Nice Guys Directing Traffic Become Road Kill

From a professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.
A Judge Wyld post.

The ‘nice guys finish last’ is not an empty cliché. A nice person can be conflicted when trying to lead.

Situation: You are a ‘Nice Person’ who is a beginning Project Manager. You may be leading a multi-discipline team. Some of the experts whom you will rely on are very nice also. No problem.

Problem: One or two people on your team are running down the wrong road. So what is steering them there?

1. Their own perspectives and self-awareness.

Experienced people may stand firm on their professional or personal principles. They just can’t follow your approach to some aspect of the project.

2. Their ‘other bosses’ priorities.

Over committed people have no time to properly contribute to your project and the ‘other bosses’ really don’t want to share a prized expert. They miss information put out in meetings, they skip over your emails, their answering machine is a galactic black hole that you toss your voice into, and even face-to-face they can not commit to your project tasks and timelines.

3. Their spouse. (Or other strong personal life interest or influence.)

Obstacles may be declared such as the dreaded, “can’t finish THAT today; need to leave early to go get a hitch installed on the truck for my family’s two-week vacation starting tomorrow.”

Challenge: The Project Manager tries to find reliable ways to achieve project success. What challenges cause the ‘nice person’ to hesitate to firmly direct the wayward traffic?

A. No authority to fire or punish the wrong-way team member.

Rewarding does not apply if the other person is determined to not cooperate. Textbook answers say to get the Sponsor’s help.

B. Stigma of not being able to accomplish a project on your own.

Asking for help each time you have a personnel performance issue can give you a reputation for not being an effective leader. Textbook answers say to get the Sponsor’s help.

C. Self-image of being a nice person who thinks the best of team members and allows for different ‘workstyles.’

Assuming the best motives of the team member and rationalizing their lack of cooperation will make the situation worse. Nice people fail when they hope a persistent deficiency will be resolved in some low key way on its own without ever having bad feelings.

Unavoidable Truth: A nice person wants to get along and will give undue respect to others even when they are running down the wrong road. A nice person tends to run with them awhile to see if where they are going is good. But eventually, no matter how a project manager intends to cover their tracks, the project manager will be responsible for the extra cost, extended schedule, and lack of performance. There are no guaranteed answers. A PM must know upfront that having responsibility to rule the road with no authority or personal strength to direct the traffic, will lead to becoming ‘project manager road kill.’

Don't Overlook the 'Lowest Common Denominator'

From a professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.
A Judge Wyld post.

Issue: No Project Manager wants to be tripped up by the basics. No Project Manager wants to be shamed by having a project fail due to lack of attention to the basics. Cost growth and schedule loss are involved in recovering from avoidable blunders.

Solution: Every team needs a person capable of examining the 'basics' across the project. Recruit this person as the designated 'Lowest Common Denominator' (LCD) in addition to their usual team role. Their responsibility is to point out the flaws in the basics.

The lowest common denominator (LCD) is a math term for the lowest integer that is divisible into each of two integers being compared. Boring.

However, LCD as applied to the 'human dimension' is the smallest element of human perspective common to a group of people. A bit more exciting.

For Project Management, LCD items can be basic understandings of schedule flow, cost efficiency, effective communication, realistic work scope expectations, product suitability, and customer/stakeholder satisfaction. Project teams need to move forward without being bogged down with complications concerning the LCD items but must have the basics correct so that overall quality can be maintained.

Here are skills needed to be a designated LCD:

1. Role Player. Capable of viewing the project as an uninformed outsider of any category; upper management, other department head, other professional peer, non-industry stakeholder, and of course, customer.
2. Outspoken. Not hesitant to point out potential flaws in big groups, no matter how small the item appears to be.
3. Experienced. Knowledgeable of processes, best practices, and lessons learned and passionate about quality.

Here are actions the project manager must do to create a supportive environment for the LCD:
A. Assure the LCD that their role playing is key to the quality of the products.
B. Inform team members that the LCD will be playing a role and the comments may seem elementary but are welcomed and essential.
C. Assure the LCD that the depth of their other skills is valued and that 'LCD' is a role that is respected as well.


Final Point: Some people are self-appointed LCDs who seem to be undercutting your attempts to focus on more important aspects of the project. Consider them an ally to achieve higher quality and project success. Approach them to define their role more formally. They will be on your side and you may avoid the shame of failing on the basics.

Sincerely,
JUDGE WYLD

Project Management for the Soul

From professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld. A Judge Wyld post.

Project Management for the Soul

Sole (shoe leather), Sole (singular self satisfaction), Soul (essence of empowerment.)

How you approach project management is affected by your motivation. There are people who love project management and there are those who can’t stand being the center of expectations. If you are the type of person who loves project management, what is your motivation?

1. Do you love the activity; the hustle and bustle of planning, communicating, solving daily unexpected challenges? There is a wearing down of shoe leather as you plan, collaborate, connect pieces, and follow up. Is it the rush of activity that gives you a ‘rush’? Do you rise to the step learning curve while working with many experts in their fields and seeing what they have to offer?

2. Do you love the personal satisfaction; making sure that you implemented the processes to the letter which provided the project positive results. You were the focal who contributed your project management skills that integrated the mechanisms and turned the gears to bring about a product meeting the requirements. Do you enjoy that feeling of professionalism and proven skill that a mature project manager possesses?

3. Do you love helping everyone become better; encouraging others to understand more about their own capabilities and to appreciate others for their unique contributions to the Team’s success? Did you initiate and foster contributions beyond the assigned utility of each person or organization? Each stakeholder and team member can obtain a personal goal in addition to their participation toward the success of the project. Do you thrill in managing a project that moves team members forward in life?

Sole, Sole, or Soul: project management is about people; it’s about you, it’s about others. The people on a project team can achieve a deeper satisfaction from producing a product than the satisfaction derived by the people who end up using the product.

Sincerely,
Judge Wyld

My Fault, And THIS is What I'm Going to Do to Make it Right

From professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.

My Fault,
And THIS is What I'm Going to Do to Make it Right

Project Management.

Professionals want to be perfect. Project Managers want to think of everything and to have a plan to keep the project running smoothly despite 'surprises'. But when you don’t think of everything and a glitch occurs, how do you handle the situation with others?

As you read below, imagine a situation such as materials delivered to the wrong place, not inviting your sponsor to a major project change approval meeting, or an important strategy meeting with key team members that you were hosting but failed to attend.

1. Accept that the resulting situation was YOUR mistake. Other factors may have contributed, but ultimately the mistake was YOURS.

2. Accept that other people on the team or outside the team were affected. They arranged their day or even their week around a particular expectation. Your mistake affected not only that event but other events that they had to arrange. They will also be affected by accommodating your workaround.

3. Communicate number 1 and number 2. Call, stop by, and email; all three if possible. Mention that the mistake was YOURS. Mention that you want to followup with the corrective action. Detail the steps of your efforts that will make the correction convenient for them.

Why take this approach?

1. If you don’t then you will be seen as someone who makes excuses and blames other 'things'. "Oh well, things happen!" sounds immature.

2. If you don’t then you show disregard for all of their efforts leading up to their being prepared for and making up for the fumbled event. "Oh well, it was ONLY an hour of their time," sounds naive.

3. If you don’t communicate that you are aware of your mistake, their loss of time, and the followup efforts, they will not be willing to follow you in the future.

You are dealing with people on projects. You cannot avoid being judged when you make a mistake, but forgiveness is still possible on the rare occasions that you make mistakes.

Sincerely,
Judge Wyld