Sept 17, 2007 – Project Management Warnings Part 3

Alright, we get it. Project management is dangerous work and should be handled with caution. But sometimes it isn’t the project that is the problem, it’s the people. Some stakeholders and resources can cause more problems than any technical issues you will ever encounter. For that reason I suggest that they should be required to wear their own signs. Here are some you might need to hand out during your next meeting.

1. May cause irritation. I had a manager once that was mildly irritating. The technical team knew what we were doing and handled pretty much everything. He basically attended the client meetings and took all the credit. On the extremely irritating side is the stakeholder that decides to bring down your project. Both mild and extreme cases can be handled with patience. If he is irritating to you, he is probably irritating to others. Don’t try to bring him down yourself. Once he irritates the wrong person his days will be shortened. The odd thing is they always seem surprised with it hits.

2. Avoid contact with eyes. Once she has your attention you are likely tied up for an hour before she lets you go. Sometimes it is work related but other times it is just empty chatter. In the old days you needed an accomplice that could call you to break up the conversation. With the advent of the cell phone’s vibrate feature you can now fake a call at any time. If you as the project manager are the primary target of these conversations it may be that she is attempting to garner points toward promotion. On the other hand, if she is killing productivity on the project by talking with others all the time you may need to check her schedule and make sure she has plenty to do. If she isn’t getting her work done there are other consequences for that.

3. Beware of Dog. This is your basic “doesn’t play well with others” individual. He may be the best technical resource you have, but if he can’t work with anyone he is useless. Before you write him off completely, try:
· Interrogation. Find out what the real issues are and see if they can be resolved. Start with a simple conversation, “Hey, noticed you being a jerk the other day and just wanted to know what your basic problem was.” Ok, you may need to drop the jerk part…and then reword the rest of it, too.
· Intervention. Identify and document specific instances of bad behavior. Prior to the next blow up, walk through the reported problems with him and lay out the expectations going forward. Depending on the seriousness of the problems you may need to get HR involved.
· Isolation. If you don’t have a location to keep him away from others, try telecommuting.

There are plenty of other signs that could be awarded. If these three triggered some in your mind, drop me a comment and share your experience. I may need to run another edition at a later date.

Sept 10, 2007 – Project Management Warnings Part 2

Last week we established that project management should come with big yellow caution signs. The work place is a dangerous road trip and we need to look out for each other. Here is another batch of signs to keep us moving in the right direction.

• Toxic Fumes. Status reports can be deadly if inhaled carelessly. First, never take at face value your team members’ status reports. You should expect a written report but it should be the opening statement in a conversation, not the sum total. Dig in and find out what they aren’t telling you. Second, get rid of the percentages unless you have metrics to back them up. How many tasks are currently 90% done on your project? How many weeks have they been “almost finished?” Instead, ask for specific completion dates and number of hours remaining. Finally, make sure your project status report is a fair and truthful representation of the current situation.
• Maximum pressure 40 hpw. As I was getting out of my car Friday night I heard a hissing sound. I watched helplessly as my front tire slowly exhaled the last of its air. It no longer had a problem with too much pressure. Keep an eye on your team members, though, to make sure the pressure won’t leave them flat. Don’t set them up for failure by over allocating them. Forty hours per week should be the norm, not the exception. If overtime is necessary, keep it is in short durations at a time and ensure they are compensated accordingly. Grant compensation time for weekend implementations.
• Dry clean only. Some of your cloths need special treatment. So do your resources. If you treat them right your team won’t wrinkle, shrink or fade. In general, people like to work where they are productive, provided for and appreciated. They like to be listened to and taken seriously. Take the time to understand how they prefer to be appreciated. Some want public recognition while others prefer quiet thanks.
• Door must remain unlocked. Restaurants and stores sport this signs on side doors. The obvious reason is for easy exit in case of a fire or other disaster. There are 2 reasons to keep your door open and unlocked at work. The first is to allow your team to approach you at any time. An open door policy helps develop a connection with the team, both personally and job related. The second reason is to avoid misconduct or even the appearance of it. If you are meeting with an individual of the opposite gender, keep it visible. At the least you will avoid gossip and, at the worst, a harassment charge.
• Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. At the beginning of a project everything appears achievable. You look out across the huge gap of time… 6 months… and think it is an eternity. In reality the end of the project is a lot closer than you think. One project I specked out was only 10 weeks in duration. It hardly seemed to start when we were in testing with only 2 weeks until implementation. Before you commit to a timeline, sketch it out with a realistic project schedule and review it with your team.

Unfortunately, potential problems with your project don’t come with warning labels. Perhaps these few reminders will help keep you on your toes without stepping in anything.

September 3, 2007 – Project Management Warnings Part 1

From where I was sitting by the pool in Palm Springs, California last week I could see the warning sign posted above the hot tub. As I read the words of caution I substituted the words “project management” for “spa.” Surprisingly, some of them actually made a lot of sense. Take the following two examples:

“For health and safety reasons, no children under the age of fourteen (14) years shall be permitted in project management without a parent or guardian present at all times.”

“Prolonged exposure to project management may result in nausea, dizziness, or fainting.”

Project management isn’t for the faint of heart and should be approached with caution. For safety reasons I think it is important to post big yellow caution signs. If you are thinking about dipping your toes into the PM swimming pool, take the following warnings into consideration:

• No diving. Before jumping head long into the role of project manager you should check the water. First, hidden rocks can break your neck. Project management is a no man’s land, stuck between those that do the work and upper management. The hard objects hide on both sides. Second, don’t get in over your head. A wise manager once steered me away from a project for political reasons. The time line for the project was too short for the given scope but upper management had promised it would be completed in time for a very visible annual meeting.
• Stay with your buddy. At summer camp we used the buddy system at the beach. No one swam alone. When the lifeguards blew their whistles you had to the count of five to get to your buddy or you had to sit on the beach. Get yourself a mentor for a buddy. Have them critique your status reports before you send them out and ask the hard questions before your management does.
• Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Projects, like pools, have strong chemicals at work. One way to keep from being poisoned is to not believe everything you hear. Everyone has their own unique agenda and it will take time to figure out what each one is. Bill always pads his assessment to make himself look and Elaine under estimates to tell you what you want to hear. Your management will set dates and budgets to tie in with her bonuses. Sam bad mouths everyone. Learn to question estimates and assumptions, ignore gossip and push back when tasked with the impossible.
• Do not swim during a thunder storm. A consultant friend of mine recently left a job because a manager took out his frustration on him with a yelling tirade. The company had purchased a software package and assumed it would do everything the sales team said it would. When the consultant explained the reality of the situation the discussion turned ugly. I am a firm believer that when I fail or my team messes up I need to take the heat, but to get blasted by someone for their own mistake is another thing. Frankly, anyone who resorts to yelling has issues.
  
  Project management isn’t a day at the pool but it doesn’t have to be shark infested waters, either. Swim with caution and don’t forget the sun block.