Evolving to super project management

What makes you super?

So what makes a project manager awesome? We believe it boils down to having an excellent understanding of management techniques, an aptitude for dealing with people and a commitment to continuous self-improvement. It's this combination and balance of skills that leads to one defining characteristic: super project managers consistently deliver.

Super project managers also prefer to specialize in a field or industry they know well. This experience often gives them a crucial advantage. It helps them to plan their projects, win the respect of their teams and avoid the pitfalls that go with the territory.

You don't need to be a genius to be a super project manager but you do need to stick with good practice, build excellent working relationships and be prepared to learn lessons along the way.

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SUPER project managers are:

_ Skilled in the core project management disciplines. They know how to go about developing credible and robust project plans. They anticipate and deal effectively with adversity. They're adept at planning and managing their resources, and ensure what they deliver is fit-for purpose.

_ Talented at dealing with people. They provide their teams with leadership and facilitate success day-by-day. However mundane it may seem, they also know how to run effective meetings and workshops.

_ Always keen to learn. They recognize there's always room for improvement. They draw on their own experiences, and those of others, to improve their capabilities.

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Preparing the ground for success

Super project managers recognize the critical importance of preparation. This attitude extends into everything they do and say, whether it's having contingencies in place to deal with a serious project risk or circulating a well-constructed agenda in advance of a meeting.

Super project managers make sure their projects are built on solid foundations, even if there's an urgency to get on with the real work. Sometimes this is easier said than done. It can take considerable strength of character to get the preparation right when you're under pressure to act immediately.

A vital part of the required groundwork is to be clear about what it takes to keep the customer satisfied. Innocent misunderstandings can easily go beyond points of fine detail and end up with significant differences in expectations. A super project manager invests effort up-front to avoid creating a ticking time bomb.

FACT: Projects don't go wrong at the end. Even when it looks that way, the root cause will be found much earlier on.

Developing good habits

Project management is a people business. Super project managers have a working style that gets the best out of their teams and builds the respect of customers and suppliers. Your attitude, and the way you behave, will play a big part in success or failure.

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The Seven effective habits of SUPER project managers:

1 Focusing on solutions to problems. When you hit a problem, don't panic: slowly count to ten. Then give priority to resolving what's gone wrong, rather than looking for someone to blame.

2 Being consultative yet decisive. Involve your team in major decisions, but be prepared to make the final call.

3 Remaining customer focused at all times. Strive to see things through their eyes.

4 Negotiating for a win-win result. When you're horse trading ensure there's a positive outcome for everyone involved.

5 Getting the best out of everyone. Don't write off underachievers and make sure your star performers aren't coasting.

6 Constantly looking to adapt and evolve. Don't rest on your laurels. Be open-minded about what you can do better, even when all's gone according to plan.

7 Leading by example. Practice what you preach and work to the standards you want others to adopt. It's the best way to get your message across.

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We're not suggesting you radically change your style and you should be able to develop these traits without too much difficulty. For some project managers getting the best out of people comes naturally.

Others need to work on their behavior until it becomes a habit.

Either way, for a super project manager it's second nature to act in a way that nurtures self-belief and a winning attitude.

Good but not perfect

You'll set your own high standards, which will certainly be more than the bare minimum expected of you. However, even super project managers know it's unrealistic to aim for perfection all of the time.

You don't need to play a perfect game.

First, there simply aren't enough hours in the day to chase perfection all the time. Second, there's a knack to knowing when you need to stick to your guns and when to compromise. You'll be seen as inflexible if you don't make some concessions to pragmatism and risk sabotaging the good working relationships you're trying to build.

The key to success lies in spotting the times when the pursuit of excellence will give you the biggest possible payback. You also need to guard against gradually slipping into bad habits. Not having an agenda for a meeting or two is forgivable; never having one isn't.

Improving all the time If you're going to become an even better project manager, you'll need to pinpoint your weaknesses and start to work on them. Get feedback from your team members, customers and suppliers to find out whether you're missing a trick or doing something counterproductive.

Don't let the risk of a bruised ego stop you from asking for valuable pointers. After all, one weak spot may be enough to spoil an otherwise super package.

Always look for opportunities to grow your experience. Use projects to sharpen up your core project management techniques and never miss a chance to practice your people skills. Finally, consider the other ways to extend your capabilities.

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Awesome development opportunities

_ Look for projects that will stretch you. You'll learn little if you just stay within your comfort zone. Taking on a difficult project is great for your career development.

_ Show initiative by researching topics that are obvious 'gaps'. There are publications covering everything you might want to know and plenty of freely available material on the internet.

_ See if you can find a mentor. A little friendly, expert advice can go a long way. If you can't find a dedicated mentor, learn on-the-job from experienced people around you.

_ Take some formal training. Use this to consolidate what you've learned through experience. You'll benefit both from the course material and from meeting other project managers.

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If you're just starting out, or looking to plug some obvious gaps in your skill set, don't expect to become a super project manager overnight.

However, whether you're a novice or already an expert, you don't have to wait weeks to see a return on your efforts. There are plenty of techniques and tips you can put into use right away for immediate results - do something super today.

It shouldn't happen to a project manager (but it did):

At a social gathering, one project manager's wife let slip that her husband was never really off duty. Even jobs around the house were specified on a small card, estimated, costed and prioritized. When the project manager had any free time, job dockets were picked out in consultation with his wife. On finishing the work, actual costs and the time taken were recorded for later analysis.