Project Managers Are On Your Side

Some people think Project Managers are a nuisance to be avoided.?They want to get things done quickly and feel that process gets in the way.?The Project Manager, to them, is much like a person with a stop sign directing traffic at a busy intersection.?From a distance, other drivers can see there's a backlog of traffic.?It may be orderly traffic, but they just know they're not going to get anywhere quickly if they might have to wait.?What do they do?? They circumvent the person directing traffic and take a different route.

This is constant battle in Project Management.?In order to have a project work properly, stakeholders have to work within the process.? The project process is like a funnel where everything has to go through the PM to be documented, co-ordinated and redistributed as necessary.? Project Managers are constantly working to keep people "within the funnel" and show them the benefit of being there.?We spend a great deal of time wrangling people who have gone outside the process with unpredictable and undocumented results.?

So how do we manage this tendency and drive excellence in results?

Build Rapport With Your Stakeholders

Trust is everything.?Project Managers with a solid reputation for executing successful projects might get some going into a project by their reputation.?It needs to be built person-to-person, however.?In most companies, Project Managers will work with the same stakeholders across many projects.?Having solid rapport with the team makes it easier for them to work with you and trust you're on their side.?Project after project, they know they can count on you to get the job done.

Regular Project Updates

The project team needs to feel informed regularly on the status of the project and on what is expected of them.??Sending regular updates helps keep the team on track.?It reduces unnecessary communication and questions.?It makes it easier for people to keep track of what you need from them.?In my updates, I include the current status of the overall project plus a breakdown of action items completed and yet required with deadlines and ownership.

Efficient, Effective Meetings Only As Necessary

There is such a thing as too many project meetings.?Meetings to discuss the status of the project should be regular, but should remain relevant.?I have cancelled meetings if I don't have an agenda.?That's just a matter of respecting stakeholders time.?Have a clear agenda. Communicate it prior to the meetings. Keep stakeholders on topic during the meeting. Communicate results of the meeting along with next steps and actions to everyone invited.

Sell Them on the Value of Staying in the "Slow" Lane

Project results speak for themselves.?Project Managers are not roadblocks.?They are facilitators who help to keep projects on track and well documented.?In the long run, it only makes things more efficient for the entire team when we as Project Managers have their buy-in.?It leads to more successful projects, more delivered objectives and a stronger team.?

Be Efficient.?Be Predictable.?Be Trustworthy.?Be a Relationship Builder.?Create Buy-In to keep people in the process funnel. Execute Successful Projects every time!

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