Mindset and Skillset

There are times that I truly wonder how projects really work. I am not talking about the mechanics of projects or project management tools and techniques. How projects are structured, and the tools and techniques used to manage them are common across all industries. These tools and techniques are listed in literature and while they have evolved, they are not exotic and challenging to learn to use and master. The tools are listed in the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Having managed projects for a long time, similar tools used 30 years ago exist today. We have been managing the scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communication, risks, issues, vendors, and stakeholders to deliver projects successfully. The how of these different practice areas, or knowledge areas using Project Management Institute language, can be learned. I know project managers who know how to manage these knowledge areas and still have had projects that were considered less than successful. What makes the difference? If it is not how to do the work, then what causes some projects to fail and some to succeed?

I have been writing about vision for weeks, with one goal. To shed some light on the possibility that success or failure has nothing to do with how well a Project Manager does the mechanics of project management. I believe that the success of projects has more to do with the project managers mindset than their skillset. The issue that I see facing most projects is that most teams are extremely familiar with the mechanics, the skills associated with managing projects and unfamiliar with how to navigate the inner world of being a project manager, being a leader on the effort, holding firm on the context of the project, ensuring that everyone is fully engaged and aligned and playing from the same playbook. The mechanics may be fully in place and all the constructs are lined up and everyone may be using the same tools. If everyone is not aligned on the context, the outcome, or what I have termed the vision of the project, the project will not succeed. It is through alignment that win/win can occur. It is through alignment that both/and is available. It is through alignment that everyone on the project moves toward the same goal with the flexibility and fluidity necessary to navigate the changing circumstances of a project.

What leadership principles, distinctions, or norms make the difference in managing projects? After all, in most organizations a project leader is considered a lesser job than a project manager and a project manager is in place to lead the project. Are we first taught to be a leader and then a manager? Are we taught the mindset competencies prior to the skillsets for managing? Do we believe that teaching someone how to manage risk teaches them to be risk managers or will they simply know how to do risk management? There is art and science in each of the practices of project management. The art is in the mindset of the project manager, it is not in the skill set. It is true that the skill set must exist. Understanding how to put a schedule together is an important skill set and qualifies you to manage schedules. To be a schedule manager, there is a mindset that must exist along with the skillset.

What are the qualities of the leadership mindset that makes a difference in the success of a project? What are the leadership principles that cause stakeholders to rally together to create an environment where everyone matters, where everyone has a stake in the project, where everyone contributes to the success? Is it possible to be both leader and manager? The person who inspires and the person to does the management? Is it possible for those attributes, the why and the how, be alive in the same person at the same time? Project managers are asked to generate each of those attributes throughout the life of the project. Project managers are asked to have the mindset of a leader and the skillset of a manager.

The time spent on discussing vision is in large part due to the critical nature of vision to lead. Having a vision and being committed to causing that vision to become real is what drives leaders. Staying aligned to the vision in all decisions is critical for it to be visible to others that the vision will become real. Empowering others, inspiring them to see the vision become real for them, having others align to the vision because of the strength of the vision is what creates the energy to make it come to life for all involved. It is the beating heart of the project, the vision of the successful completion when everyone can celebrate.

So now what? Now that vision is written, aligned to, seen by others, bought into and folks are moving toward that goal, now what? When circumstances change what happens? When the terrain gets uncomfortable what happens next? When things are not going the way things were planned, what happens? The first thing that happens, in those circumstances, is the vision is put in front of everyone. The vision is pulled up and displayed. Everyone is reminded of the vision of the end, what it looks like, smells like, tastes like, and feels like. The vision is the first thing everyone remembers. The vision guides every decision. Yes, there is more than vision. First, practice remembering the vision when you start your workday. Remember why you are doing what you are doing. Be in your vision first, then start your day. 

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Wants Whys and What For

Why on earth would you want to? Why are you doing that? What is your reasoning for that?

It is possible that these questions are created from a place of curiosity. It is also possible that these questions are created from a place of knowing or judgement. I have asked those questions and I have been asked those questions. There have been times when I have received those types of questions with an open heart and willingly hearing them from a place of curiosity. There have also been times that I have heard judgement and ridicule in those very same questions. It is the receiver that is misinterpreting or is it the sender that is creating the energy that is either curiosity or judgement. Say yes. They are both true at the same time. Both sender and receiver create the moment and the associated results. Neither one nor the other can create it in a vacuum. There are no victims in any conversation. Everyone who is engaged is responsible for the outcome. There is not an either/or interpretation, there is always a both/and. These questions are centered around vision and curiosity around vision allows for clarity, discipline, and consistency. When these questions are asked, the answer should be able to be clearly articulated by everyone involved on a project.

I have been spending time writing about vision and how a vision, the imaging of successful outcomes, the imagery of celebration at the result, can create and cause success. The vision, the purpose, the reasons behind the project is what will drive the day to day, moment to moment decisions. Clarity, discipline, and consistency in the vision, reason, or the purpose of the project are paramount for success. It is true for individual and it is true for projects. When an entire team is unified on the vision, when there is clarity around what the vision is, when there is discipline in keeping the vision at the center of every decision made, and when there is consistency and alignment of each team members behavior, a project will succeed. Everyone involved and impacted by the effort will know and celebrate the success. There are not winners or losers when there is a shared vision of success. The client, vendors, team members, leaders, and followers will all win when this type of alignment occurs.

This is the leaders’ primary concern. The results will come when the vision is strong. The results will come when there is mutual commitment to the vision. The results will come when the project decisions are in alignment to the vision. The results will come when everyone stands for the vision of success for the project. The language used sounds similar when talking to team members. The client, vendors, and team members are all “on the same page”. They are clear on the decision matrix, the stakeholder matrix, the communication matrix, and the escalation process. Communication begins to flow with ease as there is not a win/lose, right/wrong, or good/bad mentality. There is one outcome everyone is moving toward, a clear line of sight exists to the end point, and everyone is moving in that direction.

It may sound difficult to achieve and it may be challenging to believe that vision matters that much. Purpose or Vision is how small companies become big companies. Books written about companies and individuals who have differentiated themselves have a common thread. The way they differentiate themselves is their vision, purpose, or their “why”. Considering the key ingredient of success being vision, want, purpose, or the “what for” it would make sense to spend time being clear on that one key ingredient. It is the intention behind the actions that matters most. The actions become empty if the purpose or intention is not articulated, shared, and known by all participants. It is true for companies and people. When someone articulates their reason for creating a business, for their career, or for what they do daily they are speaking into their purpose and their vision.

I would also say that we frequently get lost in the words associated with wants, whys, and what fors. I was once told that it was not important what your vision was, just that you had one. It was not important what your intention was, it was that you walk with it for some time to allow it to teach you what you yearn to learn. The same is true for projects. The words do not have to be perfect and paragraphs to explain will not create clarity. Simplicity and a “less is more” attitude work quite well when articulating wants, whys, and what fors. Establishing a robust vision that allows all aspects of life to be aligned is exhilarating. Values become clear when they are rooted in vision. Making decisions is easier and guilt and shame begin to disappear when alignment to values driven by vision occurs.

Practice curiosity with your vision. Ask questions from a place of childlike wonder to clarify you wants, whys and what fors. Practice with each of your projects as well. Be curious about the reason for the project, for the outcome, and for what the project is creating. Stay forever in practice of being curious about the wants, whys, and what fors.

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Vision, Commitment, and Values

I am listening to Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why, published in 2009. He uses a phrase in the book, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” I wrote about vision last week and as I begin to reflect on 2020, I think vision has a prominent role in how the year turned out for many of us. Vision is impervious to the circumstances of our lives. Vision cannot be altered by circumstances and the influence of circumstances on everyone and everything around us. Vision is a powerful tool available to us and when we have a clear vision the circumstances become, well, circumstances.

The realization or manifestation of a vision is accomplished through people, we cannot create the reality of our vision without others. That does not mean that we are not responsible for every aspect of what we are creating, it simply means we, alone, cannot make our vision real. To cause our vision to come to life we must do certain things, and to do certain things we must first be those things. The things we must BE to DO what is necessary to HAVE our vision come to life are simple and they are not easy.

First, we are challenged to communicate our vision powerfully, through having a powerful vision. A powerful vision moves us forward, creates opportunities that did not exist, causes an industry to change, or inspires a cultural shift. Creating the vision for why you are doing what you are doing is the first step in embracing your own vision for the work that you do daily. Getting in touch with what that is will shift the reason you wake up and go to work. Finding the why for your project can shift every team member to view their work differently. Once you have articulated your why, it is time to BE your vision.

Commitment, staying with it, taking a stand for it, BEING your vision is what causes it to come alive. It takes perseverance, tenacity, and drive to continue to live your vision. It takes consistency in visualizing, in imagining, and in constantly being in relationship with your vision to make it real. It becomes real for you and those who are aligned and believe in your vision. When projects face challenges as they always do, it is believing in the possibility of success that keeps team members striving to continue moving forward. It is in believing that the work that is being done is important that there is a “never give up” attitude. Commitment to the vision is contagious. Vision, when powerful, draws commitment out and causes commitment to BE.

The other way of being that must occur for a vision to be manifested is consistency. There must be a pervasive consistency of attitude, behavior, actions, and words which permeates through the leader and the team. There is no room for decisions that are out of alignment with the vision, there is no room for actions, behaviors, or attitudes that do not align with the vision. There is no room for a lack of integrity in any aspect of being in alignment with vision. When anyone moves in a direction other than the direction the vision ASKS for, the team is out of integrity. Not one person, the entire team. Checking along the way is paramount, always be in relationship with what the vision is asking of the leader and the team and ensure alignment along the way. It is when the team is not aligned that breakdowns in communication, quality, and eventually schedule occur.

Vision is what carries the project through whatever circumstances occur during the project’s duration. This year, 2020, the year of the pandemic, has made that crystal clear. Vision has allowed me to continue to move forward toward what I am creating. Vision has allowed me to see the pandemic as a circumstance that exists rather than a barrier, a roadblock, or something that will prevent my vision from become real. Vision creates ease and flow. Its power is far greater than I had ever imagined. Being able to walk through this pandemic with vision leading the way has created an abundance of possibilities. Vision will carry a team through whatever circumstances arise in any project. Allowing vision to guide the way is the greatest tool a leader possesses.

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Vision, What do You Want, Why and Starting with the End in Mind

What if we as project managers began each project, before the plan is written, the team is selected, or the schedule is laid out, with clearly articulating the vision, the why, the what, and the end? What if we created that using tools such as guided imagery, meditation, or some other experiential exercise? What if we did that daily, not for a week, but for the length of the project? What benefit would be realized by using these techniques as well as standard project management practices such as issue and risk management? Why am I even asking these questions?

A clear vision which creates a mutually beneficial outcome to everyone involved in a project, whether team member or receiver of the product that is created, is contagious and creates extraordinary results. When everyone involved is excited about what is being created the commitment, perseverance, and dedication to success increases. When there is a clear picture of what each will receive from participating fully in the project outcome is success. It is only when there appears to be inequality in what each receives from participating that efforts begin to deteriorate. The beauty of creating a mutually beneficial vision, one that everyone sees themselves as a winner, is the energy that everyone is willing to give to the effort.

One quick note, preventing loss is not a win for most people. In other words, being able to continue to work is not seen as a win. That is not a value proposition to most. It does not lend itself to dedication and willingness to do whatever it takes. It does lend itself to doing the bare minimum necessary to maintain employment. When I hear things such as, they should be grateful to have a job or overtime is expected if they want to continue on, I know that the workplace is focused on win/lose rather than win/win. Ensuring there is a clear value placed on each individual and their contribution is what creates energy and commitment. Devaluing individuals is a recipe for mediocrity.

Another quick note, a vision statement is not what I am driving toward. I agree that a vision statement is powerful and without the imagery of what done looks like and without the accompanying ways of being that embody successful delivery, a vision statement become a poster which is glossed over like the “Hang in There” posters of years ago. We become numb to what they are and what they stand for. If the moment to moment of project life does not embody the vision statement, the vision statement is empty. The moment to moment must be just as loud in celebration as the big wins. What do I mean by that? It means that our integrity, the truth of who we are and who we are being and how we show up to others are in the small moments when it matters most.

All of this leads back to embodying the vision every day. This is accomplished through meditation, guided imagery, and journaling. This is done daily for the life of the project, not once or twice. Taking the time to sit quietly and see the future including the feelings, the visual cues, who is there, and what success looks like at a detailed level. Taking the time to see the future, envision success, and then communicate that fully to the project team in a way that they see their value and their contribution to the outcome is what leaders are able to create. Practicing in all areas of your life, not just your project management, will improve your ability to lead your life. Practicing the small moments through these same tools will increase your awareness and presence to how you are showing up in all areas. What are you practicing today?

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The Great Both/And: Every Project Has It

What is the great both/and? How does it show up in our projects and our lives? How do we deal with both/and things happening simultaneously in a way that limits confusion, uncertainty, and disruption? How do we create a path through, how do we navigate, and how do we communicate what is occurring so that everyone stays focused on the goal?

The great both/and is another way of saying two opposite things happening simultaneously. Two different demands that can be viewed as opposites occurring at the same time. Two circumstances that call us forward in a way that challenges our beliefs, our norms, and our current path. The most poignant circumstance is the death of a loved one after a long illness. There is grief and joy associated with their passing. Opposite emotions caused by the same circumstance. In a project it may be pressure for speed and accuracy which also can be viewed as opposites. “I can do it quickly but I’ll have to cut some corners” or the reverse of “I’ll need some time to get it right” are examples of seeing things linearly, you can have one but it will require you to let go of the other.

Is it possible to do things urgently and in excellence? Let’s assume the answer is yes, we have the ability to act urgently and create excellence along the way. When our belief system suggests these two are opposites and we accept that belief as our truth, we begin to limit what is possible. They are not opposites unless we decide they are. If we simply say yes to a different possibility, say yes to doing things urgently and in excellence, then we have opened the door to finding ways in which to create that as our new truth. What is clear is that urgency is different that fast and producing quality is different that producing perfection. Perfection is an illusion that requires the amount of time someone desires to continue to optimize something that is as optimal as is necessary to move forward. Doing something fast without attention to whether it works or not defeats the idea of speed.

In my experience, it is when we have a predetermined knowing, a belief of some sort, that prevents us from being able to see different possibilities beyond whatever obstacle is preventing a project from moving forward successfully. It is our own limited view that prevents us from seeing a different direction or a new alternative that has eluded us. I was in a meeting this morning where the participants were talking past each other because of their beliefs of how things should go or what the answer should be. We live in a world of both/and, it is not an either/or decision unless we create that in our own perceptions. When I stop and listen, I can hear both sides. When I stop and look, I can see new possibilities. When I sit with a client, I want to create both/and, the possibility that they can obtain what they want and a way to do it in a healthy manner. That is my responsibility as a project manager, to maintain the balance and integration of serving my client while serving the organization I am working for while maintain a healthy work life balance for the project team and myself. It requires seeing both/and in a way where we are all successful.

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