Lessons from a Lousy Project Manager

     Most of us have had both positive and negative experiences that have taught us valuable lessons.  Those that set a good example for the people around them are the leaders we are taught to emulate; they are written about and admired by many, deservedly so.  However, it is often the poorest examples, or most negative experiences, that teach us the most profound and longest-lasting lessons.  Turning these lessons into positive statements that you put into practice will greatly improve your team’s chances for unity and success.
     Based on this insight, gained as a member of numerous project teams, I have compiled several lessons that have been reinforced by involvement in – ahem – “imperfect” project executions.  Though the “rules” described below were derived from process improvement, product launch, crisis response, and similar projects, many are universal.  The phrasing or terminology may differ, but the spirit of each is appropriate for any team environment.

• Define how priorities will be established:  Declare the types and sources of data that will be used; the combination of inputs and how each will be weighted should be clearly communicated to all affected parties.  Maintain methodological consistency.
• Maintain priority of issues or tasks:  Once a task has begun, or an issue “opened,” it should be driven to completion without hiatus.  When it is complete and closed, begin the then-highest priority task.  Shuffling the priority of a task that has begun – putting it on hold – is counterproductive.  A task on hold is more difficult to manage than a task in progress; it is often more difficult to restart, when its priority rises again, than it would have been to ride the momentum to completion.  Credibility of the priorities – and the project manager – often suffers as a result.
• Identify a Core Team for each open issue:  A Core Team should consist of the fewest members possible to maintain accountability for resolution of the issue.  In some cases, this may be a single responsible individual.  Others are called upon to support the team as necessary, but ultimate responsibility remains with the Core Team.
• Maintain constant responsibility for open issues:  The Core Team responsible for resolution of an issue should remain constant from assignment to issue closure.  Transferring responsibility results in duplication of effort and the open issue becomes more difficult to manage.  Repeated occurrences encourage “sandbagging” – giving less than a full effort to resolve an issue with the expectation that it will become “someone else’s problem.”
• Organize information to simplify tracking of each open issue:  open issues should be tracked independently to prevent contamination of information.  Information collection and organization in separate “files” can be facilitated with the use of an organization tool.  Each open issue file should contain a problem description and the names of the Core Team members.  Photos, sketches, or other supporting information should also be included; it is useful when creating reports and is especially helpful when beginning lower-priority tasks that have “aged.”

        Four types of tasks or actions, and the names of individuals responsible for completing them should be recorded in the file:

1. Containment – stopgap measures to prevent failure to meet customer commitments in the near-term.
2. Analysis – investigation to determine the root cause of the problem and appropriate solution.
3. Solution – implementation of a new standard that prevents recurrence of the issue.
4. Verification – activities that confirm performance of the new standard.

• Minimize reporting requirements:  Generating and presenting frequent, detailed reports interrupts the flow of project work and robs team members of productive time.  Attending daily meetings, for example, to report on tasks that require several days or weeks to complete not only slows progress, it can also damage morale.  Reports should be required as infrequently and informally as possible while maintaining accountability for the required pace of progress.  Active involvement with the project team will keep a project manager sufficiently informed to be effective, and is preferable to increased reporting requirements.  More formalized reports are justified when significant events occur, milestones are reached, additional resources are requested, or when progress stalls or team performance otherwise falters.

     If regularly scheduled meetings are held, following a few guidelines will help maintain their efficiency – effective information transfer with minimum impact on team productivity.

• Report on issues only on date scheduled:  A team member may feel blindsided if they are asked for an update on a topic other than that for which they have prepared to report.  Stick to the agenda!
• Discuss only 3 – 5 open issues:  Limiting the number of issues pursued at one time reduces the number of attendees and time required to conduct the meeting.  It also allows team members to focus on the highest-priority tasks with minimal interruption.
• Document the analysis process and solutions:  The process used to investigate each issue and the solutions implemented should be thoroughly documented.  This information will be needed to rapidly address any situation where countermeasures were found to be ineffective.  It can also be applied to future projects via the “lessons learned” review process.  If the system used to collect information during the investigation is expedient for that purpose, but impractical as a reference archive, the information should be transferred to a permanent record as soon as possible.
• Conduct disciplinary or remedial actions in private:  Chastising a team member for a perceived lapse in performance may be necessary, but it should not be done in the presence of others.  It is especially important to adhere to this rule when third party personnel (e.g. vendors, suppliers) are present to support your team.  This type of conduct reflects very negatively on the individual and the organization.
• Express expectations clearly and precisely:  Team members deserve to know what is expected of them (i.e. what responsibilities they have been assigned) and when.  Don’t say things like “No pressure.  Just get it done.”  Unless it’s a joke.  Because it is.
  

     If you have examples that have served you well, please share them.  It may help others realize that they have a choice between enduring trauma and growth opportunity, encouraging them to persevere.  If you’d prefer to encounter the “Lousy Project Manager” vicariously, feel free to contact me.
 
Jody W. Phelps, MSc, PMP®, MBA
Principal Consultant
JayWink Solutions, LLC
jody@jaywink.com