth Larson on . Posted in Articles. 223 Comments on 10 Steps to Creating a Project Plan

One of the critical factors for project success is having a well-developed project plan. This article provides a 10-step approach to creating the project plan…

not only showing how it provides a roadmap for project managers to follow, but also exploring why it is the project manager’s premier communications and control tool throughout the project.

Step 1: Explain the project plan to key stakeholders and discuss its key components. One of the most misunderstood terms in project management, the project plan is a set of living documents that can be expected to change over the life of the project. Like a roadmap, it provides the direction for the project. And like the traveler, the project manager needs to set the course for the project, which in project management terms means creating the project plan. Just as a driver may encounter road construction or new routes to the final destination, the project manager may need to correct the project course as well.

A common misconception is that the plan equates to the project timeline, which is only one of the many components of the plan. The project plan is the major work product from the entire planning process, so it contains all the planning documents for the project.

Related Article: The Project Plan: How Much Detail is Enough?

Typically many of the project’s key stakeholders, that is those affected by both the project and the project’s end result, do not fully understand the nature of the project plan. Since one of the most important and difficult aspects of project management is getting commitment and buying, the first step is to explain the planning process and the project plan to all key stakeholders. It is essential for them to understand the importance of this set of documents and to be familiar with its content, since they will be asked to review and approve the documents that pertain to them.

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Components of the Project Plan Include:

Baselines. Baselines are sometimes called performance measures, because the performance of the entire project is measured against them. They are the project’s three approved starting points and include the scope, schedule, and cost baselines. These provide the ‘stakes in the ground.’ That is, they are used to determine whether or not the project is on track, during the execution of the project.

Baseline management plans. These plans include documentation on how variances to the baselines will be handled throughout the project. Each project baseline will need to be reviewed and managed. A result of this process may include the need to do additional planning, with the possibility that the baseline(s) will change. Project management plans document what the project team will do when variances to the baselines occur, including what process will be followed, who will be notified, how the changes will be funded, etc.

Other work products from the planning process. These include a risk management plan, a quality plan, a procurement plan, a staffing plan, and a communications plan.

Step 2: Define roles and responsibilities. Not all key stakeholders will review all documents, so it is necessary to determine who on the project needs to approve which parts of the plan. Some of the key players are:

  • Project sponsor, who owns and funds the entire project. Sponsors need to review and approve all aspects of the plan.
  • Designated business experts, who will define their requirements for the end product. They need to help develop the scope baseline and approve the documents relating to scope. They will be quite interested in the timeline as well.
  • Project manager, who creates, executes, and controls the project plan. Since project managers build the plan, they do not need to approve it.
  • Project team, who build the end product. The team needs to participate in the development of many aspects of the plan, such as identifying risks, quality, and design issues, but the team does not usually approve it.
  • End users, who use the end product. They too, need to participate in the development of the plan, and review the plan, but rarely do they actually need to sign off.
  • Others, such as auditors, quality and risk analysts, procurement specialists, and so on may also participate on the project. They may need to approve the parts that pertain to them, such as the Quality or Procurement plan.

Step 3: Hold a kickoff meeting. The kickoff meeting is an effective way to bring stakeholders together to discuss the project. It is an effective way to initiate the planning process. It can be used to start building trust among the team members and ensure that everyone’s idea are taken into account. Kickoff meetings also demonstrate commitment from the sponsor for the project. Here are some of the topics that might be included in a kickoff meeting:

  • Business vision and strategy (from sponsor)
  • Project vision (from sponsor)
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Team building
  • Team commitments
  • How team makes decisions
  • Ground rules
  • How large the group should be and whether sub-groups are necessary

Step 4: Develop a Scope Statement. The Scope Statement is arguably the most important document in the project plan. It’s the foundation for the rest of the project. It describes the project and is used to get common agreement among the stakeholders about the scope. The Scope Statement clearly describes what the outcome of the project will be. It is the basis for getting the buy-in and agreement from the sponsor and other stakeholders and decreases the chances of miscommunication. This document will most likely grow and change with the life of the project. The Scope Statement should include:

  • Business need and business problem
  • Project objectives, stating what will occur within the project to solve the business problem
  • Benefits of completing the project, as well as the project justification
  • Project scope, stated as which deliverables will be included and excluded from the project.
  • Key milestones, the approach, and other components as dictated by the size and nature of the project.

It can be treated like a contract between the project manager and sponsor, one that can only be changed with sponsor approval.

Step 5: Develop scope baseline. Once the deliverables are confirmed in the Scope Statement, they need to be developed into a work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a decomposition of all the deliverables in the project. This deliverable WBS forms the scope baseline and has these elements:

  • Identifies all the deliverables produced on the project, and therefore, identifies all the work to be done.
  • Takes large deliverables and breaks them into a hierarchy of smaller deliverables. That is, each deliverable starts at a high level and is broken into subsequently lower and lower levels of detail.
  • The lowest level is called a “work package” and can be numbered to correspond to activities and tasks.

The WBS is often thought of as a task breakdown, but activities and tasks are a separate breakdown, identified in the next step.

Step 6: Develop the schedule and cost baselines. Here are the steps involved in developing the schedule and cost baselines.

  1. Identify activities and tasks needed to produce each of the work packages, creating a WBS of tasks.
  2. Identify resources for each task, if known.
  3. Estimate how long it will take to complete each task.
  4. Estimate cost of each task, using an average hourly rate for each resource.
  5. Consider resource constraints, or how much time each resource can realistically devoted to this project.
  6. Determine which tasks are dependent on other tasks, and develop critical path.
  7. Develop schedule, which is a calendarization of all the tasks and estimates. It shows by chosen time period (week, month, quarter, or year) which resource is doing which tasks, how much time they are expected to spend on each task, and when each task is scheduled to begin and end.
  8. Develop the cost baseline, which is a time-phased budget, or cost by time period.

This process is not a one-time effort. Throughout the project you will most likely be adding to repeating some or all of these steps.

Step 7: Create baseline management plans. Once the scope, schedule, and cost baselines have been established, you can create the steps the team will take to manage variances to these plans. All these management plans usually include a review and approval process for modifying the baselines. Different approval levels are usually needed for different types of changes. In addition, not all new requests will result in changes to the scope, schedule, or budget, but a process is needed to study all new requests to determine their impact to the project.

Step 8: Develop the staffing plan. The staffing plan is a chart that shows the time periods, usually month, quarter, year, that each resource will come onto and leave the project. It is similar to other project management charts, like a Gantt chart, but does not show tasks, estimates, begin and end dates, or the critical path. It shows only the time period and resource and the length of time that resource is expected to remain on the project.

Step 9: Analyze project quality and risks.
Project Quality: Project quality consists of ensuring that the end product not only meets the customer specifications, but is one that the sponsor and key business experts actually want to use. The emphasis on project quality is on preventing errors, rather than inspecting the product at the end of the project and then eliminating errors. Project quality also recognizes that quality is a management responsibility and needs to be performed throughout the project.

Creating the Quality Plan involves setting the standards, acceptance criteria, and metrics that will be used throughout the project. The plan, then, becomes the foundation for all the quality reviews and inspections performed during the project and is used throughout project execution.

Project Risks: A risk is an event that may or may not happen, but could have a significant effect on the outcome of a project, if it were to occur. For example, there may be a 50% chance of a significant change in sponsorship in the next few months. Analyzing risks includes making a determination of both the probability that a specific event may occur and if it does, assessing its impact. The quantification of both the probability and impact will lead to determining which are the highest risks that need attention. Risk management includes not just assessing the risk, but developing risk management plans to understand and communicate how the team will respond to the high-risk events.

Step 10: Communicate! One important aspect of the project plan is the Communications Plan. This document states such things as:

  • Who on the project wants which reports, how often, in what format, and using what media.
  • How issues will be escalated and when.
  • Where project information will be stored and who can access it.

For complex projects, a formal communications matrix is a tool that can help determine some of the above criteria. It helps document the project team’s agreed-on method for communicating various aspects of the project, such as routine status, problem resolution, decisions, etc.

Once the project plan is complete, it is important not just to communicate the importance of the project plan to the sponsor, but also to communicate its contents once it’s created. This communication should include such things as:

  • Review and approval of the project plan.
  • Process for changing the contents of the plan.
  • Next steps—executing and controlling the project plan and key stakeholder roles/responsibilities in the upcoming phases.

 Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Elizabeth and Richard Larson are Co-Principals of Watermark Learning, a project management and business analysis training company. They have over 30 years of industry experience each, and have helped thousands of PM and BA practitioners develop new skills.

They have published numerous articles and papers and have co-written two books together on Requirements Management and CBAP Preparation. Both Rich and Elizabeth are CBAP and PMP certified through IIBA and PMI, and are contributors to the BABOK® Guide, Version 2.0 and the PMBOK® Guide – 4th edition.

 

The Latest 10 Things About Project Management I Learned From Dogs

Written by Bob McGannon on . Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on The Latest 10 Things About Project Management I Learned From Dogs

FeaturePT May09 28832785 XSIn the pressure filled world of managing programs and projects, it is a healthy thing to take a break, look at the world around us, and reflect. One major source of reflection can be the approach our beloved pets take to life, and the tasks they look to tackle. Like project leaders, dogs are almost constantly communicating (albeit in their own unique way.) Through continued empirical research, interactive testing and more direct observation, compiled below are the latest techniques for project management learned from dogs. Open your mind, reflect on the dogs you have encountered and take a look…

1. Play with whatever and whomever you have around you

If projects aren’t opportunities to produce “unique products or services”, introduce change to an organization, increase productivity or enhance the capabilities of your customer then they shouldn’t be in your project portfolio. That being said, projects present the chance to make a real difference, and that is FUN. Manage your projects like a “prison camp” and you or your project team won’t be creative, won’t grow, and will not make the most of the collective skills present on the project. Lighten up, take lunches together, organize a project ping-pong tournament or try a new project management tool – there are many free options on the internet. Create a project environment where you can work hard and constructively “play” a bit and watch your success rate soar!

2. Enjoy the simple delights of a long walk

On an average day, project leaders spend a large percentage of time attending meetings. Reflecting on the outcomes of those meetings – what happened in the past and what could or should happen in upcoming meetings – may seem like a luxury, but it is very important. Making the most of the meetings you attend can demonstrate the power of your leadership (or not!) Take a walk! Enjoy the energy of a sunny day or a nice breeze and give yourself time to think how you can truly utilize the meetings we so frequently have to attend.

3. Run and greet loved ones

You are NOTHING without good project team members and supportive stakeholders. Treat them well, make an effort to interact with them, let them know how you feel, what you are doing, and invite them to play (see item #1). Get to know them so you know how and when to express your appreciation (you wouldn’t want to bring them a bone if they would rather you just sit next to them) and find opportunities to do so frequently.   

4. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm

Lunch is a meeting opportunity that YOU can design, for your personal health and the health of the project. Eat and not only that, ensure you take the time to eat well, and take someone along with you. Eating lunch is another opportunity to recharge (like item 2) or spend time with a stakeholder (like item 3). You can use the time for education. This can take the form of spending time with your customer and understanding their business, or sitting in on a webinar. Recognizing that this “eating” is a thing that helps you grow and gives you new ways to drive successful projects allows you to do this “with gusto” just like our canine friends do. 

5. Sit closely and gently next to those who have had a bad day

Projects involve risk, and we share that risk and associated frustrations with our customers and members of our project teams. Everything doesn’t always go as planned and there are days we would much rather forget. Like a good friend, dogs don’t try to make those days go away, they just let you know they are there and give you perspective for the good things that still exist, and the potential for things to get better. Just “be with” your project team members when things “go south.” You don’t have to talk a lot or do much; just let your team members know you understand and are there for them when things don’t go as they would have hoped.

6. Make new friends whenever possible

Dogs that make great pets seek to make new friends with whomever their masters deem are OK to enter the house. As project managers, we need to be open to new “friends”; stakeholders, team members, knowledge workers or other project managers that can give us new energy or a new perspective. Like anyone who has to perform some form of marketing has discovered, people buy from people they know and trust. The more friends you have, the more readily you can develop trust and get things accomplished. So, grab your bone and share it with everyone you can see!

7. Take naps and stretch regularly

Sometimes the best thing to do to ensure you get things done on your project is…stop trying to get things done all the time! Take a “nap” from your project – call an extended meeting with your project team and reflect on the things that are going well and things that could be improved. “Lessons learned” are wonderful, but they don’t do any good if they are only examined at the end of the project! Take a stretch, assess what is happening, take the opportunity for team building and inject new energy into the muscles of your project – have a brief stretch or take a nap from the constant pressure of deliverables.

8. When things are good, dance around and wag your WHOLE BODY

I have a professional speaker acquaintance that regularly says “The platform in front of a crowd is a really strange place to hide”! What he means is that when the attention is on you, take advantage of it and share all you can. Project management is not for the meek, and when your project deliverables result in success, it is not the time to be shy. Dogs that wag their tails (or their whole body) aren’t being boastful, they are enjoying what is happening and they are sharing that enjoyment. Do the same thing with your project team and your customer. Share the enthusiasm, and ensure as many folks as possible are aware of any new capabilities, productivity or product on which they can capitalize.

9. Don’t carry over bad days

Dogs don’t reflect on bad days, nor do they reflect on bad hours or minutes. They learn (hopefully) and move on. Good project managers do the same thing. As mood-setters, if the project manager looks worried or dejected, the whole project team will take on that emotion whether it is appropriate or not. Make adjustments when things don’t go well so you don’t repeat your mistakes (see item # 7) and move on knowing you are older and wiser than yesterday. Reflect that sentiment on your project team and encourage them to keep going while the project is still viable and you will see greater results.

10. Smile and share all but the most important “food”

Many dogs are very protective of their food…and time to work on deliverables and NOT be in meetings is our “food.” Protect that time with passion and vigor for yourself and project team members. At all other times however, it is time to share. Dogs play with their toys, and share them with people and other dogs. They will try various techniques, especially “smiling”, to get people to share with them. (Yes, dogs smile…ears back, mouth slightly open and the back of their mouths drawn up. Well, at least that posture on a dog’s face makes ME want to smile!) We as project leaders should share information, tools and lessons learned, and at times our own “toys”, especially resources. When we are too protective of a scarce resource we may deliver THIS project as we desire, but we may also create an issue for future projects. Work collaboratively, look for approaches where you can smile and share…it may just allow you to live a longer, more prosperous project life.

(Acknowledgement needs to go to Cosmo, Oliver, Buzz, Chico, Lira and Buster for the examples that lead to this article.)

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.