c/ Príncipe de Vergara 109
Madrid 28002
Tel: 902 12 10 15
info@esi-sp.es

Ir Arriba>>

OH, MY – I REALY CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING!

(Denise DeCarlo, PMP)

As project managers, we typically like to be in control. However, the reality of the situation is that we simply can not control everything. We can plan to our heart's content—but rarely is a project executed and delivered exactly as we had planned. In this article we will explore how to handle situations that are completely out of our control, such as items we never dreamed to put into our risk management plan—or if we did, those that were low priority risks that we didn't think necessitated documenting a risk mitigation approach. So, how should you handle situations when the carpet has suddenly been pulled from underneath you and your project team members?
Let's say your project is moving along just fine—not perfect, but it is well within your project management office (PMO) guidelines for schedule, cost and risk tolerances. You and your team are preparing for the next major milestone and—suddenly—the senior management team decides to put your project on "hold" because "there's something else happening" at the executive level. You can't bring on additional resources as planned, but you can proceed in a limited fashion with existing resources. This means you can't work on all components of the end product because you need unique labor-skilled resources to complete the product. So, how should the astute project manager handle this situation? Let's explore four techniques to address this not-so-fun situation.

1) Deal with your project team members first

Ensure you communicate to your team immediately to let them know what is going on. You want them to get the news from you—not through the grapevine. They will have lots of questions for which you likely will not have a lot of answers. For instance, why can't we bring on the resources as planned? When can we bring the resources on board? Does our end date get extended out? The team will likely be very frustrated with senior management actions and morale can drop significantly. If the team had been working very hard to achieve a milestone and management changes the rules to suddenly say that a specific milestone is on hold, it will inevitably deflate the team.
In this scenario, because I've been told the full story should not be shared with project team members until final decisions have been made at the senior management level, I tell the team "as much as I can." Be very careful in how you communicate the senior management actions to the project team. You don't want to throw darts at the senior management team. Instead, you should explain what is going on, why and what the next known steps are. Then ask team members what their questions are, what recommendations and ideas they have (if appropriate), what concerns they have and if there's anything else they need from you.
Ensure that they understand this is not a reflection of the team's performance and thank them for working as hard as they did to achieve task completions on time with a high level of quality. They need to understand that you (and senior management) do appreciate the work they have done and your project is being impacted by something out of their control.
At this point try to listen very carefully to team member reactions. Some will fall in the "who cares" category and will just go with the flow. Others will be extremely frustrated and won't be focused on work activities until they have a chance to process the situation and get re-grounded. You'll need to work carefully with team members who are frustrated (likely one-on-one) to talk specifically about their concerns and their emotions to determine how to best help them overcome the situation.

2) Get the team back on track emotionally.

To address this issue you have to start with yourself first. You need to mentally get back in the game and focus on what you can do as opposed what you're not being allowed to do or what is out of your control. It's okay to allow yourself some detox time, but ultimately you'll need to move on so your team can do the same. Once you do this, you can get your team back on track as well.
Create a revised WBS if needed, re-do your risks, and even create revised milestone dates. You need to re-level-set the plan, which will enable you to re-level-set your personal expectations. Once you have new realistic goals to achieve you can give the team something to focus on. Ensure you reflect on the great accomplishments the team has achieved—and be ready to move forward with the revised plan and approach.

3) Ultimately, you'll need to let go of things you can't control or change.

This is one of those times where letting go is definitely in your best interest. Once you have clearly communicated to senior management the negative impact their actions are having on your project (explain the impact in terms of scope, schedule, costs and/or risks) along with your recommendations, all you can do is march toward the revised plan that has been created. If you continue to hold on to the past, it will simply frustrate you and bring the team down as well.
Even if you don't like the revised approach to the project, you'll need to support it publicly. This can be very difficult, but is essential for your project's success. As project managers, once we realise and accept that some things are simply out of our control, we can then proceed with what is in our control—our own mindset! Write down (for your own purposes) what is out of your control for a given project to ensure your clear understanding of the things you can't change. If you begin to get stressed about something on your "out of my control" list then let it go immediately, refer it to someone who has the authority to address it and move on!

4) Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

When in doubt, communicate to your team what is going on and always be honest. Remember, as the project manager you're likely getting information on a daily basis—sometimes minute by minute during times of significant change—but your team meetings may be only weekly. So in the interim, send out e-mail updates to the team as "news breaks" so they hear it from you first, and always ask them to call you if they have specific questions or concerns.
Call team members one-on-one more often to touch base with them and see how they are doing. If team members ask you questions that you cannot answer without divulging confidential information senior management has shared with you, let them know you can't answer their specific questions right now. Promise to follow up with them when you can give them more information. If they need an answer because something is impacting their jobs, it's your responsibility to provide them an answer (with management approval) or provide them an alternative solution to the given situation so they can move forward.
If necessary, schedule a brief 15-minute team meeting to update everyone mid-week with current project status. This is especially helpful if you want to verbally explain what is going on. When it comes to risk communication, e-mail often causes misunderstandings.

Projects rarely go as planned. This is something we are used to. But when things happen that are bigger than us or beyond our control, we need to take a different approach to handle the situation effectively. Items that fall into this category include sponsorship changes initiated by senior management, company reorganisation, company merger/buyouts, outsourcing, department-level funding cuts and change in corporation strategic objectives.
Remember to:

• Communicate the situation at hand to your team members in a timely and frequent manner
• Get yourself back on track, then arm the project team with a revised project approach and direction
• Let go of things beyond your control—focus on what you can control
• Communicate changes as they surface to ensure everyone continues to be appropriately informed
  Following these steps will provide you the capability to move you and your team forward—even in very difficult times.

Denise DeCarlo is President of Mindavation, a company based in the US that provides project management training and consulting, team building and keynoting to companies worldwide. Mindavation is a Registered Education Provider with PMI®. Denise can be contacted at +1 (303) 255-4082 or decarlo@ mindavation.com. The Mindavation Web site is www.mindavation.com.

Ir Arriba>>

THE REAL SECRET OF OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP REVEALED

By Paul Shapiro

I am standing in my kitchen watching my 9-year-old daughter become extremely upset about yet another parental goof on my part. Unfortunately my MBA program didn't discuss managing children. As she is standing there, trying her best to maintain some sense of decorum, tears streaming down her face, she says, "Dad, you never listen." Perhaps this is why the audiologist told me after an examination that I had a disease called "Selective Deafness," meaning I listen to only things that I find particularly relevant and tune out the rest. Having taught and collaborated with leaders all over the world, I have finally discovered that the true sign of a leader at any level of an organization or community is their ability to listen-truly listen. Hearing is not the same as listening. Listening, or what Stephen Covey calls "Empathic Listening," is a skill that must be cultivated like programming, speech writing or strategy development.

Tonight, when you go home, sit with your significant other or a friend and have a conversation about something that is of interest to you both. If you are in a relationship, all you have to do is ask, "How was your day?" Easy. So far, so good. Now comes the hard part. Give that person 150% of your attention. Look them in the eyes. Hear each word they say. Ask questions. Don't solve problems. Put your focus on them and, as they say, "get out of your own head and into theirs." I guarantee that the conversation you have will be strikingly different from your normal everyday conversation, and your partner will probably say something like, "Is everything OK?" or "Did something happen to you today?" If you think this is easy, try it for an hour. You'll be exhausted.
Seldom do we listen to others in a way that supports enhanced relationships, either at work or outside of work. Imagine if we did. Normally, when someone comes into your office, do you look at your computer screen to see the stream emails and think, "Get to the point will you? I have a ton of work to do and I'm already behind"? Instead, we should give others the full, absolutely undivided benefit of our attention.

As the American humorist Mark Twain once said, "If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two mouths and one ear." Given that we actually have one mouth and two ears, let's take a look at how we might go about this process. Most theorists suggest that there are three elements to Empathic Listening.

• Hearing: So far you're right on track. Most of us can actually hear what we think is being said.
• Understanding: Now we are in unchartered waters. Do we really understand? Not simply the words but the intent behind the words? If we don't truly understand, communication can become, at best, a challenge and, at worst, chaos and discontent.
• Judging: Try to remain objective and/or neutral. I once coached a senior executive at a company who was so good at communicating that nearly everyone who came to speak with him left with a sense of confidence. Even those who disagreed with him felt as though they were really heard. This individual nodded acknowledgement, never interrupted and used the same language as the speaker to enhance the rapport of the interaction. Some of us (read: the author) continually want to fix or solve problems. Often times, people who communicate issues to you simply want to be heard.

There's the one-two punch on the personal level, but how do we apply this one an organizational level? My friend and small business consultant, Dennis DuRoff (www.dennisduroff.com), suggests that corporate leaders engage in a listening tour.

After a long walk and a short beer, Dennis tells me, "Imagine this….within six months of being hired as a Senior Vice President of a major corporation, you are at the helm of an initiative that will save your company hundreds of millions of dollars. It is sweeping in scope. Your brain-child is getting buy-in at all levels of the organization. Your employees and staff are stretched by the scope of your vision, yet are committed, supportive and excited to help you succeed. Senior Management has expressed their support and you are cleared to form teams, put your systems in place and begin a massive rollout that will transform your company."

Sound like a pipe dream? Not to Dennis' friend Mike.

It is exactly the "dream" he is living at one of the nation's largest and most successful health insurance companies. When Mike assumed his Senior Vice President position, one of his initial acts was to make this dream a reality. He was able to produce such extraordinary results in such a short period. Corporations of this size move like glaciers while Mike seems to maneuver at warp speed! His answer reflects his approach to his life as well as his business.

Quality Relationships First

Mike's first commitment was to focus on developing quality relationships...in this case, with a new staff. He also knows the importance of understanding his new company from the perspective of the people he leads.

As he continued to illuminate his strategy, I realized that his approach would work well for any organization, any manager, at any time. It is an elegant system that opens communication by positioning the leader as one who values the opinions of his or her staff.
His strategy is one in which you might engage whether you are a Senior Vice President or a project manager. This is how Mike described the five-step process of his listening tour:

• Open a casual, non-threatening and non-judgmental one-on-one dialogue with each member of the team.
• Use questions exclusively. Ask with sincerity with the expressed intention of learning as much as possible from every staff member and employee.
• Do not provide any comments, insights or solutions. Approach each conversation with a sense of curiosity and wonder. Just ask questions and listen.
• Ask what is working well and what needs attention. Be interested and don't take anything personally.
• You will amass a lot of isolated information. Study the data to deduce themes that may not be apparent to any one individual.

As a project manager, most of you have the unenviable task of having huge responsibilities with little or no authority and, in most cases, no fully committed resources. The power of your relationships will be the key to your success and empathic listening is the springboard to developing those relationships. You now know one of the real secrets of outstanding leadership. Now, if I can only find the patience to persuade my 9-year-old to agree with me.

"Paul Shapiro is an instructor with ESI. Paul has supported project managers and leaders in the United States and in over 20 other countries. Contact Paul at paul@paulshapiro.com."

Ir Arriba>>

Home | Sobre ESI | Soluciones In Company | Desarrollo Individual | Nuestros Clientes | Recursos | Contacto