Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Have you ever had one of those weeks when every day offered a new obstacle, an uncovered gap in your project, something that you did not see coming? One of those weeks when the amount of work left on the project seems to grow without warning? One of those weeks when, despite everyone’s efforts, the level of effort remaining grows along with the number of defects? One of those weeks when you think to yourself what else could possibly go “wrong”? One of those weeks when you get caught off guard, thinking things were going to be turning the corner, to find that the corner moved further way? The surprises that happen on projects occur again and again and no matter how many projects you have managed, no matter how many risks you have captured, what is a given is that it is impossible to predict the future and impossible to identify and guard against the “what if” scenarios that are possible. What that leaves us with is the reality that surprises will occur, and the surprise does not derail a project. It is how the surprise, the unexpected, the impossible become possible is handled that matters most.

What is an appropriate response to a gap in requirements, design, construction, testing or the myriad list of other components of project delivery? My early experience on projects was the project manager and leadership in general looking to blame, shame, finger point, and ridicule the project team members. This emotional response along with the anger or frustration that drives it is not healthy and may not work to resolve the issue and rarely works to avoid additional issues. This response frequently divides a team, causes team members to work cautiously and to fend for themselves. Isolation and self-preservation can occur which does not create additional team communication. Since team communication is frequently the cause of gaps, this response works to generate less communication which generates more gaps.

There is a better way to respond, one anchored in emotional intelligence and leadership. There are some basic leadership qualities that will make a difference when your project world is rocked by gaps, surprises, and team misses. In my experience, the qualities that has made the biggest difference are a calm mind, confidence, and perseverance. While the other qualities I have listed are significant, they will not matter if there is anger, frustration, or judgement entangled in them. Moving forward toward what is possible, continuing to ask questions out of curiosity rather than judgement, and being kind and empathetic towards the team will make resolving the issue possible. It will also build communication, which is where most gaps, issues, and breakdowns occur.

The remaining qualities are responsibility, seeing obstacles as opportunities, and communication. Leaders are responsible for every aspect of a project, whether it is going smoothly or not. Taking full responsibility for the current circumstances allows the team to focus on the resolution. In his book, Mastering Leadership, Michael Strasner suggests that obstacles are “a challenging invitation, an opportunity to rise up and achieve in the face of doubt and uncertainty” and that obstacles are “an inherent part of any significant achievement”. Embracing the obstacle rather than shying away from it and taking full responsibility for the circumstances and the solution is what a leader does. Communication is the last quality. It is not the speaking that is important in this instance, it is the listening. Hearing the team, allowing the team to come to resolution, and driving the team toward the solution by listening to each team member is critical. Hearing what is not being said as much as what is being said is equally important. This is what Michael Strasner terms “listening to the listening”.

Once you are rooted in these qualities, the action steps below will support you in moving toward a solution.

1. Who must be involved: Gather everyone involved, to the best of your ability, into a meeting.
2. What is the gap: Get everyone to align on the definition of the issue, gap or obstacle (what specifically is going wrong, what was missed).
3. How did we get here: Allow everyone the opportunity to speak their truth regarding the facts that led to up to this moment and the circumstances that exist (until everyone is heard you may continue hearing the same thing over and over until it is acknowledged).
4. Plan: Define clearly and specifically what the next set of steps is, who owns each step, and when the step will be completed
5. Timing: An assessment should be done to determine how long the solution will take and how much effort it will require
1. Quantify potential impacts to the project schedule and cost.
6. Resources: There may be multiple teams that can works at the same time, ensure everyone is clear on outcomes of each step
7. Communicate:
1. Identify the communication that will be occurring and the associated timing of that communication.
2. Agree on when the group will come together and ensure we are on the right path to resolve the gap.
3. If the client is not aware of the issue, determine the appropriate communication and the associated timeline of that communication.
4. Determine if there is an improvement needed to increase team communication to avoid additional gaps.

The last step, communicate, has four parts to it, do not skimp on the communication. Surprises usually occur when a team is not communicating fully. Increased meetings may not be the answer, although they may. Practicing your own communication with the team in multiple forms may allow your team to understand their own communication breakdowns. What are you practicing today?

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Stakeholder Management – Boundaries Matter

I read an article the other day that Stakeholder Management is not a good phrase to use since no one likes to be managed, especially the stakeholders on projects. Stakeholder Management is the very last topic in the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) and is described as the process associated with identifying stakeholders, planning stakeholder engagement, managing stakeholder engagement, and monitoring stakeholder engagement. In non-PMBOK terms, what it is about is being present to, aware of, and engaged with everyone involved in any way with the project because if they are involved, they can impact or be impacted by the project.

In reviewing the PMBOK, it sounds very scientific, crisp, and, while complicated, achievable. Stakeholder management is a way to describe how a project manager takes into consideration every group that can impact or be impacted by a project. That includes clients, users, team members, the government, and a myriad of other possibilities. The biggest issue project managers face in Stakeholder Management is people are not predictable. While you may work diligently to pull together the ideal list and the ideal plan, the landscape will be ever changing because stakeholders are people. The truth of the matter is that using the word stakeholder as an identifier depersonalizes the relationships the project manager must foster, build, consider, and be present to.

Gathering the list of groups can be a challenge and, as the project progresses, project managers often discover missed groups or previously unidentified factions as organizations shift and change over time. Project managers are also met with turnover which can alter the agreements made previously. Understanding that, at the heart of managing all these relationships, boundaries play a critical role in all relationships and that these project relationships are no different will benefit most project managers. Additionally, boundaries set early and often can simplify managing communication, scope, schedule, and many other aspects of the project.

What do boundaries look like in project management? Agreements, written agreements in the form of decisions. Decisions made jointly, documented, and returned to again and again to ensure everyone remembers the agreements made and when there is a change to the agreement, that an impact assessment is performed to determine if the change will require more time and effort and if so, how much more. Why does that matter? How often have you moved a boundary and had to do more work because the boundary moved? It could be a minor adjustment and an easy agreement to make and before you are fully aware, your status report is a 100-page document created weekly by 4 people which was never budgeted for in the first place.

There are many instances when the little things eat away at a budget. The larger changes are easier to recognize, analyze and take care of through change management. It is the incessant requests for a small adjustment here or there that extends work beyond what was considered in the beginning of the project. Setting a clear precedent that each ask made by anyone engaged in the project may be a change to an established boundary that was used in budgeting time, effort, and cost for the project allows decisions to be made, captured and the project to be managed. Boundary setting is one of the primary jobs of a project manager. Working with various groups to establish agreed upon boundaries, documenting the boundaries, and discussing the boundaries again and again allows everyone the opportunity to work together toward a mutual goal. It is in the moments when a boundary surprise hits that communication becomes strained.

Learning how to establish boundaries, the ebb and flow associated with adjusting boundaries, allowing shifts to occur and making it clear what those shifts cause in the management of the project, and keeping a clear record of the changes that occur throughout the project is a large part of project management. This practice of boundaries is critical to work and personal relationships. Clarity, agreement, and fluidity all matter. Boundaries matter. What are you practicing today?

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Meditation: Creating Your Competitive Advantage

I have been on an interesting journey for the past month. I decided to read a book that had little to do with project management. The book is Breath by James Nestor. I was curious because I have sleep apnea and my wife has asthma. I read it to improve my sleep which I believe is an important part of my wellbeing. I did not read it to improve my project management capability, I read it to improve my life in general. Little did I know that the journey I started for sleep apnea would have an impact on many areas of my life including my relationships, my general health, my energy level, and my career.

The books importance is teaching us about breathing as an integral part of our lives and the impact optimal breathing can have on us physiologically and mentally. What it did for me was to bring attention to the fact that I spent little time thinking about the basic act of breathing and what it can teach me.  Most importantly it mentioned an organization which teaches breathing techniques. I decided to take a shot and see what it had to offer. I connected with the organization and have taken two of the workshops it offers out of curiosity. That journey started on February 5^th. I began seeing benefits from the breathing and meditation practices i learned from The Art of Living organization and have done some additional research since that first workshop. As a result, I have added breathing and meditation to my morning routine. My mornings consist of focused breathing and meditation for about an hour.

Project Management can be a stress filled job. The tug and pull of project delivery, working diligently to find the balance between client desires, team capability, budget, time, and the other constraints of most projects can be draining. The continuous barrage of to do lists, action items, issues, and risks while maintaining clear communication and creating an environment that gets things done challenges most project managers. Between meetings and creating deliverables there are too few hours to complete the work. Working from home makes it even easier to work well over fifty hours a week which puts a strain on your personal relationships. All of this causes stress and stress has been associated with physical concerns such as muscle tension, headaches, and sleep disturbance. Stress is also linked to psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, and reduced cognitive abilities. These symptoms show up in our behavior such as exercising less, angry outbursts, over or under eating and other less than healthy behaviors. If you have any of these symptoms, meditation may be something to check out.

Why meditation? Studies have shown that meditation reduces anxiety, increases mental clarity, lengthens your attention span, improves sleep, and enhances self-awareness. These are just a few of the benefits of meditation. Why would this make it a competitive advantage? Consider the difference in your life if you were able to be in a stressful environment without reacting to that stress. Consider the advantage you would have if you did not react to a project not going as planned but navigated it by thoughtful consideration of the possibilities. Consider the difference in your life in general? Being in the present moment, grounded in the facts, and in a state of mind that is calm and aware allows anyone the opportunity to make decisions with clarity rather than panic, foresight rather than knee jerk.

What I am not saying. I am not saying that meditation is the answer to the project ills that project managers face. I am not saying that meditation will fix the problems associated with projects that are failing. I am not even saying that meditation will make you an exemplary project manager. I am suggesting that meditation may support your journey as you strive to be the best project manager you are capable of being. I am saying that meditation will do for you what the studies have shown it does for most. I am suggesting that it may make a difference in your life and your career as a project manager. I am also suggesting that practicing it consistently and regularly is a way to take time for your own well-being. A way to spend time with yourself and continue to expand your awareness of you. What are you practicing today?

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Communication: Assumptions and Expectations

In this blog, we will explore the communication tools that will limit the misunderstanding that can occur on projects. The misunderstanding stem most frequently from assumptions and expectations and limiting the possibilities associated with those two areas will support project success.

Ever run into an issue where a team member assumed that turned out to be incorrect? I certainly have and it caused additional delays in delivery. Ever had a client be frustrated with a response because they interpreted the answer differently than you did? I have and it caused a significant amount of effort to gain clarification and keep the project on track. The bookends of assumptions and expectations can be disastrous for a project. Especially with the modular nature of our software systems these days. The “plug and play” of small areas of expertise and the misinterpretations, assumptions, and missed expectations can cause immeasurable rework and a break down in trust.

If there were an easy answer to this age-old dilemma in project management. It is simple and simple does not mean it is easy. It is challenging, it can be time consuming, and it is can be counter intuitive. The desire to get work done quickly and into the hands of the client is often the reason that there are delays in delivery. The adage time takes time is a true metric in project management. Wanting to land a deal, the level of effort is trimmed so that the bid can be won. What that can cause in the project is a scarcity mind set, where there is a belief that there simply is not enough time to complete the project. While that may or may not be true, beginning a project believing there is not enough time creates a series of decisions that limit the time at the beginning of the project when the decisions regarding the governance and framework of how the team will interact are being formed. This is where a lack of alignment between the various stakeholders begins and where the greatest possibility exists to establish those processes that will limit rework throughout the project.

The truth is, this is not only true in project management, but also for many relationships. Think about it for a minute. Ask yourself, are there examples in my life where a few minutes of conversation would have prevented a misunderstanding? Has there been an occasion where I made assumptions that were different that what happened? When I have expectations of how things are going to be handled and it turns out differently, does it matter to me? What about when I think there is alignment and I later discover that I misunderstood? If it is possible in my personal life, certainly it is possible in my professional life since it is all the same life. The saying, “the way we do one thing is the way we do everything” is another way of saying we frequently handle all things in a similar manner.

The key to these issues, time scarcity, assumptions, and expectations, is communication. Not just any type of communication, it is based on the art of asking questions, lots of questions. It is also built upon the communication tool of repetition. That are is to say what you are going to say, say what you say, and then recap what you said followed by asking what the group or individual heard. It also means that every decision made can be changed, with one caveat, that the impact is documented and agreed upon.

What I have seen repeatedly is changing a process and not being clear that the process has changed, making an exception and not documenting the exception, adjusting to meet client expectations without tracking the cost for every aspect of change. There is an ebb and a flow to every project, a give and take, a balance between client needs, the cost, and the value realized. The other key to note, it is not the big things that end of costing the most. It is the little agreements along the way that cost the most in the long run. An hour here or there is not much, and it adds up. It sets presidents that set additional presidents. Each time that occurs, the margin erodes until it is gone.

Once again, this is not project management specific. This happens in all relationships and it is not about keeping score, it is about limiting the frustration and resentments that can occur when there is a lack of balance. Communication, exploring through questions, writing down agreements, introducing it repetitively will anchor everyone in the language and the agreements made. Continuing to be flexible and adjust works well as does capturing the impact of the changes made and ensuring that there are limited assumptions and expectations.

In summary, ensuring assumptions and expectations are uncovered at the beginning of the project and taking the time to document them will foster a level of alignment and understanding across the stakeholder relationships. Probing questions, restating the agreements, and clarifying changes in processes and agreements supports in healthy communication. The simple tool of say what you will do, do what you said, say what you did allows everyone to be clear on the processes being followed. This simple practice in all relationships will add clarity and reduce misunderstandings. What are you practicing today?

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Building Blocks

I was sharing with a colleague the other day about the building blocks, the basics of well-being. I believe project management is an extension of ourselves. When we are taking care of ourselves, we are taking care of our project management. The integration of the various areas of our lives into a cohesive tapestry ensures that we are continuously practicing similar things whether we are working on personal relationships or work relationships. There isn’t an either/or, there is only a both/and. When we are mindful of how we are treating ourselves, we become mindful of how we are treating others. There is no separation. That doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes; it does mean there is no ill intent behind the mistakes we make. The building blocks of well-being have corollary building blocks in project management.

What my colleague shared with me is resistance. They made it clear that it isn’t that simple, that it isn’t about the building blocks, if it were that simply we would have all figured it out by now. I recognize that resistance, I’ve felt it and thought it and held to it tightly. The shear thought that the building blocks make that much difference is preposterous. The thought that if we consistently practiced the basics every day that results would come. If we focused on the building blocks instead of the end goal, that the end goal would begin to come into view. It cannot be that simple or I would have figured it out by now!

What if we hypothesize that our national health crisis is due to the denial of the fact that the basic building blocks are the answer? What if all the fancy diets and exercise programs that we’ve been trying out and continue to search for is a longing to prove our pre-conceived notion of “it has to be harder than simply implementing the basics”? What if the same is true for project management? That we continue searching for an easier, better, more efficient way to manage projects without implementing the rudimentary practices? If it were that simple, we would have figured it out by now!

To create a life filled with success, we must focus on our well-being, the well-being of mind, body, and spirit. To create a successful project, we must focus on the well-being of our project, the health of our client relationships, line of site to the end, and team. To be an excellent project manager, we must practice the basics of project management and before we can do that well, we must practice the basics of well-being. We use our bodies to conduct work, whether it is on the football field or in the office, we must become mindful of our bodies to ensure excellence in delivery. Practicing the basics of our well-being teaches us how to practice the basics of project management to create optimum health. The lessons we learn for our own self-care, translate to the career we choose, the relationships we build, and ultimately the life we create.

Resistance to this is normal, natural, and healthy. The answer is simple and challenging. It isn’t complicated. I’m suggesting it is simple and it is challenging. While we continue to understand a great deal more about why the basics work, the fundamental answer hasn’t changed. Don’t get me wrong, a lot has been refined over the years, we have a deeper appreciation for the complexity associated with how things work together. The fundamentals we are challenged to be consistent with to enable our well-being are food, sleep, movement, breathing, and meditation. Practicing these daily is the challenge when all of life seems to ask us to take an easier path. The basics of project management which we are challenged to be consistent with are the management of risks, issues, action items, scope, and resources. Just as life has a way of challenging our ability to care for ourselves, circumstances occur in projects which makes it challenging to stay consistent with the basics.

What is it that makes a difference? What we are practicing matters. Where we choose to focus our energy matters. Focusing on the basics, practicing excellence in those basics of self-care and project management, allows us as project managers to move through the day with ease and flow. Having the basics taken care of means we can focus our energy when something unplanned occurs. The fundamentals will support moving through any circumstance with grace. What are you practicing today?

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