“Interesting, but what is a Project?”

On Saturday night I volunteered at a fundraising gala for my favorite charity the American Red Cross. During this event I started talking with a guest who was maybe 60 years old, very elegant, with perfect hair, makeup and posture. What struck me about her was the symmetrical shape of her jaw and chin. And, when she spoke, her lips parted and the words spilled out of her mouth in an orderley and synchronized fashion, with a voice that sounded like it was spoken in harmony. She had obviously been trained as a singer, actress or speaker. I asked her (with my New Jersey accent) how she learned to speak so gracefully, and she answered with a sly smile, “I’m from Iowa.”

Anyway, she asked what I did professionally, and I told her “I’m a Project Manager – and, work with clients to identify their needs and problems, that I solve using a defined project methodology.” I could see her eyes squint as she tried to process this definition. Finally, she looked at me with great intensity and said with perfect diction, “interesting, but what is a project?”

Just then the event hall lights flashed and from the stage the gala host called the guests to their seats. My new acquaintance from Iowa said, “good night” and sped away to enjoy the rest of her evening. I was left thinking about her question, and how best to answer.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) says that a project, “Is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.” To me, there are 6 requirements for an initiative to be called a project:

• Objective: every project has to have a “reason for being.” Usually it starts with a problem or need that is to be answered by the project.  The solution may not be known until later, but from the beginning there is a (sometimes loosely) defined objective that the undertaking will address.

• Leadership Structure: a project must have an owner(s) that is held accountable for the actions taken on behalf of the initiative. Usually there is a project sponsor or sponsor committee who are the overseers, and the day-to-day work is lead by a Project Manager. The project team completes the tasks of the initiative under the direction of the Project Manager.

• Specific Effort: there are a defined set of tasks to be completed under the banner of a project that are separate from the on-going activities of an organization. The processes used may be the same (example, filing a 510k for a new product idea), but the effort is specific to a project.

• Resources: are the people and assets that complete the work of a project.  The resources can be 100% dedicated to the project, or share time with other duties.  Resources can be internal to a company or external (contract workers, consultants, customers). Non-human project assets include things like a production line that is used to generate a prototype.

• Duration: a project requires time. At the beginning, the end point may be not be known (it will be determined when more information is available). The end signifies a project is closed and no further work can be completed on behalf of the project. The total project duration can be short or long, and is a function of the complexity of the outcome, and the commitments and investments made to the project.

• Outcome: what a project produces is something unique. It is typically a product or service. The product can be physical (such as a new building), or a strategy, or even a procedure. At the end of a project something exists that was not there before the initiative was undertaken.  

So, what is a simple definition of a project?  What answer should I have ready for my next gala?

I will say that a project is, “an endeavor undertaken by a group of people that create a unique output, over time.” I will use the American Red Cross gala dinner as a good example of a project. The breakdown:

• Endeavor: hold a fund raising event for a non-profit charity
• Group of People: project team was the American Red Cross
• Unique Output: dinner gala and auction
• Time: to be held on March 3, 2012.

Well, with this in my pocket I am all ready for my next gala event! Now, I just need to do something about my accent. Maybe my new friend from Iowa can help.

How do you define a project?  I am interested in your thoughts.

Learn to Trust Your Gut – Intuitive Leadership

I recently reconnected with a former colleague that I’d not seen in several years. He was the type of person that just didn’t fit the corporate mold – you know the kind that speaks their mind, is impulsive, a little volatile, moves really fast, and makes decisions from his gut.

Over lunch, he told the story of his latest venture of buying an underperforming manufacturing business, turning it into a growing, profitable entity and then selling it for big money to a large competitor.  He talked about how in his first days as the new owner, employees were coming to him with a variety of ideas.  He didn’t really know the industry and there were no formal business cases, user studies or even customer requirements to review. But, his intuition helped him identify the winning ideas, and whom to trust. He approved the ideas that “felt good.” Many of the ideas worked, which motivated the employees to bring even more new ideas, and ultimately the business prospered.

Why are there some people who quickly and accurately grasp a situation and make a correct determination without a ton of facts?  What exactly is intuition?  Is it an important trait to have as a leader?  If so, then how can we better learn to trust our gut? 

First, let’s start with the basics. Intuition by definition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.  Carl Jung called it a “perception via the unconscious.” He wrote that a person who is intuitive acts not on the basis of rational judgment but on sheer intensity of perception. I guess a fun way to describe it is, “Knowing without knowing how you know.”

While there are varying opinions, it is commonly accepted that intuitive thinkers make up between 10 to 20% of the population. They tend to be big picture people that see things how they could be, not how they are. They do not learn through sequential facts, rather they like random leaps. They tend to have vivid imaginations, and are fascinated by the unknown, hidden, and unseen.

So what enables intuitive thinkers to quickly evaluate a situation and make a decision?

• They judge an idea against a limited set of filters. Intuitive thinking is not necessarily deep and complex.  Rather, it requires the evaluation of an idea against a set of parameters or filters.  The more filters, the longer and more complex the thinking. The key is to have a limited number of the right filters.

• They don’t get hung up on details. Remember they are big picture people – they are focused on what could be, not the road to get there.

• Have high levels of personal confidence.  Intuitive people just seem to be very sure of their actions. They tend not to fret over decisions – they make their choice and confidently move forward

• They size people up by reading body language and non verbal clues. Intuitive people are good at seeing the hidden clues that are passed during communication: facial ticks, posture, movement, voice inflections. These clues enable them to get insight or information that might be missed by others.

• They are just not that worried about risks.  They see the potential of something and focus on how to succeed. The risks or concerns of failure do not overly complicate their thinking.

There is little debate as to whether intuition plays an important role in leadership. Bill Gates the Microsoft founder said that, “as a leader, often you have to rely on intuition.” Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein is even more emphatic: “The only real valuable thing is intuition.” 

Of course relying on intuition is not fool proof. Andrew McAfee, a research scientist at MIT, states that, “It is easy to make bad judgments quickly.” His argument is that we have biases that lead us astray when making assessments. And, because intuitive thinkers tend to make quick decisions – the impact of a wrong one can be devastating.

It is clear that intuitive thinking must be balanced by data. I support a collaborative approach between the two. If your “gut” and the data are not aligned – then you have to go back and recheck the facts. In the end, there must be some foundation of facts to support the intuitive thoughts. And, with today’s tools – it is easier than ever to incorporate data into this approach. 

So can intuition be learned? Steve Jobs said of his first trip to India, “The main thing I’ve learned is intuition.” A google search of organizations selling intuitive learning classes numbered in the millions. So there are clearly some who think intuition is a trainable skill.

What can you do to improve your intuitive thinking?

• The experience you gain over time will help you to better judge ideas and people – just from sheer repetition.

• Concentrate on being more observant, looking at body language, and trying to read between the lines. Everyone has this ability; it’s just that some people have learned early on how to use it.

• Make an effort to use your intuitive skills every day. Don’t talk yourself out of an idea before thinking it through. Convince yourself that your intuition works, and then use it!  

• Keep a journal of your decisions and regularly review it to track your results. Look at the factors that resulted in successful decisions, and use them again. Looking back on your successes will help boost your confidence in your intuitive abilities.

• Finally, closely observe those around you who are intuitive thinkers. Ask them about how they filter and process ideas. Looks for patterns in how they act.  Find their strengths (and weaknesses), and determine if you can incorporate some of their techniques into your thinking.

There are a large number of people who are not intuitive thinkers. This does not stop them for from honing their skills in this area.  And, it is important for intuitive thinkers to have people around them who think differently, who can counter-balance their big thoughts with the practical details.  The best organizations that I have worked with balance different types of thinkers who can see the potential, the practical details and the risks.

What do you think? I’m interested in your comments.

7 Things They Don’t Teach You in Project Management School

I have a friend who just passed the PMP exam. Congratulations to her and all the recently certified project professionals. Right now, you are walking encyclopedias of project management terms, tools, and techniques. You know the PMBOK by heart and have studied Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and even a little Six Sigma. You are primed with knowledge, confidence, and motivation – and ready to use your skills to lead projects.

But, before you get started, I have to tell you that there are a few things they did not teach you in project management school.  A few items that every Project Manager learns over time through experience that changes the way they approach their job.  Below are a few of the “dirty little secrets” of project management.  Read them at you own peril:

• You will spend a significant amount of time and energy playing politics. Whether you like it or not, corporate politics and projects are closely related.  Most projects come at the expense of other initiatives, and there is always someone that is not in agreement with the selection process. Also, most projects have large numbers of stakeholders, line managers, internal & external customers, and other parties that have a stake in the outcome. There’s a good chance that at least one of them has interests that are not aligned with yours. You need to keep your eyes and ears open, and your fingers on the pulse of the organization to insure success.

• Not all of your team members want to be part of your project. Many have other jobs, responsibilities, and pressures. Often, they are awarded to you by a line manager or stakeholder who is required to provide a resource, but not necessarily the best one. I have even had team members who secretly were against the project to which they were assigned. Don’t assume that all team members are excited and motivated by the opportunity to work on your project.

• The Business Case your project was built on is crap. You get assigned to lead an important project, with lots of accolades and a splashy launch with the CEO.  The next day, you and the team dig into the details of the business case and you find it’s based on fantasy.  The revenue projections are grossly overstated, the costs are not realistic, and the market potential is far smaller than the figures used.  Wow! It’s a little hard to go back now and tell the CEO you decline the position. Turns out those Ivy League business analysts who wrote the business case were influenced more by passion than facts.

• There are Stakeholders who don’t support your project. Many stakeholders had no say in which project goes forward, and if they did, yours would not be their first choice. Some disagree with the strategy, many worry about the changes that might result, and others have legitimate concerns about things like resource allocation and balancing fiscal year goals with longer-term priorities.  In any case, they may be your stakeholders, but they are not always in your corner.

• Your project Sponsor cannot always be trusted. What?  The person you turn to in times of trouble is not always reliable?  Yes, sponsors often have many responsibilities and your project might not be the most important. Plus, sometimes they become a sponsor because of position and rank – not due to interest or competence.  There are times when a project goes bad and your sponsor will simply vanish.  Sometimes you have to walk down the road alone.

• Your Project Management Office (PMO) is not always your friend. PMO’s are a great help to most Project Managers. They can provide infrastructure, support, and guidance that will help you be successful. However, they are not all created equal.  Some PMO’s thrive on power, bureaucracy and control. Others are understaffed and focus solely on just a few high-visibility projects. Finally, there are some with a level of maturity and development well beneath your needs.    

• People will sometimes hate you. It is just a fact that people who run projects and bring change often face resentment, resistance, and even loathing.  Often you are messing with people’s worlds, challenging their norms, and forcing them to change something with which they are very comfortable. Many times you are an outsider that does not “come from” or “know the business”. Yet, you will lead projects that sometime change everything.  Some people will hate you for this; it is often hard to avoid.

The good news is that if you are armed with the right tools and skills and aware of the pitfalls that many project managers face, you have most of what is needed to succeed.

The keys to being successful are the following:  be open and transparent, listen, be humble and respectful, use all the tools in your tool-kit, never let obstacles derail you, trust your gut, and be willing to ask for help when needed.

Good luck to you. I know you are ready for this challenge and many more!

My Strongest Sponsor – A Love Story

If you’ve ever managed or have been part of a project, then you’ve probably come across a project sponsor. You know, the senior person that you go to for advice and support when there is a problem. Your sponsor (also called a Project Champion) is there when you need a little political muscle, an arm twisted, some additional resources, or help getting that extra funding that will push your project over the top. Your sponsor is your ally when you really need one.

Not all sponsors are created equal. Some are smart, strong and like their roles; others not so much. Most sponsors want the best for you and your project team and will help you in many ways. Sometimes they offer words of encouragement; other times you get a kick-in-the-ass. Mostly, good sponsors sit in the background and let you do your job – offering support or a guiding hand at critical moments.

I once had a great but quirky sponsor who used to say things like, “I have to yell at you. I have a reputation to uphold.” I took his rants and raves, because he always supported me and my teams without fail. He was not a perfect sponsor, but always entertaining.  Once, in a meeting he called me an, “f’n dictator.” I loved that guy!

But what about having a sponsor outside of the office?  Do you have that person at home who helps you in times of need? Someone who tells it like it is, even when you rather not listen?

I am a lucky guy, I met my strongest sponsor in late 1989, and we were married in 1994.  Her name is Julie, and I am truly fortunate that she is part of my life!

You see, like some of you, I can be a little difficult at times.  Maybe I am strong-willed, somewhat stubborn, opinionated, a tiny bit bossy, head-strong, and every so often I am a little cranky.  While I view these as positive traits, I can understand how others might see things differently.

Anyway, my beautiful wife puts up with me.  She forgives my faults, accentuates my strengths, stays cool in trying times, and even laughs at my jokes. She is the perfect partner to have in life. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.”

So as we approach Valentine’s Day 2012, I want thank all the sponsors out there that empowered and helped me to be my very best. And to Julie, my strongest sponsor, the woman I love – thank you for always being there, and for helping me strive to be better. I will love you always!

Have a happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

“Cause I got something on my mind that sets me straight and walking proud. And I want all the time, all that heaven will allow.” ~ B. Springsteen

Why Are Soft Skills So Hard?

It’s common these days to hear business leaders talk about their skills as a collection of tools that are kept in a toolbox. The idea is that for any job or task, there is a tool or skill that can be used to fix the problem. As high-impact leaders we want to have all the latest tools. We need to be flexible, versatile, up for any challenge, and we want to stay relevant.

Leadership skills typically fall into two buckets: hard and soft. Hard skills are specific abilities that can be defined and measured. Examples of hard skills include: using an Excel spreadsheet, creating a Profit and Loss statement, researching a competitive product. These skills tend to be tangible, repeatable, measurable, and for most people, transferable through education and training.

Soft skills are something different. They are less concrete and more esoteric. Soft skills include: communication, listening, negotiation, conflict resolution, team building, influencing and problem solving. Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance your ability to interact effectively with others. These skills are behavioral competencies and they are hard to quantify. They are also known as interpersonal skills, or people skills.

The development and study of soft skills is fairly recent. Prior to 1980’s, management was predominantly top down, rules based, and autocratic. This changed as companies realized that distributed power led to more creative thinking, increased productivity, and more content employees. In the 1980s, team-based, values-driven organizations appeared. Companies were no longer driven by rules, but by systems and teams. Suddenly, there was a need for leaders who could master soft skills.

Today, many feel soft skills are more important to business leaders than hard skills. Noted psychologist Daniel Coleman states that, “An individual’s ability to manage their relationships with others is twice as important as their intelligence quotient.” Clearly if we look at today’s workplace environment and see the changes due to technology, customer-driven markets, information-based economies and globalization, there is an increased reliance on, and demand for, soft skills. For these reasons, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.

If soft skills are so important why can’t we just find a way to standardize them so they can be mastered by all? Why do we still see people in the workplace who struggle with interpersonal or people related matters? Why are soft skills so damn hard?

First, as noted above, soft skills are not tangible. They are difficult to quantify and measure. Without a baseline to measure, it’s hard to determine what works and why. This makes it a struggle to build learning and training exercises that traditionally look at measurable best practices.

Second, most of us were educated in systems that only taught hard skills – math, science, history, language. Traditional education did not focus on teaching soft skills. So most soft skills are learned on the job by trial and error. Essentially, we’ve had to learn them the hard way.

Finally, everyone is unique. We have different histories, personalities, mores, ethnic backgrounds, motivation, and values. Because of this diversity there are no one-size-fits-all solutions or models to be utilized when conflict and interpersonal issues arise. Each situation is different; the key is flexibility to judge each situation on its own merits, and offer a creative solution.

So, soft skills are hard to master. But, below are a few suggestions that can help you move forward.

• Know your personality strengths and weaknesses. There is some science that theorizes that how humans interact with others is driven by their personality type. There are many tools to measure personality such as the Myers Briggs Personality Indicator. A good on-line place to start is HumanMetrics, which offers a free Jung Typology Test. Understanding your personality type can help narrow the focus to areas you can leverage or improve.

• Watch and listen to others. Find others in your organization who you think have good soft skills. Watch and listen to see how they interact with others. Find out what they are they doing that is successful. Do not be afraid to copy what you feel is working.

• Ask for feedback from your team. Those around you often have excellent insight into your interpersonal skills. Do not be afraid to ask for input on your actions. This will often win respect from others as it shows you value their opinions and want to improve.

• Find a coach. Getting honest, productive feedback can be hard. Often it is best to find someone outside your normal channels who can help you identify the areas where you need to focus. Look around at the networking organizations that you belong to – there are usually qualified people willing to coach for little to no cost. PMI offers a free coaching service to its members. Send me an e-mail and I will be happy to provide you with coaching options.

• Don’t think that soft skills are for weaklings. As high-powered, strong leaders, we often think of soft skills as wimpy. You need to get over this – soft skills are a requirement in today’s organizational environment. They will define your levels of professional success in the future. Spend time understanding and improving your soft skills, or risk becoming a dinosaur.

Employers today highly regard soft skills, because they understand that to get things done, to achieve the company goals, they have to have the right employees in their organization. People with good personal attributes and excellent interpersonal skills are necessary and invaluable to business. Soft skills play a vital role for professional success; they help you to excel in the workplace and their importance cannot be denied in this age of information and knowledge.

Go ahead and open up your leadership toolbox. Do you have the interpersonal skills needed to be a leader in today’s business environment? If not, now is the time for action – now is the time for change!

Nailing Your Global Project Kick-Off Meeting

So you have just been named to lead a strategically important global project. This is a plum assignment and one you have been working towards for over 10 years. There will be visibility for you and the team all the way up to the Executive Team and Board of Directors. This will be your moment to shine!

Your core project team consists of leads from: R&D centers inTaiwan, Sri Lanka and the USA; manufacturing sites in Singapore, Mexico and Indonesia; software programming in India; and, your regional marketing offices that will coordinate user testing via customers in the USA, Germany, Japan and Brazil. Oh yeah – you and the other corporate support personnel (finance, branding, supply chain) are co-located in California, USA. Let’s see, that means you will have team members in 9 time zones, 11 countries, speaking dozens of languages. You get the idea – this is going to be one complex project!

So how do you get started with your core team? You know that the initial moments of a project are critical. The author Frank Herbert wrote the “beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.” You need to get the team off to a productive and positive start. But with such a diverse group, you worry about how they will mesh as a unit, and how long it will take to form a team identity. How can you insure that your global team hits the ground running?

It all starts with a well planned, project kick-off meeting. Below are nine suggestions that will help your team have a productive start.

• For a large, global project, the kick-off meeting should be done in person. With such a diverse team it is mandatory that you quickly take control, start the integration process, and build on the initial project momentum. A face-to-face meeting enables you to manage interactions, observe behaviors, and lay the foundation for solid team dynamics.

• Hold the kick-off meeting in a neutral location. Many people like to start a large project with a meeting in the corporate head-office, to have a big show for Senior Executives. To me, this is a waste of time.  Focus on the purpose of the meeting and not the photo opps. You only get one chance to hold a kick-off meeting, make it free of distractions.

• Plan your meeting in a timeframe that does not conflict with any major global holidays. Often we say it is not a holiday in the US, only to find out it is a holiday (like Chinese New Year) somewhere else.

• Have team members arrive at least a day before the meeting starts. This will give them time to recover from their travels and adjust a bit to the local time. You want the team fresh, focused, and motivated during your meetings.

• Plan several “ice-breaker” and team building activities early in the proceedings. Some cultures tend to integrate quickly, but this is not the case with everyone. In most cases, relationships are built on trust – which is something that must be nurtured and developed over time. Use team building activities to start the process of building trust-based relationships.

• Schedule a cultural understanding workshop. There are plenty of programs that are fun, educational, and can build relationships. I bet your in-house training person could run a session for minimal cost.

• During the kick-off meeting, plan several non-meeting activities. If possible, plan an afternoon of sight-seeing with the team. Go to a museum; see a play or even a concert. I like to organize “walking and talking” tours of the city where we are staying.  A city walking tour is educational, relaxing, fun and usually tiring!  Pick an activity that the team will remember and can go home and “brag” about to their families, friends and co-workers. Outside activities help break the monotony of meetings and allow team members to interact and bond over something besides work.    

• Have a variety of foods to eat and watch the eating habits of your team. You may find that there is a team member who does not eat the local food. Often, they prefer to go hungry rather than tell you that there is a problem. If you see someone not eating, speak to them in private and arrange food that they enjoy – you will win respect for your observations.

• At the end of the meeting, give gifts or mementos of the event (shirts, sweaters, hats). In many cultures, gifts are an important component of a relationship. Make sure that you understand the gift expectations and protocol.

The ideas above will not create an instant bond between your team members, but they will help to get things moving. With a solid foundation of knowledge and common understanding of each other, your team can together move forward into the next phase of your project.

Do you have any other kick-off meeting recommendations?  I would be pleased to hear and learn from you.

Can I be brutally honest with you?

A team is more than a collection of people. It is a process of give and take. ~ Barbara Glacel & Emile Robert

I worked with an executive team that gathered together each month to review performance, strategy, milestones and sometimes ridiculous things like the allocation of reserved parking spaces.  A meeting agenda was always meticulously prepared and distributed. Each agenda item was led by a champion, followed by questions and answers, and finally opinions from the team.  At some point the leader of the group, the Executive VP, would interject and start by saying, “I need to be brutally honest here.” I would always snicker when I heard this because this particular executive was never lacking in honesty or intensity when it came to matters of business.  For him to pre-warn the team, meant that the next words out of his mouth might be a little blunt – and usually were.  Most times the comments were spot-on, nerves would be struck, and a re-energized debate would ensue. In the end, the issue on the table would be probed, dissected, challenged, and alternatives and next steps were finalized.  Whew….item two please!

The tactic being used here is fairly simple – to solve a problem you have to dig, explore, and dissect it until all the facts are known.  You need to see the entire picture, warts and all.  To do this as a team each member must feel free to ask questions, debate assumptions, and challenge facts. The team sometimes has to go to an uncomfortable place – where feelings and even careers can be hurt. It can be brutal!

Why does this have to be so difficult?  Why can’t you just bring problems to your team, give a good situational analysis, state the options, and then ask for help and ideas?  Getting support from others is the foundation of high performing teams – right?

Well, not all teams are created equal.  In the case of this and many other teams, the pressure to perform was high, competition amongst the team members was extreme, trust levels were low, and the change management approach being used left many uncertain of their status in the pack.  In this environment, it was hard to admit to your peers and superiors when there was a problem, or that you were not in total control. Instead, you might dress up the issue with charts, graphs, overly optimistic forecasts – and hope that nobody asked the tough questions.

As a leader I see the importance in having teams that are open and feel free to say exactly how they see things. So how do we get teams members to be brutally honest with each other in a positive way?

It Starts with Trust.  Leaders use team building and coaching techniques that allow team members to become comfortable and supportive of each other.  This takes time – trust has to earned. It cannot be fast-tracked or rushed.  Once established, team members will open up to their issues and invite debate about options.

It is never personal.  As a leader you cannot let a debate turn personal.  Personal issues and feelings have no place in an open forum. In fact, they take the focus away from the task at hand – running the business. As a leader, if you see this type of behavior, then you have to resolve it immediately or consider removing both team members.

Cultural Differences Must Be Understood. How much one can openly question a colleague or state an opinion can vary by culture. Saving face is important in some cultures, but not in others. As a leader, you must encourage those whose were taught to lay back to speak up and contribute to a debate.  Others you have to muzzle.  In the end, everyone must be part of the process.

Share / Buy-in to a Common Vision.  Teams that understand and believe in a common goal tend to be more focused in their approach and more likely to ask the tough questions. Team members might disagree and debate on the tactics used to reach the goal, but the guiding principle brings a team together under a common banner. 

Management Sets the Tone: You and leadership team must lead by example.  A leadership team that does not reflect the values of honesty, trust and openness will often lead others in their charge to follow the same path. It starts at the top – you and your peers must set the example.

The Executive VP that I talked about earlier was a good leader. He challenged his team and always looked to question the status quo.  He thought that for an organization to succeed it had to be willing to ask the tough questions and face business challenges head-on.  If feelings got hurt, then so be it – you either toughened-up, or you were gone. In the end, the team “normalized,” a few changes were made, and the organization settled into a profitable position at the head of its industry.

How do you feel about asking the tough questions?  Do you know people who are brutally honest and respected for their candor, or not?  How can team be coached to open up so that honest and free discussions can occur?  I would like to hear your views.