Be Prepared

We cannot totally predict what will happen during a project but we can be prepared for those eventuallities.

How would you handle the following:
What happens to the project if a Star gets hit by a bus (becomes incapable of work)?
What happens if you lose funding or the company is sold/bought?
What happens if the "shared" repository/directory is deleted?
What happens if you get replaced?
What happens if the project priorities get changed?
What happens if you realize that you cannot complete the project on time, on budget, with the staff you have?
What happens if everyone (or their kids) gets sick? for a week?
What happens if the project Sponsor quits?
What happens if another project becomes the priority?
What happens if your political rival gets promoted and inherits your project?
What happens if someone offers you a better position with double the pay?
There is no right answer, except that you must prepare a list and have an answer to each of the questions on your list.

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About Andy

I am a 16 year veteran of IT projects. Five of the last Seven years I worked internationally as a project and program manager in Greece, Romania, Turkey, Egypt, India and France. Hopefully I bring real practical experience to the table, not just theories. My work in project and program management has been the cornerstone of multiple successes throughout the world (self plug).

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Simple Easy and Fast

How do you know if your IT systems will be successful with real humans? Just ask three questions…

Is it Simple to use?
Is it Easy to understand?
Is it Fast to execute?

Here are my basic definitions of the criteria…
Simple: the art of providing enough value without becoming a burden on the environment.
Easy: when normal people can complete a task without instruction.
Fast: the system responds before the human can predict or request the next action.

If each answer is yes, then your system will probably be successful. If it is complicated, convoluted and slow, it will be a disaster. Ask these three questions and you will be very close to the target.

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Star Factor

When you arrive at a new project, write down the names of the superstars. There will be 10-20% of the team are the high producers. You can identify them as the motivated participants that everyone talks to and works to gain their approval. Write down these names and watch the progress, growth and enthusiasm of these key stake holders. These are the stars of your project.

During your monthly review of stakeholder management, rank each of these stakeholders on their participation, motivation, energy and willingness to help work through the current issues. The rest of the team will find these people (stars) easy to work with and motivating. If you have a really good core team of stars you will appear to be the best project manager in the world.

Although it is expected to have some churn during a project. Keep a close eye on the stars. If at any time you find that a star is gone replace them immediately. You need to have someone other than yourself to carry the load. Make it your personal mission to identify and nurture these stars.

If you suddenly find that you are the only one left, your project is probably already dead.

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Low Performers

Why do projects fail? Management of resources and communication are the keys. When you find yourself in the difficult position of identifying a low performer, your job is to replace them. Hopefully they can better serve the team in a different role, but if not you must replace them. Can you afford the have the project fail because of this person? If this was war and you would all die, would this change your perspective? Give them another role or get them off the project.

Of course, It is difficult and uncomfortable to give bad news. We would not be human if it was not difficult. The least painful way is to start doing this from day one. Tell the truth and do not pull punches. Softening the message will only hurt everyone because it means that you are lying. Tell the whole ugly, naked facts when coaching the low performers. The need to hear the truth. It is not personal if you have kept the facts, failure to deliver according to the schedule is one of the most common reasons.

If you do not replace low performers your project will fail and it will be your fault.

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Managers Make Sure Things Get Done

Have you ever said, Just assign it to me and I will do it.? This is the classic mistake for a project manager. I like to view a project manager as the captain of a ship. The captain does not set the sails or turn the wheel. Their job is to make sure that the ship, its crew and cargo arrive safely at the destination. When the storm comes everyone turns to the captain for leadership and direction. This is accomplished by requiring the crew (or team) to do their jobs.

If you start to do the work of the team then you are causing two problems both are fatal. The first problem is that you diminish your authority because you cannot get the team member to perform. The second problem is that the rest of the team will default their problems to you, instead of finding a way to solve them. Both of these problems will cause the project to fail and it will be your fault.

So, what should you do? Ask the magic question… "What do you need to help you complete this task?

A manager does not do things, they make sure things get done.

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Are All Meetings Necessary?

Yes and No.

Is life just a series of unnecessary meetings? Status meetings could be replaced with an issues meeting and a written status update. Issues meetings could be replaced with people actually identifying and fixing the issues. Management meetings could be replaced with coaching sessions (for the managers). Communication meetings are the only really important meetings because nothing can take the place of face to face communication and building a real trusting relationship with the other person.

Have we become too scared to talk face-to-face, forcing us to use email, text messages, chat and voice mail to communicate?

Use meetings effectively to communicate, build consensus and relationships.

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