Three Wise PMs

If only the Three Wise Men had studied PMBOK. They would have arrived on time, not twelve days late. They would have not sought guidance from change resisters. The wise men would have ensured that their deliverables were fit for purpose. (It’s all very well taking Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to a king but disposable nappies would have made more sense.)

The risk of missing the stable altogether would have been better assessed. And had they thought to adjust their critical path in advance of the Herod encounter, significant detours from the plan could have been averted.

Suffice to say, project managers around the world are truly blessed with God given gifts and skills that make them the best.

May God Bless You this Christmas with love, joy, peace and hope.

Talking Sticks

I was cornered at a party the other night. Someone I barely knew talked at me for an hour, stopping only to draw breath. Am I being unfair in my desire for inclusive conversation? Or should I simply stand there and be chattered at? I tried on many occasions to chip in a contribution. I mentioned the organic potatoes he was eating. This prompted a lengthy treatise on all the vegetables the chap had cultivated complete with ripening methods, growing conditions and flavour rating. At my mention of a town in Europe, I was treated to a relentless monologue on his travels around the world with expansive details about hotels, transport failures and why Crete is the best place to retire to.

Don’t get me wrong. I love hearing about other people’s lives. But I prefer a two, three or four way conversation.  Is there a talk gene buried in their DNA? Or is it a nervous affliction? Whatever the cause, incessant talkers can wreak havoc on a project.

Many in IT project land get very excited about their solutions (and so they should!). But their desire to talk at length can drive many a Project Manager to the brink of insanity. How does a Project Manager combat those afflicted with the talking gene and still deliver the project with her mind intact?

Discipline in meetings is the answer. The Best Project Managers control their team meetings with great skill.  And some secret weapons. They have a timed agenda, a kitchen timer and - a lump of decorated wood, lovingly known as THE TALKING STICK.

Attendees soon understand the rules. Talkers get one minute then they pass on the Stick. Agendas run to time, everyone gets to speak and the talkers learn to marshal their thoughts into one-minute sound bites. Talking Sticks take many forms. A totem pole, a boomerang or simply a twig snapped from a tree all serve as a one-minute microphone. And when the speaker has finished her minute, the next recipient of the stick has to describe what has been said before he puts forth his point. Two way communication, short messages and active listening all serve to create value from meetings and produce the agenda’d outcomes.

I now have a very large talking stick in my handbag ready for the Christmas party!

Is there such a thing as the Talk Gene? Has the Talking Stick worked for you? I would love to read your comments.

Five Winning Ways

A very dear friend of mine, a British Airways pilot, once described his job as 99% boredom plus 1% sheer terror. Not much different to IT projects, I thought.

And the terror of missed deadlines and under-delivery lasts long after the post implementation review. The success rate of IT projects can only increase if the Best Project Managers share their passion, tips and experience. 

This blog is all about sharing the best from the best and putting it out there for all IT Project Managers who want to grow from good to great.

After thirty years in the IT industry I am still dismayed at the frequency of spectacular failures. But optimistic I remain. Some fundamental truths cut through all the processes and qualifications and coaching and courses and …..

Here are my top Five Winning Ways:

Precision Planning: This is number one on my list of how not to stuff up a perfectly deliverable IT solution. There is a reason why the upward curve of the project life-cycle depicts a long and arduous climb towards a do-able plan. But time and again, the launch date is locked in tight, there’s a big rush to get started and then halfway down the other side, the project teams fall over themselves and land in heap at the bottom – leaving behind a trail of missed milestones, dismal deliverables and underwhelmed users.

The Best Project Managers take their time to plan with precision (and foresight, experience and flexibility).     

User Understanding:  Technophobes in the business have infinite capacity for misunderstanding even the simplest IT solutions. Their dismay is shortly followed by the heartfelt cry: I know it’s what we asked for, but it’s not what we wanted.

The Best Project Managers take their time to communicate the future to everyone – less pain later!

Benefit Based Business Cases: Over-optimistic Business Cases are a great way to inflate user expectation, boost pessimistic investment boards and drive a sponsor to the limits of dementia. But if it can’t be measured then it can’t be managed. Not a difficult concept but when identifying benefits for a business case, the capacity for fantasy knows no bounds. 

The Best Project Managers validate their business cases – and have the courage to let their sponsors know the chance of success.

Scope Gallop:  The likelihood of a project’s success is in direct proportion to the consistency and comprehension of the project’s scope. Scope creeps at the same rate as users decide they want more and technicians re-design the solution. Time spent up front nailing down the scope avoids a nervous breakdown later in the schedule.

Loving Leadership: Genuine affection for team members gets rid of all the stress, strain and anxiety of pressured projects. The other leadership skills - motivation, drive and inspiration - settle in the wake of this basic trait. 

The Best Project Managers read the best books around on people skills. Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People was written in the 1920s- is still popular today.

The Best Project Managers take time to plan, they are creative when  communicating complex issues; they use style, pictures and plain language. They can spot an un-doable Business Case – and are brave enough to tell their sponsor. 

They take the time to understand the scope and leash it in before it takes off. And they know that IT is a people business.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP WINNING WAYS? I would love to read about your secrets of success.