Welcome to the World of Change

When I started managing projects the projects, I led were relatively short in duration, small teams, and fairly simple. Projects of 6 months or less in duration, team size of 10 or less, and relatively small budgets. As my skills developed, the duration of the projects and the size of the teams I have managed or have been engaged in as a program office manager have grown. Most recently the projects I am involved in are over the expanse of multiple years with team sizes of 300 to 500 supported by the appropriate budget. When the projects were simpler, I would be able to plan them out, taking into account any assumptions, constraints, and risks. The accuracy of my planning was in direct correlation to my ability to predict the risks I would face. Projects with a short duration and small team have minimal risk. Additionally, as the projects grew in duration the probability of something going against the plan also grew. The smaller the projects, the more likely the project would be able to go according to plan. That doesn’t mean that things didn’t go awry from time to time, it just means that the probability was lower.

A good example is the risk of a resource leaving during a 3-month project and a risk that a resource would leave during a 3-year project. The risk exists for both projects. The probability is lower on a 3-month project than a 3-year project. However, the impact on a 3-month project has the potential to be much greater than a resource leaving on a 3-year project. Why discuss risks? Change causes risk in projects. I would say that, based on my experience, risks are about the circumstances of a project changing. In the world of projects, circumstances are defined as everything that can exert pressure on a project to move in a direction other than that which has been planned. Resources, clients, weather, disease, technology, laws, and vendors are all examples of potential areas of impact. In other words, when circumstances change, it can impact a project. The change that is possible is constant and occurs in all projects. The question becomes, how do you handle change. To get a sense of how you handle yourself when faced with change, let’s move away from projects into your personal life. Let’s look at change, circumstances, and risk and how you handle those situations. Like it or not, the saying “the way we do one thing is the way we do everything” is rooted in truth. The way we handle risk, change, and circumstances in our personal lives will give us a glimpse into the world of our flexibility, adaptability, ingenuity, perseverance, and integrity when it comes to project management.

Most of us start our day with a plan of sorts for the day, some plan more than others, but we do have some sense of what we want to do in our day. So when you hop in the car to go to the grocery to pick up a quick dinner and find that the road is closed and a 20 minute round trip is now going to be longer because you get to take a detour or visit a grocery store on the other side of town how do you respond? What about when you go online to start work and your machine isn’t working? In other words, when something disrupts your day, how do you respond? When you find that your plans are being changed for you because the circumstances have changed you have a choice on how to respond. When you embrace change as a potential opportunity, when you see the changes to circumstances as a way of changing your perspective, and when you embrace change as a constant, change is no longer something to be feared, mastered, or avoided. Change becomes the gateway to something different, something unseen or unexperienced, and possibilities that didn’t exist before.

Sounds easy enough. The magic is in shifting your perspective from change being a problem to solve to change being an opportunity to embrace. How to shift? One change at a time. What I mean is, it doesn’t matter how well I’ve handled a change that has happened in the past, what really matters is how I handle the change that I am currently facing. The change that is happening in this moment.

There are two things that I can do to prepare myself for potential change and to get better at handling change. The first is risk management or to look for all of the things that can potentially change and consider what some actions would be to handle that change. This is what risk management is about, looking for potential changes and thinking through the potential options or opportunities to mitigate that change. The other is to review a change that has occurred and review what worked and what didn’t work about how I reacted to the change. This is looking at how I am being about change itself. If I view it as a problem, then it will be a problem. If I view it as an opportunity to learn from, grow from, or to see things from a different perspective I will have a better opportunity to respond in a way that empowers others to work together and collaborate to find alternative options.

So, welcome to the world of change. An exciting place to be seen as a leader, as someone who responds with possibilities when change comes, to work to see the opportunities that exist when change occurs and to embrace the change as a vehicle to advance the project rather than as something that will damage the effort.

Read more...

Habits, Habits, Habits

Let’s talk about habits. Those seemingly mindless activities we perform daily. Those things that we love and loathe about ourselves and others. Those things that separate us, because we allow them to separate us, from fully accepting ourselves. My experience is that habits create most of our praise and distain for our selves. Those habits that we see as great we use to create stories of our goodness, kindness, and success. Those habits that we see as holding us down we use to create stories of our lack of worth, inability to change, and distaste of who we’ve become. If all of our habits are learned behaviors and learned patterns for doing things, what is it that keeps us from being able to adjust, shift, and morph into how we would like to see ourselves and to have others see us that way? Is it because we are too lazy to try to do things differently? Is it because we have failed so many times that we’ve given up? Is it just too hard to change? Is it because sustaining behaviors takes effort, accountability, and drive and we aren’t willing to do the work?

Philosophers and scientist have been studying habits since the time of Aristotle. Recently, at least in the past decade, there have been a series of books published to shed some insight into the world of our habits. The most fascinating thing is that most of the books point to a few core concepts designed to support us in understanding why we have habits, habits that work for us and habits that seem to work against us, what a habit consists of, or the pattern of habits, and what is needed to create or change a habit. The most recent habit best sellers are Charles Duhiggs’ The Power of Habits (2013), Stephen Guises’, Mini Habits (2013), S.J. Scotts’ Habit Stacking (2017), James Clears’ Atomic Habits (2018) and BJ Foggs’ Tiny Habits (2019). What I discovered in reading or listening to these authors books is, while my understanding of habits has increased due to scientific studies on how our brains work and the cycle associated with habits, changing habits and creating new habits requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to fail often. Each habit that we have is unique to us, while we may brush our teeth at least two times a day, when we do that varies from person to person, so the habit isn’t identical in all people.

There are three common themes in all of these books that make a difference in how we approach creating, changing, or eliminating or replacing habits. The three primary similarities within all of the books are start small, tie what you want to create to something you already do, and celebrate when you do what you say you are going to do. There are more similarities between all of the books and I’ll provide additional insights as we continue the habit and practice journeys. Providing the foundational understanding of what makes a difference in beginning to shift our habits is the purpose of starting with these three prominent ingredients.

The most prominent in all of the books is the simple act of starting small. In Mini Habits Stephen Guise writes about starting the one push up challenge and in Tiny Habits BJ Foggs writes about starting with two push ups. The remaining books have similar theme. Starting small, really small, creates the opportunity to implement the change and be able to repeat it in the same way throughout the day and over an extended period of time. Starting small allows you to practice what you are working to achieve consistently. If you start out with one push up, or even as BJ Fogg did by flossing one tooth, being able to repeat that same behavior daily or throughout the day in the same way is highly likely. Creating the opportunity to practice the behavior consistently is a critical component.

This brings us to the second similarity, tying the new or changed behavior to a previously existing behavior. In Habit Stacking, S.J. Scott provides 97 habits and demonstrates how to create routines out of each of the small habits. In The Power of Habits, Charles Duhigg describes Michael Phelps warm up routine, a series of small habits practiced consistently. When implementing a new or a changed habit, tying it to other successful habits increases the likelihood that it too will become part of a routine. Finding where in your day to implement something new may take some trial and error. Once you’ve tied it to an existing habit, practice it consistently with the other habits you have until it is part of your overall routine.

The last of the three foundational elements is celebration. It doesn’t take much to give yourself praise for maintaining your commitment, your integrity. When you are able to successfully complete the habit that you are changing or the new habit your are creating, a quick smile, an air high five, a swoosh, or a head nod may be all it takes. While it may sound silly, it creates gratitude, one of the most under rated emotions we possess. Gratitude is one of those emotions, greater than success, that can elevate the day. When we find we have done something and done it well, celebrating ourselves as being our word to ourselves is important. Being grateful for our ability to follow through, to have kept our word, and to have done so in letter and spirit. Small, tied to other healthy habits, and celebrating our integrity are where we start with building new habits. Is it really that simple, it can be if we say it can be.

What are the habits that, when used consistently, create the space for successful project management? Is there a set of management habits and leadership habits that are different from each other yet interrelated? How do we tie our habits to the guiding principles, laws, distinctions, or tenets that we’ve read or heard about? And how do all of these relate to the beliefs that we each hold to be true? What I will be unfolding in the next few posts is a foundation for formulating the path of your choosing through being the project manager, the leader, that aligns to you, your truths. It will be based on what I have experienced, what I have studied and applied, and what I have derived based on the years I’ve been practicing project management. The promise I will give you is that this is a journey of discovery and possibilities, it won’t give you THE answer, it will give you opportunities to explore for yourself what works for you. I chased everyone else’s ways of being and doing things for a long time before I discovered that I inherently had a lot of talents that worked well and when I applied those talents, rather than trying to be someone I was not, I was at peace no matter what circumstances were occurring in my life at the time. And so, I invite you to consider for yourself, what will bring you to the place of meaning, purpose, value, and joy in the work that you do and in being a project manager.

Read more...

Leadership Challenges: Surprise!

Ever been surprised toward the end of the construction phase by work that wasn’t identified as part of the design phase? Ever been surprised by assumptions made that turned out to be untrue which generates additional requirements? Ever been surprised by testing defects that identified missed construction? Ever been surprised?

If you’ve managed projects there have been moments when, to your surprise, there has been a communication breakdown which identifies additional work required to deliver the scope of a project. The size of the surprise work can be “bigger than a breadbox” and isn’t able to be absorbed into the existing time line. When this happens, it can generate some emotions in the team. This is the time when you, as project manager, get to step into a leadership first, then drive to the management of the effort. What leadership qualities are required at this moment? What, in this moment, will make a difference to the team, the client, and to the project being experienced as successful?

One of the leadership principle that makes a difference in this surprise moment is responsibility. Taking full responsibility for where the project is at the moment the error is discovered, taking full responsibility for the gap in communication, and taking full responsibility for carrying the project forward at the moment the gap is discovered. Let’s dive into what that really means and what it does not mean and let’s take each of the responsibility statements one at a time.

First, taking full responsibility for where the project is means gathering the facts associated with the gap and the steps necessary to resolve the gap. This is the time for excellent questioning skills, falling into a coaching moment, allowing others to answer and tell the story. This isn’t the time to try to fix the communication breakdown or question the team. This is the time to define the issue, determine the course of action to resolve the issue, and determine the impact to the project. Focusing on clearly defining the issue allows the team to develop a comprehensive response. Asking the questions and supporting the team in developing the plan of action to resolve the issue is the first course of business. Once the course of action is a known, the team can begin to move forward.

Next, define where the communication breakdown happened. Finding the communication breakdown is important to avoid future surprises. It is important in this portion of discovery to move away from blame, taking full responsibility for the resolution of process breakdowns and resolving past communication gaps is critical. Leading with questions focused purely on the process and not on individuals allows the team to determine a course of action in updating the process. Ensuring that the team determines a go forward plan for closing the gaps creates team ownership and when the team owns the communication, they will more likely ensure the communication flows in the future.

The last block in the responsibility triangle is communication with the client. Transparency with the client is important as are the project optics. Stating that the team has identified an issue and sharing the meetings taking place to fully identify the issue, what the impacts are to the project, and the associated plan of action tends to work well. Waiting until you’ve begun to make progress on resolving the issue is usually met with the client wanting to know sooner which can cause mistrust. Letting the client know an issue has been discovered without sharing the immediate actions that are taking place to fully define the problem can be met with frustration that there is an issue without any associated information. A clear balance between too little information too soon and waiting until everything is known is, in my experience, the best type of client communication. Updating the client once the you’ve let them know is also critical, ensuring there is some movement on a predetermined and agreed to time frame supports the clients involvement and ability to feel engaged in the decision making.

So when a surprise happens, remember the quality of a leader is to take full responsibility. Responsibility for where the project is, for closing the communication gap that caused the surprise, and for carrying the project forward through by fostering transparency with the client will create a strong experience of a successful project. Surprises happen in many projects, large and small. How you lead your team and the client through the surprise will set you apart in the world of Project Management.

The only question that remains is, how could you have prepared the team and the client for such a surprise? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more...

Feedback: Perception and Interpretation

I was in a meeting in which a project manager brought up a topic that had been discussed in two previous meetings. I didn’t want to take the time to discuss the topic in this specific meeting, as a result, I closed down the conversation by stating that we were not going to be covering that topic, that it had been discussed previously and a decision had been reached, shared the decision, and asked that we move forward onto the reason for the meeting. There was silence and so we moved forward. I received a phone call the next day from the project manager informing me that the interaction in that meeting had made them feel diminished, that I had come across as dismissive. Does their statement make it their perception true? Of course not, that simply meant it was true for them. My perception was quite different. Are either of us right or wrong? No, there is no right or wrong in this situation. It is a matter of perception and interpretation.

Last week you gathered a list of habits that you have developed over time. You marked each habit with a W (working) or a DW (doesn’t work). The list includes things we do (like brushing our teeth) and reactions we have to people, places and things (like honking when someone pulls out in front of us), what I call life circumstances. The purpose for writing down these habits and reactions is to cultivate awareness of your current habits and habitual reactions. Awareness can be compared to knowing your current location on a map. Knowing where you are and having a vision for where you choose to go allows you the opportunity to map a course, to choose a path. Awareness allows you to build your tomorrow through practicing new ways of doing things, new behaviors, and new responses to your circumstances.

Personal assessment of what works and what doesn’t work is important. It provides you an opportunity to see how true your evaluation is through asking others their perception. Like asking someone where you are on a map. Without validation/verification from sources outside of yourself you may be off with where you are on a map which could result in directions that lead you away from where you want to go. Awareness will come when you receive feedback from others. Discussing your list with a trusted individual to gain awareness of how others perceive you is a critical component to growth. Feedback of what is working and what isn’t working is a gift. When your perception doesn’t align with how you are perceived in the world then your growth will take you in a direction that may not gain the results you are seeking. Have someone who knows you go through your list and mark each habit with a W or a DW to confirm what you perceive and how you interpret your reactions or responses to circumstances. Gathering feedback from multiple sources will provide additional clarity which is like triangulating your position on a map. The more sources, the clearer your position.

How could I have handled the feedback I received from the project manager? I could reach out to others in the meeting and ask for their experience of what worked or didn’t work. Hearing feedback from others as a part of other meetings would also support me in understanding if I have a tendency to come across as dismissive. Hearing it once from one person without hearing it from others would indicate that it may have been their experience but others don’t share the same view. The more feedback I can obtain the clearer the information on how others experience me in meetings. If I only hear it from one person it may not be me. If I hear it from multiple sources it may mean I get to look at my reaction and find a different way to handle similar situations.

There are a couple of sayings I’ve heard over the years that feed into this idea of feedback and behaviors. First, if I hear I’m an ass from one person it may not mean anything, if I hear it from multiple people I may want to get a saddle. Second, the way I do one thing is the way I do everything meaning, if I show up as dismissive in a meeting, then I may show up dismissive in other relationships which is a very good reason to look at that behavior or habitual response.

Why all this energy on interpretation and perception? One of the things that has become clear to me is that everything we say we state as if it is THE truth. We tend to forget to notice that what we are really saying is OUR truth. My description of my hand when I’m looking at the back of my hand is different than my description of the front of my hand and yet both are descriptions of my hand. The difference is perspective. Both descriptions are my truth in that moment. It isn’t right or wrong, it is my truth in that moment. Perspective and interpretation belong to the person doing the perceiving and interpreting. So when I receive feedback it isn’t true. It is one persons truth in one moment. The importance of this is immense. Feedback is neutral, we have the opportunity to examine it and try it on and determine whether it is true for us or not. If the same feedback comes from multiple sources, we probably ought to spend some time on determining whether a different habit, behavior or response is needed. One other thought, just because a majority find something that you are saying, doing or being is not normal and needs to fit a specific mold doesn’t mean you should change in anyway. If Galileo, Newton, Copernicus or other outrageous thinkers had changed their belief or what they were stating in their lifetime, our world would be quite different.

Now that we have a healthy list and multiple points of feedback, how do we decide where to start in taking a look at the habits and behaviors we have built up over the years? Where do we start in finding the ways of behaving and healthy habits that elevate our performance, our career and our personal relationships? What work is the most important to start on to make a difference? What do other authors and teachers suggest? Two things are clear, start small and don’t do it alone. 

Read more...

What Habits Have You Created?

Why take a look at the habits you have? More than likely you have created habits that work and more than likely habits that don’t work. Taking a look at our habits, which includes the things we do, the way we behave, the things we say, the things we don’t say, the looks we give, and basically any energy that we put into the world. We don’t practice our habits, they are our automatic pilot. We have our “go to” ways of doing things, our “go to” ways of being, our “go to” behaviors. We become predictable.

In order to improve anything we must become aware of where we are. Beginner or expert, doesn’t really matter, there is always something to learn and without knowing where we are, we cannot improve or alter our innate responses. Let’s take a look at life and the stages we go through. In these stages we learn different ways of behaving, different ways of getting what we believe we need to survive. We may learn them differently due to our circumstances and certainly some things we learn can serve us for a period of time. Once they no longer serve us we get to let them go, morph, shift, put them down, or let them fall away. For example, when we are a baby we cry when we are hungry, we cry when we want to be changed, we cry when we are tired. That works for a baby, not so much for a 10 year old. We still feel hunger, need to go to the bathroom and require sleep but we’ve learned different behaviors for getting what we need.

Awareness of where you are running on automatic pilot is an important step in learning what requires practice. This can be created by looking at the habits that you have today. Not yesterdays habits, not what you think your habits are, not what you’d like to your habits to be but capturing what your habits are in reality. Making a list of habits, as many as can be captured. Write down reactions and activities for one week. For example, in the morning, I set my alarm for 5 am. Some mornings I wake up at 5 am and some mornings I turn off my alarm and allow myself to sleep a bit longer. I drink a cup of coffee and check a few things on my phone while drinking my coffee. I walk my dog and listen to a book on my walk. You get the idea of capturing activities. What are also important to capture are reactions to circumstances and people. For example, I feel annoyed when I sleep longer than I’d like, I feel frustrated when I’m late to a meeting, I am distracted when I have something that I’ve forgotten to do.

Capturing those things for 1 week will give you a sense of the habits in your life. Those things that are automatic. You will identify those that work (getting up when my alarm sounds) and those that don’t work (not getting up when my alarm sounds). Seems like a lot of work capturing that information for a week? It isn’t about being perfect about capturing everything every day. Capture the information when it happens so that it is fresh. Be an observer of what is occurring. The purpose is to get a clear understanding of what some of your habits are and begin to become mindful of the things that you’ve wired into your reactions.

This activity is a judgement free activity. It isn’t about picking the good or the bad, the right or the wrong. It is purposefully about looking at how you respond to circumstances and people and capturing what you do during your day. It will show you patterns and will give you a roadmap to explore. The objective is to discover what may be most beneficial to practice to improve your performance.

When I was memorizing a piece to perform I practice the entire piece from beginning to end. I only did this after dividing the piece into sections and practicing those and I could do this only after practicing the building blocks of all music. We have habits ingrained in our building blocks, some of which work, some of which don’t work. Knowing what those habits are will teach us what we get to practice to shift ourselves to become great at what we choose to become.

Explore what habits you have for one week, write them and mark them with a W for what worked and DW for what didn’t work. Having an image of where you want to go is a must. Knowing where you are on the path will allow you to create your journey. One way to be solid about what is working and what isn’t is to ask your coach, mentor or a trusted friend or confidant. They can support you in discovering where you are today

Read more...