Effective Project Management

When project management is done well the whole team looks good and the cynics think there is no point to project management – the team works perfectly well so there is no need. When project management is done badly the problems look insolvable and the cynics think there is no point to project management – nothing could be done to make things better anyway.

The difference that good project management makes is often not recognised.

But if you look carefully, it becomes obvious. Staff feel they have a sufficiently clear direction. Staff feel supported and appreciated and that their manager is always advocating for them. Staff feel that even though there may be problems (there always are), the team is working together to do their best to overcome the problems. Staff feel like their work plays to their strengths and has a purpose (and they know what that purpose is). If a staff member has to do something that is outside of their job description, they know why they are doing it and that this is an exception not the rule. Staff see the rest of the team (including their manager) working as hard as they are and with the same levels of commitment, professionalism and expertise. Staff know that when tasks / priorities / deadlines change they are being told as soon as possible and that the changes were unavoidable and are reasonable.

Project management is an important skillset. And one that many project managers have in spades and some project managers don’t have at all. Unfortunately, the way things currently work, people who are good at their jobs get promoted and at some point, that promotion moves them from being good in their technical field to being a manager. And yet, the skills required to be technically proficient are often not the same as the skills required to be a good people and project manager. Training courses exist and it is possible to gain certifications in project management, but they are not always a requirement of the role.

As such, some project managers are great at their jobs, and others think that their job is something that happens to them between cups of tea and meetings.

Here are some attributes of a good project manager:

• Actively engages with other stakeholders to understand their position and to share knowledge
• Has a good enough understanding of the technical issues the team is dealing with but defers to the technical expertise of the team
• Protects the team from difficulties outside of the team
• Supports team members (even if they’ve done something wrong) but deals with the error proactively and professionally without throwing staff under the bus
• Trusts each team member
• Proactively manages all team members
• Proactively manages all tasks within the team
• Pre-empts difficulties and issues and plans mitigations in advance
• Is very careful with communication – has empathy and respect for other stakeholders and tries to work in ways that provide support

Here are some attributes of a poor project manager:

• Constantly blames poor performance and project roadblocks on other teams
• Sees the technical work of their team as a black box that they cannot understand and don’t need to understand
• Complains that no one tells them anything
• Complains that no one else asks challenging questions of other teams
• Blames team members publicly
• Sets unreasonable deadlines
• Doesn’t advocate for the team when working with other teams, doesn’t push back on unreasonable deadlines or working conditions
• Doesn’t get back to team members if they’ve raised a concern
• Gives information reluctantly and only when prompted

Having worked in teams with excellent project management and with terrible project management, it is something I am now much more aware of.

If you work in a team, have a think about the project management you see. Let your manager know if they’re doing a great job.

If you manage a team, think about what you proactively do for your team. Check in with them. Be their biggest advocate.

Project Managers really are essential. And if it looks like they’re doing nothing then double check, either they’re doing nothing or they’re working so well that everything is seamless.