establishing a project manager mindset
TRANSCRIPT
For the next 3 minutes
forget PRINCE2,
APMP, PMI, AGILE, MSP
and all the rest….
Establishing a
Project Manager
Mind-set
Get
ty Im
ages
So what do project
managers do?
And spot when
Keep us focused
in the right way
at the right time and
bring them with us
on doing the right things
we need to stop
Ok, we know what projects do…
Get
ty Im
ages
I manage the
day -to-day
running of my
project in line
with my
agreed project
plan.
I keep things
on track to
time, cost,
quality and
scope.
I deliver outputs
and implement
business
change to
enable positive
outcomes
I listen to,
motivate,
engage,
delegate,
debate,
develop, hassle,
entice, inspire,
challenge,
collaborate, co-
operate,
negotiate, and
generally spend
my days wading
around up to my
eyeballs in
people s***
PR
OJ
EC
T M
AN
AG
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S O
F 2
1S
T C
EN
TU
RY
Fotolia Images
The reality is that success in
At the right time
With the right skills, influence, attitude and credibility
Focusing them
projects is down to people …
on the right tasks
To do this we
need to ask
the right
questions…
(In the right way)
Get
ty Im
ages
“I keep six honest serving men,
(they taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Why
and When and How and Where and
Who”
Rudyard Kipling
A clue on what to ask…
and remember that it’s people
not methodologies that answer
these questions…
Get
ty Im
ages
Claude Levi-Strauss said
‘The wise man doesn't
give the right answers,
he poses the right
questions.’
Tony Robbins
said that
successful
people ask
better
questions,
and as a
result, they
get better
answers.
And of
course there
is the old
African
Proverb;
‘The one
who asks
questions
doesn’t lose
his way.’
Asking the right questions matters!
It's not that they can't
see the solution. They
can't see the problem.
Words of wisdom from
G.K. Chesterton
“In my experience we make the mistake of
focusing on the tools and methodologies of project
management, however, the real art is in how you
deal with people. Knowing the right question to
ask, listening effectively to the response and then
following up with that doozy of a question that pins
down the reality!”
Una McGarvie
MindSightUK
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Why are we doing this
project Tom?
It’s a no brainer - It
will take us into a
new market and
increase our
profitability Is that something
we should be
doing?
Absolutely, our competitors haven’t
done anything like this yet
Ok. Just to check, though,
is it something we should
be doing right now?
Ahhh, Ok, well, now’s
not exactly ideal, there are
a few risks, but…….
STARTUP
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Have we involved all the
right people in preparing
our plan?
Yes we got the team
together and some
key stakeholders
Are they all clear and agreed on
their roles and
interdependencies?
Yes absolutely and we have a
good team with the skills we
need.
And are their line
managers agreed on
how leave will be
authorised going
forward
Availability is reflected
in the plan so unless
dates slip……oh ****!
P
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Are we clear which stakeholders have the
most influence and impact?
Yes, in fact we have some very influential people on
our steering group!
And are we investing sufficient time in building and maintaining
relationships with them?
Oh yes, I have even met some of them face-to-face
and emailed the rest.
Great, we are clear aren’t we on who is for or against us, just so we can target our communications? Ahhhh!!**…
S
T
A
K
E
H
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D
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So are we ahead or
behind on activities,
and cost? Oh mostly on track… we are
slightly behind on development
but we can catch up.
Oh why are we behind? Are people
producing things to the agreed
standards?
Yes, absolutely but there are
some changes in what the
customer wants.
I see, so how are we assessing,
controlling & communicating the
full impact of these changes.
Ahhhh!!**…
D
E
L
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V
E
R
Y
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Have we completed a
full handover to
operations?
Yes, thank goodness, we
completed that today.
Great! Have they confirmed the
system meets their needs and
formally accepted it?
Yes, they are all good with it.
and they are clear and agree
on their ongoing obligations
and responsibilities such as the
ongoing contract management
requirements?. Errrmmm…
C
L
O
S
E
O
U
T
When things get tough the
people stuff just seems to get
in the way. However, people
are our way out of problems.
So why do we mess up on
communications with them
when we are up against it?
TO SORT OUT PROBLEMS
WILL IT TAKE YOU
