When projects don't work out, it's easy to just blame the failure on others, but it's ultimately counterproductive. Here's how to focus on resolving issues. Whether it's work "politics" or anger at the current political administration, there's an overabundance of blame, angst, and even visceral anger directed at various entities, both real and imagined. Whole industries have sprung up around this phenomenon. On the professional side, decades after IT became a staple of companies large and small, we're still hearing about the antics of "the business," and what seems like a constant campaign of sabotaging our purest intentions in IT. If you've ever been on the other side of that equation, you've probably sat in similar meetings where voices were raised in anger over IT sabotaging every noble action. Software and services companies have jumped on the bandwagon, using the stereotype of diametrically opposed IT and business entities to sell reporting tools, software, and consulting Continue Reading
How to manage conflict: Thomas-Kilmann to the rescue!
Projects can be a hotbed of conflict. From the difficult stakeholder who wants to undermine the project’s success to a disagreement about a feature of a deliverable, project work lends itself to workplace conflict situations. And project managers contribute hugely to that because we go out and look for it. We challenge leaders, we talk about risk and what might go wrong and we call people out on poor performance through project monitoring and control.You could say, part of the job is in fact looking for trouble Conflict should be a healthy part of any team’s development, and it’s a good way to challenge requirements and ensure that your business case and plans stand up to scrutiny. So while you shouldn’t shy away from conflict, it does help to be prepared for it. Conflict can be good – both for the project and the team – if it’s handled correctly. When conflict is constructive it means that we examine our different points of views with an open mind and learn from each other. The real Continue Reading
Back on Track: How to manager Your Post-Vacation To-Do List
Some people return to hundreds of unread emails, dozens of unaccomplished tasks and the to-do list from hell. What started as an enjoyable time away from the office ends with skyrocketing stress levels and a sense of dread. While there might not be a perfect fix for taming the post-vacation to-do list, there are a few strategies you can employ to make sure your first few post-vacation workdays are manageable. Limit Obligations. Don't schedule a handful of meetings for your first day back from vacation, at least not early in the day. While it may help you understand what you missed, it's best to spend a good portion of the first day working through and planning your to-do list. If you wait to organize your work and push off responsibilities, you may find yourself even more stressed out two or three days after you've returned. That being said, you don't want to overdo it your first day back. Manage your inbox. One of the most dreaded post-vacation tasks is going through the Continue Reading
So you are the new manager? Cool, what now!
If you’ve been promoted to management for the first time, you’re probably stoked about your new gig, ready to take charge, and, let's be honest, contemplating how to spend your first new salary. But, if you’re like most, you’re also feeling pretty terrified. While graduating to management is a huge accomplishment, it's also the beginning of a pretty serious challenge. Not quite sure where to start? Get off on the right foot with these steps for a smooth transition. Get Smart: First off, make it your personal mission to learn everything you can—believe me, this is the big key to success as a new manager. Seek out the management tools, resources, and classes that your company offers. Some organizations have formal supervisor training, and nearly all have manuals and Human Resources policies. Read them, digest them, and keep them on your bookshelf. You should also do some digging and learn more about each of the people you'll be managing. Review their personnel files, their Continue Reading
My totally incomplete but hopefully useful guide to disasters in project management
In your role as project manager, you’ll be dealing with all manner of projects, some small, some enormous, some simple, some complex. All have specific demands and challenges that will test your skills and help to shape you into a real project management professional. But even the best-planned projects can run into disasters. What makes a good project manager is not the fact that you’ve never had a project go wrong (because if you haven’t, trust me that one day your record will be smashed) but how you handle disasters when they happen. Of course, in an ideal world we would avoid disasters altogether, so in each of the potential problems listed below, I’ve included a section on helping you avoid them. Disaster 1: You Didn’t Understand the Risks … and Now You’re Caught Every project manager knows that appropriate risk assessment is an important part of the preparation process for any project. Qualitative and quantitative data will help you understand what could potentially go Continue Reading
No Silver Bullet: building and managing virtual teams
I constantly get the same question, “How do you manage a virtual team and actually get stuff done.” In my current assignment each of the team members work from home or a coworking environment. We’re spread out across 35 countries and many time zones. With such separation, we still manage to get a lot done and enjoy our work! Before writing this article, I had not given much thought to exactly how we work in a virtual environment. My first answer was simply practice and many mistakes. Although, the knowledge gained from those mistakes can be narrowed down to three main ingredients: The people on the team, the process that drives the team, and clear communication. People "My model for business is the Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of Continue Reading
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