We need to think about project management as an upbeat and create a positive outlook for the business environment. We have had some rough times in the recent past and for a while, it didn’t look like things would change much. There are lots of global issues, economic problems, unemployment, deceptive leadership, and lack of trust. These issues are not new, and generally, we cycle through them into new phases that are more encouraging and uplifting.
As project managers, we should always be thinking about the current phase of our projects but also have an eye looking towards the next phase. There isn’t much time to dwell on the past but as it said in the PMBOK we need to look at historical information and lessons learned. Take a glimpse through
the project rearview mirror, jot down some notes about what went well and where improvements can be made and then get your project in gear.
Project managers should make things happen. It’s what we do. We are leaders and leaders don’t sit around waiting for directions. Leaders set direction. Leaders set the vision, instill that vision in their teams, and then work with them to achieve the goals.
In other words, leaders lay out the plans and then use verbal colors to ensure that the future looks as bright as we want it to be if we expect our teams to follow us. Focusing on the negatives and dark side of project management or the business world won’t gain a lot of enthusiastic support. If you have been reading about new trends in project management, you may have noticed the increased emphasis on leadership, relationship building, communities, and the soft side of project management. Many project managers are attending programs, conferences, and workshops aimed at improving their interpersonal skills and their ability to influence and motivate their team members.
Motivation is key to a successful project and a high performing team. The soft skills help achieve significant results by creating pride, self-respect, and self-worth about the work being done by the team. If you think about it, creating self-worth within your project team will almost certainly improve results and team performance.
Soft skills are certainly important, but soft skills alone will not guarantee project success or ensure effective leadership. The project manager of the future will require a very broad range of skills. The future project manager will become more effective and productive through the use of technology and by gaining a better understanding of business needs, direction, and processes.
Future project managers will think like and speak in the language of executive management and act like a CEO while establishing a working relationship with project teams to deliver results that impact strategic goals. In the issue of PM Network magazine, the professional magazine of the Project Management Institute there is an article in the executive notebook section written
by Joan Knutson entitled.
I read an article named “A Project Management Renaissance: The Future is Already Here”. Here, Ms. Knutson suggests that today’s project managers are already reshaping the future with new ways to manage projects. The current economic conditions have impacted the profession of project management and it is changing much faster as project managers fuel the movement to newer and smarter ways of managing projects. In the article, she discusses how projects are changing business cultures, how new techniques and options are being used to fast-track projects, and how project management is becoming more strongly connected to strategic planning.
It’s true that we really can’t predict the future but, as a project manager you can take on a positive perspective. A favorite quote from a movie I have watched keeps me thinking about how we can influence an outcome. The quote Chance favors the prepared mind suggests that it isn’t really luck that caused something to turn out well; it’s because we prepared ourselves for the possibilities and were ready to act on them when the time was right.
Becoming a project manager of the future won’t be difficult if you keep up with the latest trends, nurture your creativity, continue to educate yourself and improve your skills. Innovation and creativity will be key ingredients for success, so open your mind to new techniques or challenge existing processes and methods. Look for a better way, not necessarily a new way, but look for opportunities. In most cases, we can find areas for improvement in just about everything we do.
Some suggestions that may help you prepare for the future:
Continued education and training. Not because your organization requires you to obtain 40 hours of training each year, but because you have a desire to learn. Pick subjects that will have an impact on what you do now and change the way you do things. It’s not training for training’s sake; it’s an investment in your personal growth.
Look back at what you have accomplished. Use your rear-view mirror on occasion to see where you were but don’t spend too much time in the past — you can’t change it. You can prepare yourself for the next part of the journey by the lessons learned and then make the appropriate course corrections. It’s a form of forward-thinking risk management.
Become more aware of potential risks and think in terms of risk strategies. Don’t wait for something to occur. Anticipate issues, ask for input from your team, and act. Practice anticipation.
Think like a CEO. Your project is a business in itself. Treat it like it’s your money.
Prepare for change. Don’t resist it. Try to understand why change occurs and how you can control it or use it to your advantage. Focus on what you can influence and concentrate your efforts there. Don’t burn your energy in areas where you know you have no control or influence at all. More
importantly, make sure you know and understand those areas why you have no influence. Example: Those project unkown’s or areas of total uncertainty that we really have no way to know about or their probability of occurrence. Like snow on Miami Beach. As the saying goes we need to know what we can change, what we cannot change, and understand the difference.
Surround yourself with a high performing team and the experts that can get the job done. Build the team, reward the team, and listen to the team. Without them, you won’t get very far.
