Project Management for Humans: Helping People Get Things Done

by Brett Harned

This almost goes without saying, but the best project managers are the ones who get out from behind their spreadsheets and play an active role in their projects.

There’s nothing more uplifting than being motivated by someone who actually cares.

A good PM is like that. If they are doing their job well, it often seems like they aren’t really doing anything at all. But take them out of the equation and wheels fall right off the horse.

Most people think project management is just about process or methodology. Those people are wrong. Project management is about so much more: delicately handling communications, having empathy for the people involved in your projects, motivating those people when things go sideways, problem solving, scouting and assessing red flags and making sure they don’t become real issues, and above all, providing project leadership that inspires great work and a positive team environment.

Don’t think about your project in phases. Think about deliverables and the value that each of them provides.

Keeping things focused on the product and customer is a good way to rally the team back to a singular point of focus.

Effective project management doesn’t happen without good facilitation skills. Project success depends on how the team is facilitated to make decisions, solve problems, and respond to risks and changes.