February 19, 2008 – Welcome Aboard!

"Welcome aboard!" is, unfortunately, the only orientation some Newbies ever receive when starting a new job. If they are lucky someone shows them where the restrooms are...and how to find their way back. I can’t say how or why it happened, but I recently heard that a new project manager, on his first day, excused himself to use the facilities...and never came back. If you want to retain resources longer than a couple of cups of coffee, the PMO or department management should create a new hire initiation that covers the following areas.

People. Get them connected to others. An Org Chart helps. My biggest fear when starting in a new location is that the CEO will greet me in the hall and I’ll say something stupid. I can picture myself saying, "Must be great to be management and take all the prime parking spots!" Walk Newbies around with the Org Chart in hand and at least give them chance of not making fools of themselves. If possible, get a group to take him out to lunch and pay for it.

Access. A list of all required system, application and building accesses should be maintained. Prior to the Newbie showing up, make an effort to get the access set up. Add them to all of the distribution lists they need to be on. Extra Credit: Add to the list a paragraph or two describing what each system, application or building is and why it is important to them.

Tools. With great access must come great understanding. Too dramatic? Probably, but you need to know what tools are available and how to use them. Timesheets are a great example. Are employees required to complete one? How many different places is time recorded? When is it due? Oh, and how does it work? Make the documentation available and, when possible, step them through the first use.

Processes. For those of you who feel oppressed by process, be thankful you have one. Trying to run a project in a chaotic environment is worse. It is like hacking your way through a jungle with no paths. One client I was working had two IT departments: one had a well established process and the other took a more "whatever it takes" attitude. Several project managers moved from structure to chaos, thinking they were finally free. Within a couple of weeks they were calling back for templates and direction. They were drowning in their new found freedom.

Meetings. Every environment has a standard set of meetings that happen. In mature environments a Communication Plan exists that spells out each one along with its purpose, attendees, location, time and frequency. If the plan doesn’t exist, at least make sure they get sent the meeting invitation in time to attend the next one. Let them know what meetings they are expected to establish for their project. Is there an overall project status meeting? Does each area have their own? Are daily standing meetings the norm? Who handles the status with the Business? Is there a Steering Committee? Lacking direction some toes are likely to get stepped on.

Reports. From status to metrics, management doesn’t communicate without reports. This, too, is usually covered in a Communication Plan. Each company seems to have a different expectation for status reporting. Some obtain status information verbally at meetings with the team. Others expect everyone to produce a status report. I’ve seen several companies switch to a 4-Panel status approach (example: 1-page with 4 quadrants: Status, Financials, Schedule and Risks/Issues). Again, if the Newbie doesn’t know, someone isn’t going to get their expectations met.

Locations. The company I am currently working for has several buildings multiple miles apart on the same highway. When I first started out I would get meeting invitations for the "Large Conference Room" and end up in the wrong place. Let Newbies know where the different branches are, the best places to have lunch and how to decipher the meeting room locations. One place I worked used the names of different beaches for conference rooms. Cute idea, but where is Malibu in relationship to Laguna?

I would wait until last to mention the restrooms, though, just in case the Newbie gets the urge to check out and never return.

December 10, 2007 - Burnt by Hiring a Newbie

As an account manager for various clients, I have had to hire project managers to fill open slots. The hard part is separating the bad from the good. One agency I worked with promised me a solid project manager as a replacement for one that left. When he arrived I sat him down and started laying out my expectations for scheduling, status reporting and other normal activities. It was met with a blank stare. From there the conversation went something like:

Me: "So, have you managed a project before?"
Newbie: "No, but I have been the lead on several initiatives."
Me: "Have you had any project management training?"
Newbie: "No, but I’ve worked on a similar system before."
Me: "Did you know you were supposed to be the project manager for this project?"
Newbie: "They mentioned I might be doing something like that."
Me: "Why is it you are here?"
Newbie: Blank stare.

When I called the agency I was assured they had a lot of confidence in him because he was, and I quote, a "high performing technical lead." With service like that it comes as no surprise to me when clients complain about receiving the bait and switch – promised a solid Project Manager and getting a rookie. How can you prevent it? Ask the right questions up front.

Here are three basic questions to ask before accepting a PM for your project:

1. What and when was your last project management assignment?
Your first clue of a potential rookie would be if they talk about their great technical lead rolls. See if they can articulate the business purpose for the project and why it was a challenge for them. Get a flavor for the overall size, duration, number of resources they managed.

2. How did you manage the cost, schedule and scope of that effort?
This questions will test their ability to speak in project management terms. The phrases you are looking for are:

• Established the budget (cost)
• Used the Work Breakdown Structure to develop the deliverables and lay out the schedule (schedule)
• Created a baseline and established milestones (cost / schedule)
• Tracked actual work and estimates to complete by resource at the task level (schedule)
• Compared the progress and costs back to the baseline (cost) with bonus points if they mention critical path or earned value
• Defined the scope in the Charter, Statement of Work or other defining document
• Used Change Requests to identify and approve deviations from the scope

3. When did you schedule status meetings and who attended them?
Status meetings fall into two categories. The first is with the team to gather the status. The second is with the sponsor and other management to convey that status. From my experience at the end of the week you have the team status meeting, collect timesheets and status reports. On Monday the project schedule is updated and the weekly status report is create and sent out. Tuesday is then the day for the sponsor status meeting. The information is fresh and you have a current view of the forecasted project.

Solid answers to these 3 questions will give you a good comfort level of your candidate’s ability. Keep them honest by asking for some of the struggles they dealt with in implementing their tactics.

If you have additional questions that would help weed out rookies before they are hired, share it in a comment.

November 5, 2007 – Dealing with a Newbie, Part 2

Last week we looked at how to deal with a pretty standard newbie just trying to fit in, establish himself and be productive. But what happens when you get a problem newbie? Some are just killing time while collecting a pay check but others may actually be gunning for you and your job. Either one is a pain to deal with. Here are some suggestions for training your newbie to get his act together and recognize you as the manager.

Formally assign work. Come right out and say it. Don’t suggest or hint that you want something done, assign it to him. Show him where it is in the schedule with his name on it. Give him a task list. Find something that works, but make sure you set the expectation that he is responsible for accomplishing certain items. Formally assigning and receiving of tasks is an acknowledgement that you are the manager.

Agree on target dates. Work with him to identify completion dates for the tasks assigned that he can agree to and the project can live with. Giving him a say in the due dates transfers ownership to him. At least subconsciously he will know a measurement has been established and he will be held to it.

Hold status meetings. If you are not already have weekly status meetings with the team, start them. Have everyone give a synopsis of their accomplishments for the week. The peer pressure of hearing his teammates’ achievements may inspire him. Also, meet informally one on one with him to check on progress.

Give him praise. When he does a good job, recognize it. The act of receiving the recognition builds on the manager / team member relationship. Be sincere with your praise and don’t go overboard. For the non-productive newbie this can spark further good work. If you feel he is attempting to outshine you, don’t try to extinguish his flame. Give him the recognition he deserves.

Accept mistakes. When he misses targets or makes a mistake, don't ridicule or yell at him. Recognize that he messed up and say something like, "that's ok, I'm sure you will do better next time." For honest mistakes this approach should make him try harder next time where yelling might reinforce failure. If he is deliberately messing up, you now have specific, documented instances of poor performance where expected work, based on agreed timeframes, is not being completed.

Report the facts. There are several resource reporting processes in most companies. For functional organizations (project team borrowed from different groups) the newbie’s reporting manager will want specifics. Many companies have a 90 day review process for new hires that may lend to an easy out. Your management may sense tension or the newbie may actually be going directly to your boss to stirring up trouble. Keep report the facts. Either the newbie is accomplishing his assignments or things are slipping. Feed your manager specific expected accomplishments ahead of time (i.e. "Based on newbie’s estimates the following tickets should be completed by Friday. I've asked them to..."). Then follow up with the results.

The idea is to train the newbie to recognize you as the manager and become productive without resorting to outright warfare. He will either fall in line and start acting like you are in charge or it will frustrate him to the point that his actions will be too visible to hide. By keeping management informed on a regular basis it will be difficult for him to paint a different picture of what is going on. From there disciplinary action can be taken.

There are many other aspects to handling difficult resources and we’ve barely scratched the surface on the topic. Here are two more notes to keep in mind. (1) You may have actually hired a genius that deserves to move up the ranks. Hopefully he can do it without being a jerk. Your approach can help mold his progress and may determine your future employment. (2) Jerks have a way of eventually ticking off the wrong person. If he is trampling people to gain control, chances are you aren’t the only one noticing.

October 29, 2007 – Dealing with a Newbie, Part 1

Starting at a new place can be very daunting. It represents a clean slate. Few, if any, people know who you are, what your past is or what your capabilities are. Whether you are looking to clean up your act or just re-establish yourself in a different environment, it can be intimidating.
As a manager adding new people to your project or organization you need to be aware of the newbies in your midst and how to make them part of the team. This week we’ll take a look at some general ideas on how to make them feel at home. Next week we can address nuisance newbies.

Make the introductions. Take them around the office and introduce the team. The two most important sets of people to meet are management and the keeper of supplies. The supplies person is obvious, but the management is vital. The worst way for someone to meet management is by making a rookie statement during a meeting.

Give them the overview. Talk them through the purpose of your department or the scope of the project. Paint the big picture and where they fit in. Build them up by telling them why they were selected for this specific position. They don’t need to know that the first two recruits turned the job down.

Hand over the documents. Give them the Charter for the organization, the Statement of Work for the project or any other defining documents that they need to understand the environment. As you brush the dust off to hand it to them, you may want to take another look at it yourself.

Tell them where the pot holes are. Back before California, in Ohio and New York, there were two driving hazard seasons: the Orange Traffic Cones of road construction (May to October) and the car swallowing Pot Hole months (November to April). Point out the hazards in your work place. If there are people or topics that need to be handled with caution, let the newbies know. Without your warnings they could blow a tire or land upside down in an open trench.

Get them what they need. During the first day at my new job, Carmen showed up at my desk with pens, paper, paperclips, tape, stapler and a bunch of other essentials. In most of my previous entries I had to find these myself. Sometimes I was lucky enough to get the name of the keeper of supplies, but rarely a full stock delivered.

Solve their problems. In one of my previous lives a newbie was having a problem. Her name was misspelled in the mail system and it was causing issues with her login and with people trying to contact her. When she asked the admin staff they pointed her somewhere else which led to someone else and back so many times that she was getting dizzy from the run around. I used her phone and made a couple of calls to put her in touch with the right person. In addition to solving her problem, I showed her that she was a priority part of the team.

Let them make mistakes. People learn by making mistakes. The ideas above set your newbies up for success, but if they aren’t allowed to make mistakes they won’t be able to achieve greatness. Establish an environment that encourages strong effort but recognizes that errors occur.

I have developed the Newbie Card system to break the ice and help overcome the fear of failure. Drop me an email or register at the Cutting’s Edge and I will send you a copy.

October 15, 2007 – How am I doing?

Today is the real test of how well I am doing at my new job. It is payday #2. If I don’t get a paycheck it might be a good indication that I am failing. Since they are unlikely to just drop me from the payroll, I guess I need to find a better way to check on my progress.

Which reminds me of a story I have heard a couple of times. A teenager knocks on his neighbor’s door and asks to use the phone. Curious, she lets him but listens in to the conversation. “Hello, sir, my name is Jeffrey and I was checking to see if you need a hardworking teenager to unload orders and stock shelves for you…. I see. Does he show up on time and work hard? Because I could…. So you don’t need anyone right now? ... Ok. Thank you for your time.”

When the teen hangs up the phone he smiles, thanks her and heads for the door with a spring in his step. By now her curiosity has gotten the best of her and she asks, “Why are you so happy? It sounded like you didn’t get the job.” To which he replied, “I knew he already had someone because I’m the one. I was just making sure I’m doing a good enough job.”

Unfortunately it isn’t as simple to make sure you are being successful at your job. Some employers have a 90 day review but if you wait that long it may be too late. Here are some things I have done to spot check my efforts for the first month.

Assessment and Recommendations. During the first week or two I gathered information on the current state of the PMO. Why was it started? What was already in place? How long had it been in existence? Where was the opposition? Who supports it? Where was it headed?

From this I developed an Assessment and Recommendations document. In it I laid out my understanding of the Critical Success Factors, Background, Current Assessment, Scope (in and out), Development Plan and Implementation Recommendations. This served two main purposes: (1) confirm my understanding of the PMO purpose and history and (2) outline my plans for moving it forward. By reviewing the document with management we quickly fixed any confusion and reset my direction.

Documentation checkpoints. Nothing is more frustrating than turning in a document or report you worked long and hard on only to find out it is exactly opposite of what was needed. To avoid this I started establishing checkpoints along the way to make sure expectations are met. The first spot check is an outline of the document. Use the outline to talk through what each section will cover and how they will all flow together. Follow this up with an updated version that includes a couple sentences for each section to confirm the discussion. Next take a section or two and create a rough copy of them. Verify the level of detail to ensure you have enough without drilling too deep. Finally, draft the entire piece for review. The results of that review will align you for completing the document.

Talk it through. When I spend a large part of my day thinking and typing I can get to the point where things stop making sense. Fortunately I sit next to someone who doesn’t mind me rolling my chair over and thinking out loud. We are able to bounce ideas back and forth until things start to click again. These kinds of conversations usually start with “Does this sound crazy to you?” or “Am I going nuts or…?” These thought checks are great to do with a peer before taking ideas to management. Not to self: Make sure you give credit for any great ideas where it is due.

These three ideas aren’t as bold as calling your boss and trying to steal your own job, but hopefully they will get you through that 90 day review with flying colors and keep that paycheck coming.