Project Management Articles
from the
|
The
One Nugget Report from The Project Management Advisor™
Issue 2009-16 - Be a PM Closer
I love baseball. I love watching the strategies, the big plays, the colossal errors (anyone remember poor Bill Buckner?) and the dramatic finishes. The Tampa Bay Rays, who in nine of their first ten years of existence finished dead last in their division (In 2004 they managed to beat out one team and finished fourth in their division), surprised everyone in 2008 by beating out such teams as the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees and made it to the World Series only to lose to the Philadelphia Phillies. Even though they lost the World Series, they were heroes in the eyes of millions who rooted for them and their storybook season.
One strategy that I particularly enjoy is the use of specialty players, of which the most prevalent is the "closer". The closer is a pitcher who is brought in for just a very short period of the game (typically the last inning of a game) to shut down opponent hitters and either secure a win for their team or allow a team who is behind to catch up in their last at-bat. I can remember as a kid watching Sparky Lyle of the New York Yankees and Tug McGraw of the New York Mets craft the role of the closer to an art form and save game after game through their ability to perform under pressure. They're most always used in high-pressure situations where the fate of the game rests in large part on their shoulders. Baseball teams pay big bucks for top-notch closers not because they can play in a lot of innings, but because they can seal the deal and handle the pressure when the game is on the line.
Throughout my years I've come to appreciate the importance of the closer in baseball, but have also drawn an important parallel between a closer and what we do as project managers. Time after time many project managers will start out of the blocks full of excitement and passion about their project. Then along the way things start going wrong, whether it be unanticipated schedule or budget issues, an unforeseen risk spinning out of control, or an ugly issue rearing its head. Rather than act deliberately, many PM's will sweep the problem under the rug, start screaming "fire", panic, or politically disengage themselves from the problem by blaming someone else. In any event, rather than act to address the problem the PM does nothing to help the situation and most likely does things to further exacerbate the problem. If management is attentive to the problem then a likely outcome is to replace the project manager with a "closer"; a more experienced and seasoned PM who can stare down a problem and get things under control. Closers are worth their weight in gold to an at-risk project.
Earlier in my career I wasn't a closer. I was the arrogant one who started out of the blocks thinking I was all that and a bag of chips, then would get replaced when I bungled things up. I had to learn to be a closer, and after doing this stuff for 25 years I am still a student of the craft. What I've learned about being a closer is that a closer has to be able to do the following:
- Know the rules and rudiments of project management cold
- Know how the rules can be bent or broken when necessary to keep a project on track
- Have a natural curiosity to understand why something works, or doesn't work
- Be realistic in what can and can't be done
- Listen to a wide variety of perspectives and be able to draw concise and coherent conclusions from those perspectives
- Clearly articulate root-cause problems and lay out a path for getting the project out of trouble
- Understand how to communicate concisely and ensure his or her message gets across to recipients clearly
- Be politically aware of what's going on in the project and the stakeholder organizations, but not be driven by the politics
- Be calm and focused when everyone else is panicking
I am a firm believer that being a closer requires experience; it is very unlikely (though not impossible) that a novice PM can be a closer. At the same time, having years of experience doesn't automatically anoint you as a closer. I've seen many PM's with years of experience crash and burn when a project started going sideways.
My one nugget to you is this: know what it means to be a
closer and fill the skill gaps necessary to serve in the role
effectively. Use your manager, your
peers and your team members to help articulate what a prototypical
closer looks like in your organization then lay out a clear path to
nailing those skills down. Check out some of the great
resources I've got on
www.project-management-jobs.info to help you be know as a closer
in your organization.
Like my site? Email your colleagues about it.
Complimentary Self-Study Seminars, Webcasts, and Resources -
I'm getting great response to my complimentary seminars, webcasts, and resources. Have you taken advantage of them yet? Get your complimentary content at http://www.project-management-seminar.com.
________________________________________________________________________
The Project Management Advisor™ Report Archive
2010-26 - Developing High Potential (HIPO) Leaders
2010-25 - Nailing That Interview
2010-24 - Regaining Trust
2010-23 - Relax, the Audience is Rooting for You
2010-22 - Project Management Screw-Up 1 - We weren’t addressing the right problem
2010-21 - More Cloud Computing Articles updates
2010-20 - How Could This Happen? Avoid Project Screw-Ups for You and Your Business Partner
2010-19 - Drive a Tight Agenda, Don't Let it Drive You
2010-18 - Watch the Pontificator!
2010-17 - Managing Cross-Organizational Teams
2010-16 - Team Building: Some Assembly Required
2010-15 - Am I Meant to Mentor?
2010-14 - Managing Project Risks and Issues
2010-13 - Project Management Screw-Up 7 - We Didn't Involve The Right People
2010-12 - Practical Pillars of Success
2010-11 - The "Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds Status Report"
2010-10 - More Cloud Computing Articles
2010-09 - They Actually Pay Me To Do This?
2010-08 - Leading that Virtual Team
2010-07 - Squashing the Procrastination Demon
2010-06 - Cloud Computing Articles
2010-05 - Asking for Help
2010-04 - Bedside Manner and the PM
2010-03 - Nervous Nellie PM's
2010-02 - "Morning After" Decision Making
2010-01 - Not all Thought Leaders Are Great People Leaders
2009-39 - Empowerment - Problem Ownership = Errand Runner
2009-38 - I'll Be Done Friday, Honest! Six Techniques to Ensure Solid Project Management Execution
2009-37 - How Could This Happen? Avoid Project Screw-Ups for You and Your Business Partner.
2009-36 - One Less Meeting Gets You Home In Time For Dinner
2009-35 - When Are You Coming Home? Five Practical Tips To Realizing Work/Life Balance
2009-34 - In Search of the Good Enough Leader
2009-33 - Getting Invited Back for a Second Interview
2009-32 - Six Takeaways to be a Better Public Speaker
2009-31 - It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success Slide Deck
2009-30 - It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success Part 1
2009-29 - Be Accessible, Not Open Door
2009-28 - The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership
2009-27 - Six-Word Lessons for Project Managers
2009-26 - Attributes of an Effective Project Manager
2009-25 - Twitter and Flight of the Buffalo
2009-24 - Can You Make a 2AM Meeting?
2009-23 - Hot Air Balloon or Guided Missile?
2009-22 - It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success Part III
2009-21 - It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success Part II
2009-20 - It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success Part 1
2009-19 - How to Succeed Under an Insecure Leader
2009-18 - Ten Differences Between an Insecure Leader and a Secure Leader
2009-17 - Building a Purpose-Driven Resume
2009-16 - Be a PM Closer
2009-15 - Challenge Minus Inspiration Equals Mediocrity
2009-14 - The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
2009-13 - Why Don't They Follow Me? 12 Easy Lessons to Boost Your Leadership Skills
2009-12 - Mastering Credibility Part III: It's How You Deliver Results
2009-11 - Mastering Credibility Part II: It's The Relationships You Build
2009-10 - Mastering Credibility Part I: It's What You Know
2009-09 - Babbling is for Babies, Not Interviews
2009-08 - Getting Job Alerts at The Project Management Jobs Career Center
2009-07 - The Project Management Jobs Career Center is now open!
2009-06 - You Can't Over-Prepare For An Interview
2009-05 - Critical Thinking Drills Influence Hiring Decisions
2009-04 - Impress First, Then Talk Compensation
2009-03 - Project-Management-Jobs.info launched!
2009-02 - Great Quotes On Leadership
2009-01 - Don't Embellish Your Credentials
December 1 2008 - The Truth About Getting Your Point Across...And Nothing But The Truth
November 15 2008 - Our Fallibility as Leaders...Defining a Meaningful Workplan in MS Project...ZAPP! The Lightning of Empowerment
November 1 2008 - Getting Invited Back for a Second Interview...A Complimentary Status Report Template...The Wal-Mart Effect
October 15 2008 - Managing Outsourced Relationships...Making Sense of Calendars in Microsoft Project...Surviving an Aneurysm
October 1 2008 - Diffusing Conflict Between Co-Workers...The Perfect Brainstorm: Getting The Most Out Of Brainstorming Sessions ...Go Green, Live Rich
September 15 2008 - Using Project Guides to Define Your Project in MS Project...The Top Ten Attributes of a Great Project Sponsor...Hail to the Chiefs: United States President Mischief, Morals, and Malarkey from George W. to George W.
September 1 2008 - Replacing a Project Manager Mid-Flight...30 Tips to a More Fulfilling Dinnertime with Your Family ...Healthy Living - You The Owners Manual - An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger
August 15 2008 - Putting Some Balance in the Work Life Balance Equation...How An Autistic Child Changed A Career for the Better...The Kindergarten Adventures of Amazing Grace: What in the Word is Autism?
April 2008 - Complimentary Self-Study Seminars, Webcasts, and Resources...Setting Yourself Apart From Your Colleagues...The Good and The Bad of Virtual Meetings...Smarts Minus Direction Equals Absent-Minded Professor...Small Business Made Simple Co-Author Spotlight: Bill Stride...Ebay and the Project Manager...Be a Better People Leader
March 2008 - Motivating Employees...Practical Interview Etiquette... Ten Tips to Boost Your Facilitation Skills... Freud and The Small Business Owner... Of Mice and Motivation... Be a Better Process Leader
February 2008 - The Shift From a Process to a Project Focus...Politically Aware Doesn't Mean Politically Motivated...Getting Serious About Balancing Work and Family...Eight Crucial Questions You Need to Answer to Successfully Exit a Small Business...Five Simple Strategies To Unify Your Project Teams...Be a Better Planner
