Lonnie Pacelli's Blog, page 69

Shiny Objects And Other Distractions

It’s Monday morning and Joe gets up at 6:00. He showers, eats breakfast and 
makes his way to the train station to catch the 7:20 into Chicago.  During the 40-minute train ride, Joe takes out his planner and lists out all of the things that he wants to get done for the week.  He writes down all of the people that he needs to call, meetings that he needs to schedule, and reports that he needs to write. By the time the train pulls into Union Station, he has his entire week planned out and is feeling very good about his plan.  His 20-minute walk from the train station to his office is pleasant and energizing, and Joe arrives at his office ready to get going on his plan.
Ten minutes after sitting at his desk, he gets an email from a local electronics store with the “must-have” specials of the week.  Joe can’t resist and goes to the website and spends 30 minutes drooling over the latest electronic gadgetry.  Throughout the week, Joe has numerous events which take his attention off his work; checking sports scores, looking at stock prices, impromptu drop-ins from co-workers.  Joe leaves work each night tired from the day’s busy and hectic activities.
On Friday evening, Joe pulls out his planner and looks at the list of all the things he wanted to complete during the week.  As he looks at the list, he grows more and more discouraged at the number of things that didn’t get done.  He can’t understand it.  Why didn’t he get more done?  He was always so busy, yet so little got accomplished.  How could this have happened?

You may know a Joe, live with a Joe, or be Joe yourself.  The Joes of the world have a difficult time focusing and are easily distracted by “shiny objects”,  or things that take attention off of the
Amazon.com Widgetstask at hand because of their allure, appeal, or perceived call to urgency.  Sure, at times we’ve all succumbed to non-value-added distractions and have wasted time being unproductive or working on something that didn’t need to be done right then.  It’s when a person’s modus operandi is to allow themselves to be distracted that problems occur. 

Let me put shiny objects in context; to me a shiny object isn’t important to the task at hand and isn’t time-sensitive.  If something comes across your desk that can be done later without impact to your work yet interrupts what you’re doing then this in my view constitutes a shiny object.  It’s also important to distinguish between shiny objects and the garden-variety fire-drill.  The primary difference to me is a fire drill is something that needs to be done immediately otherwise there is some material and tangible business consequence; whereas with a shiny object there is no material and tangible business consequence if it doesn’t get done.  This is an important distinguishing factor because many shiny object violators that I know view their shiny objects as fire drills and take comfort in responding to fire drills because of the sense of accomplishment they feel in putting out the fire. 

In conquering shiny-object-itis, I’ve adopted a few basic shiny object principles into my workday, as follows:
Schedule some brief “shiny object” time during the day to do some of the shiny object activities; preferably the same time each day.  The time of day doesn’t matter, just schedule it and keep to it. If a shiny object comes your way and it’s not during your shiny object time, PUT IT ASIDE immediately.  Just as a dieter needs to resist the temptation of their favorite junk food, you need to resist the draw and allure of the shiny object. If you’re prone to disruption due to your view of fire-drills, ask yourself two questions:Is there a tangible and material consequence to me working on this? andIs the consequence important enough that I need to interrupt my current project to work on it?If the answers are yes, then by all means pull out the hose; otherwise refer back to principle 2.

In following these principles, your ability to get things will increase because you will have fewer interruptions, be able to better discern whether an interruption is warranted, and allow yourself some dedicated shiny-object time to read the latest headlines or catch up with a co-worker.

Great Communicators Can Be Made

Excerpted from The Truth about Getting Your Point Across…and Nothing But the Truth 
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was known as “the great communicator.”
One of his most famous statements was made while making a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987.  During this speech, President Reagan threw down this challenge:

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Interestingly enough, the “tear down this wall” statement was vehemently opposed by foreign policy experts in Washington and had heavily lobbied the President to not make the “tear down this wall” statement.  Ultimately, the lobbying was ignored and Reagan included the challenge in the speech.  That was in 1987.  On November 9th, 1989, the border separating East Germany from West Germany was open and the wall came tumbling down. The Fall of The Wall will forever be used as a symbol for the end of the cold war; which arguably was Reagan’s greatest achievement as President.
Think back to some great communicators like Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr., or John F. Kennedy.  What made them great communicators?  It wasn’t that they were great orators, had flashy teeth, sported perfect hair, or demonstrated a flawless writing style.  They had the following:

Courage  – they weren’t afraid to speak out against the status quo and challenge conventional wisdom.
Conviction  – they felt strongly about their ideas and wanted others to know their viewpoint. Amazon.com Widgets Wisdom  – they knew their subject matter cold and could defend their ideas effectively.

Clarity  – their message was simple, concise, and easily understood.

Credibility  – they were trusted by others and walked the talk.
Courage.  Conviction.  Wisdom.  Clarity.  Credibility.  Five attributes that are essential, regardless of whether you are speaking in front of hundreds of people, writing a report to your boss, or running a PTA board meeting.  Five attributes that build the foundation of someone who gets his or her point across effectively.  

That someone can be you. 

The remaining chapters of  The Truth About Getting Your Point Across... and Nothing But the Truth  will help you to better get your point across in a number of professional settings, including running meetings, delivering presentations, conducting interviews, and giving feedback.  You’ll get some very practical advice and helpful tips to being a more effective communicator.  These tips combined with your courage, conviction, wisdom, clarity and credibility can make you a great communicator who communicates great things and knows how to get your point across in most any setting. 

Are you up for it?

In Search of the Good Enough Leader

On a recent project my company was working with a frozen seafood manufacturer to help them bring a specialty frozen seafood product to market.

A huge component of getting this project done was the packaging; it had to be eye-popping and appealing while protecting the frozen seafood pieces inside.  After a number of design sessions with the packaging manufacturer, we received the finished packaging.  What was initially exuberance during the design session turned into disappointment when we saw the finished product.  Some of the graphics were a bit blurry, a re-sealable zipper wasn't included, and a clear window to view the contents inside was missing.  Our emotions went from disappointment to anger as the manufacturer told us it would be a number of weeks before a new delivery of the packaging could be done.  If we took this route, a key delivery to a very important customer of ours wouldn't be met.  What a pickle.
As we thought through our dilemma, we started thinking about what was "good-enough."  While some of the problems with the packaging were irritating, they were largely cosmetic and didn't impact the quality or taste of the product.  We ultimately decided that we could still use the packaging by making one change which we were able to implement in-house.  Through this process, we found that we had to mentally adjust our expectations from "perfection" to "good-enough" in order to meet our commitments to our customers and get the product out in time.  Not the optimal choice, but certainly a workable one.
Amazon.com WidgetsAs leaders, we are constantly faced with deciding which tasks to do and how to apply resources to those tasks.  There are rare occasions where stars align and we are able to get everything done exactly the way we want it with the resources given to us.  Most of the time, though, we have to decide not only what to do but what not to do.  This is where the good-enough leader comes in.  Good-enough leaders are able to get more done with the resources given to them because they know that there comes a point where the incremental effort (or what I like to refer to as "polishing the apple") just isn't worth the expense required to achieve the effort.  Good-enough leaders are able to define clearly what good-enough means for any task being worked on and are able to get the team to self-check on achieving good-enough.  Simply put, good-enough leaders get more done because they know not only when to start, but when to stop.

So let’s talk about why the concept of good-enough is important to leaders.  There’s some very basic reasons as to why good-enough matters to you:
There are typically more things to do than hours in a day – Take a look at your to-do list.  Are you going to be able to get everything done today that you hope to get done?  If you’re like most leaders today, you’ll probably go home wishing you would have gotten three more things done than you had hoped.More is expected out of today’s leaders - More today than in the past leaders are being asked to get more done with less and are expected to do things that prior generations of leaders weren’t expected to do.  What would have been considered exceptional performance a generation ago is today considered “running with pack” performance.Many leaders don’t know when to say when – Whether it be due to misunderstood expectations, an overzealousness to please the customer, or a passion for perfection run amok, many leaders will continue to work on something beyond a degree which matters to a customer, colleague, or team. Over-delivering may compensate for inexperience – Particularly with new leaders, going beyond good-enough can be due to inexperience of the leader or due to an overzealous new leader wanting to wow the socks off of his or her customer. Some of this is simply unavoidable growing pains, but some of it can be mitigated.
Being good enough isn't all that difficult and can be applied to virtually any job.  Look to be a good-enough leader by thinking about some of these tips:
Establish good-enough guidelines up-front - When taking on a project or task, take time to discuss with the team where the good-enough line lives.  As example, if the goal is to prepare a presentation for management, it may be acceptable to have different fonts on different slides but it is not acceptable for data to be incorrect or for the presentation to have spelling errors.  Establishing clear guidelines with the team (and yourself) helps to reduce rework and reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings on what good-enough means as it relates to your specific project or task.

Separate the "must-haves" from the "nice-to-haves" - For good-enough to work it's super important to get a clear understanding of what needs are absolutely necessary to deliver your end product and to separate the "must-haves" from the "nice-to-haves."  As you are assessing each need, ask, "What is the absolute worst thing that will happen if we don't meet this need?"   Then, decide if you can live with the worst case. 

Align expectations with your customers or stakeholders - As you are defining your must -haves, include your customer or stakeholders in the process to ensure you aren't missing a must-have need or mis-categorizing a nice-to-have as a must-have.  Key to this is allowing the customer to see the benefit of being good-enough.   The benefit could be a reduced cost on a contract, taking on an extra project, or potentially implementing a couple of the highest priority nice-to-have needs.  

Adopt a "good-enough" mantra - Working to good-enough doesn't stop at needs definition.  In our day-to-day work we all, as leaders, are faced with decisions on where to apply resources, what things to do, and what things to not do.  When you adopt and maintain a good-enough mantra with your team, the team will start thinking in good-enough terms and learn how to draw the good-enough line without your coaching and prodding. 

Encourage others to cry foul when a team member starts polishing the apple - Adopting a good-enough mantra is a great first step; using the mantra day-in and day-out is the next step.  It is easy for a team member to become obsessed with a project or task and to want to spend a lot of time making something perfect.  When you spot someone spending time on a task which appears to be beyond good-enough, ask "is this good-enough?"  Also, be open to a team member challenging you with the good-enough question.  What's good for the goose is good for the gander. 

Don't accept "good-enough" as an excuse for substandard quality - being good-enough means you understand what must be done and you work to the good-enough line.  It isn't an up-front excuse for shoddy workmanship or unacceptable quality.  As example, a developer cannot use a "good-enough" mantra as an excuse for not testing a program he or she has written.  Work should still be performed to whatever professional specifications are applicable to your organization.

Use a coach to help you draw a “good-enough" line – This is particularly helpful with new leaders. Find a coach, colleague, or friend to help you identify when you’re working harder and longer on something than necessary.  You’ll not only get a tap on the shoulder when you’re working too hard, you’ll also begin to get a feel as to what good-enough means as it relates to your job.
Be a good-enough leader.  You'll get more done because your team will make better choices on where to spend time and will consciously avoid polishing the apple.  Think good-enough; it works. 

I'll Be Done Friday, Honest! Six Techniques to Ensure Solid Project Management Execution

Some time back I was responsible for a portfolio of projects being done within the finance organization of my company.  One of the projects was outsourced to a large consulting firm who supplied the project management, analysis, and development resources to the project.  I would hold weekly meetings with the project manager who consistently gave me a "thumbs up" on the project up to the first key milestone being hit.  When the week of the first milestone approached, he announced that the milestone was going to have to slip by a week to ensure successful delivery.  The next week came along and again the project slipped a week.  This went on for two more weeks with the promise of "we'll for sure nail it next week."  I decided to do some crawling around the project to assess where the project was really at.  Turns out we were at least a month away from delivering to the milestone which was already a month late.
Needless to say I was less than thrilled with the consulting firm running the project.   They sent out one of their heavyweight project managers to assess the situation.  After two hours of reviewing the project he reported back to me that the project had slipped, not due to anything his organization had or hadn't done, but because of things we as the client did to cause the problems.  Needless to say I pretty much lost it with him.  I then went through the project plan with him and went through each task and peppered him with questions about why his project manager hadn't managed the execution of the project and why we were continuing to get a 'thumbs up" when in fact the project had slipped horribly.  After my inquisition he said he'd follow up and get back to me.  I'm still waiting.
Amazon.com WidgetsAh, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.  Despite how pretty a project schedule looks, how clear the organization chart is, or how well articulated the risks and issues are, the most successful projects execute great to a great plan.  Solid project management execution means driving the plan, making adjustments as necessary to address unforeseen issues (if you are able to run projects that never have issues email me at lonnie@leadingonedge.com; I'd like to spend a day in your world), and removing roadblocks which can inhibit successful completion.  The project manager has to stay steady at the helm making sure these things happen; they won't just happen by themselves. To articulate this a bit more here are three formulas for you to keep in mind:
Planning + Execution = Project Success

Execution - Planning =  Randomized Flailing

Planning - Execution =  Well-Dressed Inertia
Through my experience I've come up with six techniques that can help you as a project manager better ensure project success.  While this isn't an exhaustive list of everything you can do, it does highlight some specific areas which can help keep a project from derailing: 

Snuff out and squash "shiny objects" - First, let's put shiny objects in context; to me a shiny object isn’t important to the task at hand and isn’t time-sensitive.  If something comes across your desk that can be done later without impact to your work, yet interrupts what you’re doing, then this in my view constitutes a shiny object.  It’s also important to distinguish between shiny objects and the garden-variety fire-drill.  The primary difference to me is a fire drill needs to be done immediately, otherwise there is some material and tangible business consequence; whereas with a shiny object there is no material and tangible business consequence if it doesn’t get done.  This is an important distinguishing factor because many shiny object violators I know view their shiny objects as fire drills and take comfort in responding to fire drills because of the sense of accomplishment they feel in putting out the fire.   Be on the lookout for shiny objects and squash them before your team gets derailed.  

Watch the "off-workplan" tasks - Recently I worked with a project team that had a pretty decent project plan with dependencies, resources, and timeframes all laid out.  The problem, though, was that the project plan assumed 100% resource focus but only about 60% of the resource focus was dedicated to the project plan.  The other 40% was consumed via to-do lists which the project manager kept in addition to the project plan.  Thus, the project was doomed to a 40% schedule slip right from the get-go because of the to-do list tasks.  As the project manager, you have the responsibility of ensuring that all project-related activity is reflected in your project plan and that you specifically articulate the percentage of time resources are dedicated to tasks. 

Think realistically aggressive when developing estimates - I've worked with three distinct personality types when it comes to estimating levels of effort.  The first personality type is Ms. Reality.  She looks at a given set of tasks and develops a realistic yet aggressive expectation of what will be required of her to complete the task.  More importantly, she hits her dates with a high degree of reliability.  The second personality type is Mr. Op T. Mystic.  Mr. Op consistently under-estimates tasks and provides a "if all of the stars align" projection on completing tasks.  Tasks quickly get to 90% done then stay there forever.  The third personality type is Mr. Gloom N. Doom.   Mr. Gloom typically provides worst-case estimates and will slather on contingency like barbecue sauce on ribs.   The secret sauce (can you tell I really like ribs?) here is to recognize the personality type you work with and try to snuff out reality with each personality type.  Sure, you'll get some push-back particularly from Mr. Gloom, but unless you apply some aggressive reality to your estimates you're going to have a hard time getting sponsors and higher-ups to view you as a credible project manager.

Hold weekly status meetings -  I am a big fan of weekly status meetings and weekly status reports, particularly on high-visibility  projects.  In fact, I have become a strong proponent of creating my project status report (see my status report template at the bottom of this article) right in my status meeting.   Key to this is focusing on project plan tasks, milestones, risks and issues during the status meeting.  I've been through way too many status meetings where the focus was on each team member talking about accomplishments and effort versus results.  Now, it's nice that all of the team members are working so hard, but when everyone starts patting themselves on the back for how many hours are being worked at the expense of managing to schedule, you've got a sick project on your hands.   Keep the status meetings focused on schedule, risks and issues and keep them very regular.  Don't let weeks go by without doing them unless you're willing to play Russian Roulette with your schedule.

Expose the violators - So okay, before I have every HR manager ready to shoot me let me explain what I mean.  In status meetings, I think it is completely within bounds for a project manager to expect project team members who don't deliver on their commitments to explain to the project team why they aren't pulling their weight.  Too many times I've seen project managers shield slacker project team members or not force them to explain their actions (or inaction as the case may be).  What each member of the project team needs to recognize is when he or she doesn't perform it isn't just the project manager that is being let down; it is the entire team.  When each project team member feels accountable to the rest of the team for delivery and directly feels as if he or she is letting the rest of the team down he or she is more likely to perform and meet dates.  This can be very effective in getting teams to perform, just make sure it is done with respect.  It's about getting teams to perform, not about skewering someone's dignity.
Use the 1/1/1 rule when planning tasks - Great execution starts with great planning.  Sure, we've all seen acts of heroism where a project team worked 90 hours a week to get a poorly conceived and planned project done on time.  However, no one likes to work in that mode.  Projects that are well planned are more likely to be delivered on time, per customer expectation, and within budget, period.  A key component of good planning is using what I call the "1/1/1" rule in work breakdown structure decomposition which stands for "one deliverable, one person, one week."  Driving to this level of detail in a project plan ensures  there is no ambiguity on who is responsible for the task and what the deliverable associated with the task needs to be.  Also, by using a one week duration you better ensure the task will be completed within one weekly status reporting cycle.  Most importantly, you'll minimize surprises of a "90% complete" taking forever for the last 10% to be complete. 
Excellent planning coupled with strong execution is crucial to ensuring the success of any project.  Subtract planning or execution from a project, and you either get the randomized flailing of a project out of control, or the well-dressed inertia of a good-looking project going nowhere.

Project Management Screw-Up 4 - We Didn't Do A Good Project Schedule

Excerpted from The Project Management Advisor - 18 Major Project Screw-Ups And How To Cut Them Off At The Pass (Prentice Hall, 2004)
I can remember vividly my very first project schedule.  My manager gave me the mission statement and an overall timeframe he thought it should take for me to complete the project.  I diligently broke the schedule down to lower levels of detail.  I continued to divide the overall timeframe among the tasks and assigned people to the tasks.  I worked for days on end with my face buried in a computer screen developing the schedule. 
 What I ended up with was a horrendously detailed project plan that had no logical dependencies identified, people being asked to complete 40-hour tasks in 15 minutes, and some people being asked to work 200 hours per week to get their work done.  But by golly, the schedule met my manager’s timeframe request.
Sadly enough (for me), this is a very true story but one that I don’t think is too terribly uncommon.  It’s pretty easy to ignore reality at times when you’re developing a schedule and to skip some fundamental steps in completing your schedule.  You may get everything to look good on paper, but the result may deviate significantly from reality. 
Amazon.com WidgetsHow it happens:

The project schedule was either too detailed or not detailed enough – A project schedule is only effective when it is able to help you know that everything is on track and that you’re going to be able to complete the work on time.  When your activities are at too high a level, you risk losing accountability, missing out on key dependencies or expose yourself to “90% complete syndrome” when the team reports progress that is not real. When your activities are at too low a level, you can frustrate your team members by unduly micro-managing them, creating a greater administrative headache for yourself, and confusing the team with an excessive number of activities to manage.  Either of these can spell schedule slippage and can severely impact successful project completion. 

I’ve learned to use two rules of thumb when defining the appropriate level of detail for a project plan: 

Can the activity be assigned to a single person to complete the activity?Can the activity be completed in less than 40 hours?Let me explain my question rationale. In the first question, I have found that explicit, clear lines of ownership are vital to ensuring that activities are completed.  Whenever there is an activity assigned to “the team” or some other group of people there is no single point of accountability thus no one truly owns the task.  Therefore each and every task should have a named person that takes the heat if the task isn’t completed on time. 

In the second question, the more time an activity is given to complete the greater the likelihood that you will be surprised at the last minute that the activity was not completed on time.  I’ve gotten burned way too many times on an activity getting to 90% very quickly then taking twice the amount of time to finish the last 10%.  Now, it’s not that I’m a distrustful person or that I think that people are overtly trying to deceive me.  No one wants to miss a deadline and thus will continue to report that they are on target and hope that everything falls into place if things start going awry.  Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t.  I prefer to leave as little to chance as possible.  So, I’ve zeroed in on a 40-hour rule of thumb because it allows you to divert train wrecks on time but also doesn’t micromanage the team member.  Depending on your environment, you may want to use something other than 40 hours, just be definitive and consistent in what you use. 

The project schedule didn’t correctly address dependencies between tasks - When designing your project schedule, you need to keep in mind how those activities relate to other activities and define them accordingly.  Establishing clear dependencies between tasks and having a true understanding of the critical path (the string of tasks that are the longest point between the start and finish of the project) is in my view one of the most important components of your project schedule.  As you’re designing your schedule activities it’s helpful to keep dependencies clean by defining clear finish-to-start relationships.  There are ways to accommodate this using most common project management software packages, but I recommend keeping your dependencies simple to understand and manage. 

The project duration was too long – When designing your schedule, keep specific focus on the length of time that you go between celebrating successes.  I’ve become a strong advocate of keeping project phases to no longer than three months in duration.  This is not to say that, if you are implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning system that you should try to do the entire implementation from software selection to implemented system in that three-month timeframe.  What I am saying is that you should phase the project in such a way that there is a defined beginning and end to the phase within three months.  Why would I say such a thing?  Simple; people (particularly management) live in a short attention span theater world and over time will become discouraged and lose interest if a project drags on too long.  So ok, you’ve figured me out, I’m just breaking a $10 bill into two $5 bills, but I’ve seen teams perform better when they are able to have mini celebrations at the successful end of each phase because at any point in time the end of the phase of work is no more than three months away.  This also gives the team and management logical review points to look at the project’s mission and ensure that it is in sync with management’s current priorities. 

Some of the tasks didn’t produce useful deliverables – When you’re defining your project schedule, make sure you’re continually asking yourself these questions:
What is the deliverable that will be produced out of this activity? What will it look like? What happens if we don’t do it?If you don’t have satisfactory answers to each of these questions, then seriously consider whether or not the activity is necessary.  Remember, every activity that you do should be getting you one step closer to successful completion.   If you can’t articulate what the activity is supposed to produce then chances are you don’t need to do it. 

The team didn’t understand the plan – Your project team needs to have complete buy-in on the tasks, the durations, the team assignments, the dependencies, and the deliverables.  What I’ve seen work well is doing shorter, more frequent informal reviews with team members while you’re developing the schedule.  I’ve seen project managers hold themselves up in an office or conference room for days on end, emerge from their cave with the schedule to end all schedules, and then have the other team members storm the Bastille because they don’t see how they’re possibly going to be able to accomplish what the project manager expects (recall my opening store about my unrealistic schedule).  It’s days like those that the project manager wonders why he or she didn’t take over the family delicatessen instead of doing this stupid project manager job.  Get the buy-in along the way; it helps you avoid rework, allows the team members to feel more included in the process, and will produce a better quality plan that the team will believe they can achieve. 

Warning Signs:

Tasks aren’t getting done on time – Chronically missed deadlines on tasks can be due to unrealistic task durations, poorly defined dependencies, poorly defined work assignments, or project distractions.  Diagnose the reasons for the missed deadlines immediately before the snowball rolling down the hill turns into an avalanche. 

Tasks assigned to “the team” or some other group of people aren’t getting done – Any time that a specific name is not attached to a task, it is easy for team members to assume that someone else will do the task because no one is specifically held accountable for task completion.  If you want things to get done, make sure that there are specific names beside each of your task and that each team member feels personal accountability for getting their work done.

Team members aren’t aware that they were supposed to be working on a task - It’s an ugly situation when you’re getting status updates from team members and a task that was supposed to be completed last week wasn’t even started because the team member didn’t even know they were supposed to be working on the task.  Make sure that work assignments are crystal clear and that team members know what tasks they are supposed to have completed by when.

Team members are confused as to what they are supposed to produce for a task – So you assign a task to a team member and the day that the task is due the team member produces a deliverable that looks exactly nothing like you were expecting it to look like.  The deliverable now needs to be reworked which means other tasks are going to slip as a result.  Be clear about what deliverable needs to be produced and ensure that you and the team member have a common understanding of what it needs to look like.

Turning it around:

Get real with the schedule, and fast – Don’t delay; get the schedule in shape quickly making sure that you’ve defined all the right tasks, durations, dependencies, and resources to get it done.   More importantly, don’t go into a cave for days on end to do; make sure you are getting input on the schedule frequently to avoid an unrealistic schedule.

Do focused reviews with team members – On some projects, I have developed supplemental documentation which explains key tasks that might be confusing and even gone so far as to produce a template of what the deliverable out of the task needed to look like.  I prefer to do mini reviews as the plan is being developed to ensure that the team is putting their thumbprint on the plan and that any confusion points can be addressed early.

Keep dependencies simple – While it’s great to clearly understand dependencies between tasks, I’ve also seen plans that are overly complicated because the project manager built in serial dependencies between tasks that could actually be performed in parallel.  This could be due to an assumed dependency between the tasks or because the project manager is anticipating that one person will be doing both tasks.  Before defining a dependency, put rigor into making sure that the tasks are truly reliant on being performed serially.

Highlight tasks which are due in the next 1-2 weeks – I’ve learned through experience that solely relying on the project schedule as the communication vehicle for a project team is not always the most effective way of ensuring tasks get done on time.  Depending on the experience of your team, they may not understand how to read the schedule and may miss some key tasks that need to get done.  I’ve learned to use either status reports or e-mail reminders to individual team members reminding them of what they need to do and when it needs to be done.  It puts a bit more work on the project manager, but it better ensures the team member knows what needs to be done by when.

Take Aways:Make sure all your lowest level activities have a sole owner and are no longer than 40 hours in durationBreak your project into phases that don’t exceed three schedule monthsKnow the critical path of tasks through the project and keep clean finish-to-start dependencies between activitiesMake sure that your activities have associated deliverables that are relevantEnsure the team buys into the plan along the way; don’t do a grand reveal when the plan is complete.Remind and highlight team members of tasks needing to be completed within 1-2 weeks

Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success - Ten Truths of an Effective Sponsor/PM Partnership

A sad tale of a how a sponsor/PM relationship killed a project...

Exec identifies a need for a project and nominates self as sponsor.  PM gets assigned to project and assembles project team.  Sponsor is vague about problem to be solved other than "we need a new system".  PM can't communicate problem to be solved to the team because he doesn't understand what the problem is.  Sponsor continues to ask for more and more things to be included in project, PM doesn't have courage to say no.  PM treats sponsor as "that person in the corner office" and doesn't know how to ask for help, so he escalates everything.  Sponsor has to make some tough decisions but is unwilling to do so because of the political fallout.  PM provides bad information about decision alternatives so sponsor ignores him.  Due to changing priorities project no longer makes sense to do, but PM lobbies to keep the project going.  Sponsor loses interest because there are bigger fish to fry.  PM and team are disillusioned because sponsor doesn't care.  Project dies a slow death.  R.I.P.

While this is a fictional story, you can undoubtedly relate to most of these things happening on one project or another in your career.  The sponsor/PM partnership on a project is one of those "soft skill" factors that gets frequently overlooked when assessing a PM's skills but is a key determinant in the success or failure of a project.  Under a healthy partnership, the sponsor and PM work as a singular unit to ensure the project gets what it needs to be as successful as possible using only as many resources as absolutely necessary to secure success.  Under a less than healthy relationship the project will undoubtedly cost more in time and money assuming it even gets completed at all. 

Throughout my career I've been both a sponsor and a PM and have first-hand experience in how this relationship needs to work from both sides of the desk. Through my experience, I've locked down on ten truths which I feel are crucial to securing a healthy sponsor/PM partnership.  See if these resonate with you:
Truth #1: Great sponsors clearly articulate a root-cause problem to be solved. Great PM’s make sure the team knows (and remembers) what problem is being solved.   No surprise that great projects start with a great problem statement.  Where things go awry is when there's fuzziness about the problem statement between the sponsor and PM and when they aren't completely unified on the problem being addressed.  The sponsor needs to be clear about the problem, the PM needs to keep it at forefront and never allow the team to drift from solving the problem.
Amazon.com WidgetsTruth #2: Great sponsors ensure the solution solves the root cause problem. Great PM’s don’t allow solutions to lose focus. It's so easy for a project team to get all lathered up in the coolness of a solution and the incremental value which can be had by just taking on a bit more scope here and there.  I love when project teams can kill two birds with one stone, but at the same time the sponsor and PM need to be very disciplined about keeping the project team focused on solving the root cause problem and not allowing scope to explode due to emotional frenzying. 

Truth #3: Great sponsors enforce a “good enough” mindset. Great PM’s don’t use “good enough” as an excuse to cut scope. Using a "good enough" mindset means being very conscious of not gold-plating a solution and putting incremental work into a feature that doesn't yield incremental benefit.  PM's, project teams, and sponsors alike fall subject to gold-plating to increase coolness or solve out-of-scope problems.  The sponsor needs to continually remind the team to not gold-plate and to do what's required to solve the problem.  At the same time, the PM can't use good enough as license to trim scope to solve a budget or schedule problem.  Certainly budget and schedule problems will happen, but the PM can't hide behind good enough and unilaterally trim scope based on his or her convenient definition of what good enough means.

Truth #4: Great sponsors ensure the project has the right resources to get the work done. Great PM’s articulate clear resource requests and “right size” the ask to the need.  No news flash here; projects need people and money to get things done.  Where things go awry is when project needs are poorly articulated, lack credibility, or are flat-out ignored.  This is one of the most important areas of an effective sponsor/PM partnership.  The PM needs to be crystal clear about what resources are needed to complete the project, thoughtful about alternatives to fulfilling the need, and objective about the consequences of not filling the need.  The sponsor needs to be convinced of the resource need, then needs to either support the PM to secure the resources or understand and accept the consequence of not securing the resources.  This truth is a massive failure point in projects with both the sponsor and PM being culpable.

Truth #5: Great sponsors hold the PM and team accountable for results. Great PM’s embrace the accountability and enforce it with the team.  Any leader worth his or her salt understands the concept of accountability.  Most sponsors joyfully embrace this role and effectively drive accountability across the team and with the PM.  The PM has a specific responsibility to embrace the accountability, demonstrate respect for the sponsor with the project team, and cascade the accountability throughout the project team.  Too often project managers will bad-mouth the sponsor to the project team and undermine his or her credibility as sponsor which creates ill-will between the sponsor and the team.  The sponsor needs to drive objective accountability and the PM needs to demonstrate respect and ensure all team members are held appropriately accountable for results.

Truth #6: Great sponsors are on top of the big issues and stand at the ready to help resolve them. Great PM’s articulate issues clearly and timely and escalate only those they can’t solve.  Too many times in my career I've seen a project sponsor be treated as if they were royalty.  The PM would make the trek up the mountain to report progress to the sponsor in hopes of pleasing him or her and getting a nod of approval from his or her highness.  Here's the reality:  the best sponsor/PM relationships are when both the sponsor and PM recognize the sponsor plays a specific role on the project and fills needs that he or she is best suited to fill.  The sponsor needs to be on top of the big issues which are appropriate for him or her to be addressing and be "at the ready" when the team needs an issue to be addressed.  At the same time, the PM needs to make sure that only those issues which are appropriate for the sponsor to address are being escalated.  Too often the PM will use issue escalation either as a means of "covering your butt" thus putting the sponsor on notice for an issue or will escalate inappropriate issues due to flat-out laziness.  The PM needs to escalate only those which cannot be solved at his or her level and ensure the sponsor is given as much time as reasonable to put the issue to bed.  The sponsor needs to be ready and willing to act. 

Truth #7: Great sponsors are an advocate, coach and battering ram for the project. Great PM’s know how to leverage a sponsor and listen to the sponsor’s counsel.  Some of the best sponsors I've worked with provide an open door to coach and counsel the PM.  The sponsor shows an active interest in the PM's success and deliberately works to help the PM grow as a professional.  They also serve as an ambassador for the project to other areas of the organization to ensure other stakeholders and constituents are supportive of the project.  Their interest is much more holistic and strategic; they want to help the organization be better and help the PM be better at his or her job.  At the same time, the best PM's see this relationship as an opportunity to grow personally and professionally and actively seek out and listen to a sponsor's coaching.

Truth #8: Great sponsors willingly make tough decisions even if unpopular or politically charged. Great PM’s provide clear and unbiased alternatives, information and consequences to support decision making.  On virtually every project there will be at least one decision which the sponsor has to make which will be unpopular with some organizational faction.  The PM has a clear responsibility to provide the sponsor with an objective point of view on decision alternatives, allow the sponsor as much time as reasonable to make the decision, and, while being politically aware of consequences, not be politically driven by consequences.  The sponsor needs to ensure alternatives are appropriately vetted, the facts and consequences are understood, and then make the decision as timely as reasonable.  The PM needs to be believable and objective, the sponsor needs to be courageous and timely.

Truth #9: Great sponsors don’t opportunistically increase scope if the project is going well. Great PM’s keep the team focused on delivery and don’t claim victory too soon.  In the 2006 Olympics, snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis had the gold medal all but won. On the last jump of her race Lindsey does a hot dog move and trips at the finish line only to walk away with the silver medal.  Victory was in sight, cockiness crept in, then something bad happened to blow it.  Projects are no different.  The sponsor and PM need to jointly ensure that victory doesn't get claimed too soon, that scope control doesn't get sloppy, and that the team stays focused on driving the project to conclusion.  The sponsor needs to resist the desire to add "just a little feature" at the end and the PM needs to not allow the team to relax. 

Truth #10: Great sponsors continually evaluate priorities and are willing to pull the plug on a project if it no longer makes sense to do. Great PM’s don’t get emotionally tied to a project and don’t lobby to keep it alive if it should stop.  Sometimes a project no longer makes sense to do.  Whether it be about changing priorities, overly aggressive benefit statements, or under-estimated costs, both the sponsor and PM need to keep an ear to the railroad tracks and ensure the project still makes sense to continue.  If the sponsor has bigger fish to fry he or she needs to either continue to commit to the project or kill it.  The worst thing a sponsor can do is allow a project to die a slow death due to disinterest.  It not only wastes time and money but also creates disillusionment with the team because management isn't demonstrating support.  The PM needs to keep a "business first" attitude and recognize that sometimes a well-intentioned project no longer makes good business sense to continue.  Lobbying to keep a low-priority project going will just delay the inevitable.

Want more on how to be a great project sponsor?  Check out www.greatsponsor.com for 31 tips to be a best-in-class project sponsor!

Ten tips to boost your facilitation skills

So let's cut to the chase...

You may be a great consultant, one who effectively applies his or her wisdom and experience to help his or her client solve some tough business problem.   That's all fine and well.  When it comes to facilitation, though, it's a different ballgame and a very different approach to problem solving.  I like to think of the difference as follows:
Great consultants advise clients on how to solve problems.  
Great facilitators help clients solve their own problems. 
So, can a great consultant be a great facilitator?  Absolutely.  I've known some outstanding consultants who were extremely effective facilitators.  But it's wrong to assume that just because you are a great consultant you will automatically be a great facilitator.  Some are self-aware and know not to dip a toe in the facilitation pool.  Many, though, assume that they know how to facilitate solutions and end up in a crash-and-burn situation with their client.

Perhaps you've had some experiences with facilitation and know the do's and don'ts.  Then again, maybe you're struggling with how to be a good facilitator.  Give these  Ten Tips  a look and see where you can improve your facilitation skills and help your clients solve their own problems:
1.  Do your homework - Take the time to understand the problem to be solved, the key players involved in the meeting, and the "hot buttons" around the problem statement.  Talk to the boss plus one or two of the key players who are on opposite sides of the problem statement.  Resist the temptation of developing your own conclusions prior to the facilitation meeting, though.  If you come across as jaded you'll lose the trust of the meeting attendees.


2.  Articulate the problem statement - Key to any facilitation meeting is a clear, crisp articulation of the problem statement and ensuring that all meeting attendees agree with the problem statement.  Write down the problem statement on a whiteboard or easel in plain sight of the attendees so you can refer back to it throughout the meeting.
Amazon.com Widgets3.  Encourage inclusion of all attendees - Take particular note of those who aren't speaking up during the meeting.  Look for opportune moments to ask them specific questions about what they think about a particular comment or issue being discussed.  While encouraging inclusion is important, be cautious not to "pick on" any attendees and create an environment of discomfort.

4.  Keep things moving  toward addressing the problem statement - Frequently as a facilitator you'll find that a discussion will drift off course and will not be contributing towards addressing the problem statement.  Your job as facilitator is to keep the discussion moving forward while at the same time not being so rigid that you'll frustrate your meeting attendees.  If the discussion has drifted to addressing a different problem statement or if the discussion has become destructive, bring it back on course.

5.  Establish a "parking lot" - Many times a facilitated meeting will uncover other important issues which should be captured but are not germane to solving the stated problem statement.  Capture those items in a "parking lot" to be addressed in future discussions.  Ensure the parking lot is visible to all attendees and refer back to it as necessary to keep your discussion focused. 

6. Maintain a list of action items - Frequently during facilitated discussions specific actions relative to solving the problem statement will be revealed.  Be diligent about capturing those action items and ensure they are clearly visible to all meeting attendees.  Ensure that the action item addresses what needs to be done, who needs to do it, and when it needs to be done.   Also take the time to summarize the action items at the end of the meeting to ensure everyone agrees as to the importance, assignment, and timing of the action items.

7.  Stay objective - As a facilitator it is super important that you are perceived as completely objective and are not viewed as being in anyone's "camp" during a discussion.   Once a facilitator is viewed as biased then the trust of the meeting attendees (particularly those who are on the opposing side of the facilitator's bias) will quickly be lost.  Once you've lost the trust it's difficult to regain, so stay objective and don't reveal your biases. 

8.  Discover through questioning, not preaching - Facilitating doesn't mean you get on your soapbox and start espousing your vast wisdom on the topic at hand.  Facilitation means you use your wisdom to help others get to a common, agreed-upon resolution to problems.  The best facilitators do so by asking pointed, specific questions which are relevant to the problem statement and designed to bring new facts to light.  Once the facilitator starts pontificating then the meeting becomes more about the facilitator and less about the attendees solving the problem. 

9.  Keep the boss from hijacking the discussion - I've seen many, many facilitated discussions where the highest ranking person in the meeting expresses his or her opinion and subsequently sets the course of the meeting to his or her agenda.  Once the boss states a perspective then those afraid to challenge him or her aren't going to speak up.  Have a discussion with the boss up front to ensure that he or she doesn't jade the meeting.

10.  Be the one in control of the discussion - As the facilitator you need to keep the meeting moving forward and avoid being rat-holed on some off-the-beaten-path discussion.  This may mean wrestling control of the discussion from an outspoken attendee or shifting the discussion topic back to the problem statement.  It's isn't always pleasant and you're likely to tick someone off, but that's your job.  Lose control of the discussion and you'll lose respect of the attendees. 

Six Takeaways to be a Better Public Speaker

Recently I was asked by a journalist how I practiced public speaking.  At this point in my life, getting up in front of an audience is pretty much second nature.  However, it wasn't always so.  I had to work hard at the skill and had to fail A LOT before I found my schtick and was able to get pretty OK at it.   

Here are the highlights from the interview along with six take-aways to help you be a better public speaker.
How did you work on your public speaking skills?

I took every opportunity I could to speak at as many venues as possible.  I also observed other speakers that did things I admired and, more importantly, did things I thought were cheesy.  As example, starting off a presentation with “Good Morning”, then when the audience doesn’t respond saying “You can do better than that…Good MORRRR-NINGGGGG!”.  The audience then feigns laughter and parrots “Good MORRRR-NINGGGGG!” with an eye-roll.  Sheesh.

Amazon.com WidgetsDid you speak at local rotaries? Libraries? Conferences?

Yes.  I spoke in front of as many audiences with varying sizes as possible.  When first starting out don’t refuse a gig and don’t worry about getting paid.  It’s great on-the-job training. 

What did you learn and what can you teach the rest of us?

There are six take-aways that I think would best help someone wanting to improve his or her public speaking skills:

1)   Videotape yourself.  Watch how you come across and decide if you are being compelling and entertaining or just coming off like a doofus.

2)   Find a coach who is an accomplished speaker that you admire to give you the honest scoop on your speaking abilities.  It’s not about hearing what you want to hear; it’s about hearing how you can improve and digesting the tough messages.

3)   Establish credibility before using humor.  With a new audience they don’t know whether or not you’re worth listening to.  If you lead with humor before you’ve established credibility you’re going to inject doubt in your audience’s mind.  Start off your presentation with an attention-grabbing story which demonstrates your being an authority on the subject matter.  Then use humor later on after the audience has decided you’re worth listening to.

4)   Use slides as a crutch, don’t read them to your audience. 

5)   Pick out several audience members who are giving you “cues” on your effectiveness; then periodically look at those audience members throughout your presentation to gauge interest, boredom, or some other feedback mechanism.

6)   Have fun.  The audience wants you to do well and wants to know that the next hour is going to be entertaining and insightful.  Let the audience root for you and feed off of it. 

Be Accessible, Not Open-Door

Excerpted from The Truth about Getting Your Point Across…and Nothing But the Truth
The phrase “I have an open door policy” was very intriguing to me in my early career.  As a younger staff person, I envisioned the day when I could be a supportive, empathetic manager who was able to respond to any of my employees’ needs, questions, and comments whenever they needed me.  I envisioned people coming to my door (which was open, of course), asking, “Got a minute?” then me leaving my work, talking with the employee, them thanking me for being such an inspirational manager, then me going back to my work and picking up just like I never left it.  Ah, the naiveté.

When I actually became a manager, I shortly thereafter gave my empathetic, “I have an open door policy” speech and was ready to solve problems for anyone who crossed my threshold.
Within a few months of my open door policy, I saw my own productivity drop and my frustration level rise because I kept getting interrupted by people taking me up on my open-door policy.  My open-door policy soon turned into a series of random interruptions that caused me to not get my stuff done.  I came to recognize that I needed to be accessible to people but that I could control the accessibility through scheduled time.  Open-door means be accessible, not come in whenever you want.
I realize that I am in some ways debunking a philosophy that a lot of people subscribe to.  I also don’t want to be so regimented in my depiction that you think I never permitted drop-ins.  Quite the contrary, I really liked the occasional chit-chat or quick questions at the right times.  The “be accessible” policy means that you welcome and encourage people to come talk to you, but as a general rule should schedule time with you just as the requestor would with any other meeting that happens in your organization.   Dropping in whenever the requestor feels like it shouldn’t be encouraged, particularly when you’re already busy. 
Amazon.com WidgetsAlso, “be accessible” doesn’t mean you’ll just see anyone about anything.  Depending on your level in the organization and your degree of influence, you can spend the vast majority of your time meeting with people that will either want to sell you something or will want an audience to air their personal grievances.  When you get requests for your time, it’s a good idea to ask what the requestor would like from you.  You can then make an assessment of whether it is appropriate to meet with the requestor or to suggest another person the requestor should contact. 

The “be accessible policy” works, it just takes some discipline on your part.  Do the following to help the be accessible policy work for you:
Set the expectations up front - It’s very soft & fuzzy to say “my door is always open,” but unless you truly mean it don’t say it.  A better expectation to set is “feel free to schedule some time for us to talk.”  You still maintain a desire to want to talk to people, but you also set the expectation that they should find time that is workable for you both.
Make it easy to schedule time with you – I’ve worked with some managers who intentionally block out their entire schedule for months out and make it very difficult to schedule time to meet.  The rationale I’ve heard is “if someone really wants to meet with me they’ll get on the phone with my assistant and try to find a time that works.”   Yeesh, what a power trip.  If you’re truly so busy that every hour is blocked off for the next several weeks, then that’s understandable.   Just don’t intentionally make it difficult for someone to see you.
Don’t be afraid to ask a drop-in to come back at a scheduled time – If someone does drop in and you’re unable to accommodate him or her at the time, be deliberate about asking him or her to schedule some time or to come back at another time which is better for you.   You’re still being accessible; you’re just deferring the discussion until a more convenient time for both of you.
Keep the appointments you make – Sure, stuff happens and you need to reschedule appointments at times.   Try not to blow off these informal chats too much or your “be accessible” policy turns into a big joke.

Being available to talk with people or help them through their problems is a wonderful thing.  Don’t feel obligated to post an open-door policy.  Let people know you’re accessible.  Also let them know they should work to schedule time with you so you can give them your undivided attention.  You’ll accomplish the same goals as an open-door policy and will get your own work done to boot.

Drive A Tight Agenda, Don't Let It Drive You

Excerpted from The Truth about Getting Your Point Across…and Nothing But the Truth 
A colleague of mine was responsible for running a bi-weekly two-hour team meeting.  He took great care to develop a very full, detailed agenda.  As we would get into the meeting, it would only take us getting to agenda item one before the meeting was behind schedule.

During the entire time that my colleague ran these meetings, we never got more than halfway through the agenda before adjourning.  The team got so used to not making it through the agenda that there wasn’t even an attempt to try to stay on schedule.  The agenda and associated times were completely unrealistic and were worthless as a meeting management tool. 
An effective agenda goes beyond start time, location, topics, and durations.  Effective agendas do the following:
Support the meeting purpose Set the expectations of attendees as to what will be discussedInform attendees of any preparation that will be required prior to the meetingGive the meeting leader a roadmap for driving the agenda
Permit adequate time to cover each item
 Allow the meeting leader to adjust the agenda easily if the meeting gets behind schedule Amazon.com WidgetsHaving said all this, there is a guiding principle the meeting owner needs to follow: The meeting owner drives the agenda, not the other way around.  There are times where you may have a concise meeting purpose and specific agenda items to address the meeting purpose, but the actual meeting deviates from the agenda.  Be open to the agenda change; just make sure the meeting purpose is still being met.  Doing this requires the meeting owner be very in-tune to what is going on in the meeting and footing it back to what is happening on the agenda.  If the actual meeting is deviating from the agenda, the meeting owner needs to consciously decide if the deviation is appropriate or if it needs to be nipped in the bud.  There’s no secret sauce on this; it means keeping the original meeting’s purpose in mind, observing what is actually happening in the meeting, and continually assessing whether the meeting’s purpose is being met. 

So, what are some good tips to developing effective agenda?  Consider these next time you have to plan a meeting:
Have a tight, focused meeting purpose – You’ve called the meeting for a reason; make sure that the purpose is explicit and achievable.  A good sanity check on this is that you should be able to complete this sentence:  “At the end of this meeting we should be able to _______.”
Cross-foot your agenda items with the meeting purpose – As you’re crafting your agenda items, make sure that each item is doing something to support the meeting purpose.  If the items don’t support the meeting purpose either change the agenda item or change the purpose.  Don’t confuse the attendees by having agenda items that don’t support the meeting purpose
Be realistic with allocated agenda item times – Don’t put overly aggressive times on the agenda that you in your heart know you’re not going to achieve.  Planning 90 minutes worth of meeting in 60 minutes means you’ll only get through 2/3 of the meeting or the meeting will run over by at least 30 minutes.  Don’t wish for best case; put reality down.
Distribute the agenda at least one day before the meeting – Meeting attendees want to know what is going to be discussed and if there is preparation that is needed prior to the meeting.  Give them a day if possible to review the agenda and get mentally prepared for the meeting.
Put the most important agenda items at the front of the meeting – Cover your top items first.  There are two reasons for this:  first, you’ll ensure that the most important items get covered.  Second, you’ll keep attendee attention better by covering the most important items earlier.  If they are put later in the agenda then you’ll see some chomping at the bit as you go through lesser important agenda items first.
Have as your last agenda item an “action items review” section – I’ve seen way too many meetings happen in my career where the end of the meeting comes, everyone leaves, but there is no agreement on what actions need to be taken out of the meeting.   In your action items review, indicate what the action items are, who is responsible for each action item, and when the action item needs to be completed by.Have a contingency plan in place for when agenda items run over – Even with the best-planned meetings, sometimes agenda items take longer than expected.  Have a plan for how you are going to accommodate the change, which could mean shortening some other agenda items or eliminating an agenda item completely

Build tight, realistic, achievable agendas.  You’ll get more done, reduce attendee frustration, and make the best use of everyone’s time.  Just don’t be a slave to the agenda if you see the agenda won’t accomplish the meeting’s purpose.