Project Management in the Most Unexpected Places

I love project managing. Work is never dull, and each new project brings it own unique set of people, tasks, skills and lessons learned. Of course, at times, there are conflicts, unexpected detours, challenges, and there are always risks. Kind of like life.

Over the course of my career, each project has brought with it new faces, new personalities, new skills, sometimes new cultures, and always new perspectives on how to improve for the next time. But, there is one variable which remains fixed: the human factor.

I recall working on a project back in 2002, on an implementation for a world-wide communications conglomerate (hint: first carrier of the IPhone) with staff spread across every US timezone. Upon completion, I felt like I was a car that had been sent through one of those enclosed car washes – the only difference being that I did not come out shiny and looking like new. In that situation, I was forced to deal with every personality type on the planet AND come to terms with my own. Having had that [scathing] experience, and learning from my mistakes in dealing with those “personalities”, I learned that it’s really not about the deliverable but rather about the humans behind those tasks that matter most toward the end result.

Just recently, in fact….

I fulfilled an item on my bucket list and began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity . The obvious rewards of such an experience aside, I walked away from the job site realizing that I was now involved in yet another project, unexpectedly.

Several weeks into this experience, it’s become evident that the human factor supersedes all else, with complete strangers working together toward a common good which reaps no benefit to them other than the opportunity to make someone else’s dream of owning a home become a reality, watching out for each other’s well-being on tall ladders, on top of a roof, lifting bales of sod covered with invisible ants, and in the heat of the Florida sun. And, then collectively standing back grateful to have been involved, having learned a few new tricks and tips, and preparing themselves to set out once again in seven days on the next project at hand.

Though I was not charged with managing this “project”, I took my PM tool belt with me and found myself surrounded by at least 50 other willing participants, each of whom I would be proud to work with on any project. Interestingly enough, though, the diversity of personalities on each task have mirrored those of the most eclectic projects I have worked on!

• Roofers seem to have something to prove, mainly to themselves , and go straight for the challenge. No room for failure there and it’s all about the focus (and the ego…).
• The landscapers are more like a social club – enjoying the task, injecting creativity and inspiration with a lot of laughter, and taking a moment to stand back, enjoy the view, and smell the roses (literally!).

That said, every volunteer is there for the same reason: a successful build – which meets inspection, and on which no one gets hurt. So, the common good is paramount regardless of what task is assigned to you. In Corporate Utopia, the same would apply; for a successful project brings success to the organization, which – in theory – should mean job security and recognition for a job well-done. Note: I used the term “Utopia.” This simple truth has eluded most projects I’ve worked on (aside from some of the more recent); the lack of camaraderie and extent of CYA among resources and departments still confounds me to this day.

There is no “I” in teamwork, after all….

Author’s Note: Having been a “roofer” my first several weeks, my comments regarding the roofers’ mentality v. landscapers’ apply as much to me as any other. But, I did not realize this until I had the opportunity to landscape this past week…and I think I’d rather see myself as one of latter – in home-building and in life.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Photo Credit:: Habitat for Humanity of Broward County and Integration Destination.

Do Remarkable Work

I recently read a tweet from one of my gurus, Marcus Buckingham. In the past 2 years, he has taught me not only to seek out my strengths but more importantly, to embrace and utilize them in light of and in spite of my weaknesses.

A simple and profound aspiration: Strive to become a hard act to follow. ~ @MWBuckingham #strengths

We all have both strengths and weaknesses – it’s WHO WE ARE. Haven’t you ever admired someone for being such a talented marketing mind, a super-organizational machine, a social connector, or even someone who just makes you smile and feel peaceful in their presence? Well, you’re seeing all of these individuals’ strengths shine through and not noticing any of their [underlying] weaknesses.

Yet, most of us seem to focus primarily on the areas upon which we need to improve – I’m too disorganized, I’m not detail-oriented enough, I’m too laid back, I’m too intense, I work too much, I don’t have my priorities in line - well, while any or all of these may be true , and there is certainly nothing wrong with aiming to improve and grow, what if we simply focused on what we already [ translate: inherently] do well, and allow that facet of our personality to lead the way?

Marcus Buckingham’s quote above sent my mind in several different directions:

• The first reminded me that I hold myself to an incredibly high work ethic – everything I produce has my stamp on it and it better meet my standards and reflect who I am (for better or for worse). Even the work I am not so proud of signals a red flag to me to change direction, refocus and accept only those initiatives which will lead me to future growth, productivity and expansion [ which, to me = success ].
• The second direction reminded me that doing “remarkable” work, however you may define or categorize “remarkable”, entails simply doing your very best in any endeavor you choose to undertake, and, understanding that each endeavor IS a choice – whether personal or professional – which bears your very own stamp of quality and respect. You better be sure that when you turn your back, and someone speaks of anything you have said or done – whether positively or negatively, that you are proud to stand up for the result.
• The last direction takes us full circle back to the quote – Let your strength lead the way, and that in itself will make you a hard act to follow. I remember “falling into” the practice of project management at my first job, and immediately receiving high accolades for the quality of work I produced with little to no experience. In those [naive] days, I assumed I was a “good employee to have”. Now, I know… that because I was inadvertently using my [yet unrecognized] strengths, I was not only doing very well but making it look easy (which it was not and still is not!!!).

Be a part of something you believe in. Those around you will notice your enthusiasm. ~Marc and Angel

So, all that being said, whatever your line of work or priority in life – strive to be who you are and the best at being that person. Don’t waste time focusing on what you are not, for that creates empty space and no room to grow.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

The Downside of Overconfidence

Sometime ago, in a post far far away, the subject of expectations came up…but it did not cover expectations’ evil twin, over-confidence.

Even “I Dream of Jeannie” had an evil twin, Sabrina.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me – Confidence is GOOD. Planning, preparation, knowledge, and experience should all contribute to a sense of confidence and expectations for success. Confidence propels us to take action, to put our training to use. Those attributes are the “good angel” sitting on your left shoulder. However, let us not forget who is sitting on the right shoulder -the devil…IS in the details.

Paradoxically, while some may feel that overconfidence is a signal of success – in fact, it is most often attributed to weakness and, yes, even failure!

Let’s examine a case of overconfidence on a project:

You begin a new project which closely resembles many others you have handled in the recent past. You’re familiar with requirements, have extensive knowledge of what it will take to get it done and are well-acquainted with all of your stakeholders. What could possibly go wrong? You certainly know what to do and how to do it, and the project proceeds according to scope and schedule. Then, all of a sudden, your engine goes on autopilot and you involuntarily close your eyes (metaphorically). Like sneezing behind the wheel of your car. All of a sudden, you don’t negotiate the space between you and the car in front of you and wham! You CRASH. The project still required your full attention; yet, by not concentrating on it fully, the opportunity for oversight therefore now exists.

Enter our friend, risk. Regardless of how well-versed you are in an area, unexpected things do happen. Yes, unforeseen changes can happen. They usually do happen. So, even when situations or projects appear to be easy and predictable, do not rest on your laurels nor reservoir of experience. It’s no time to “rest”. In fact, the stakes are higher and change may be just around the corner.

Remember that when things are easy, you are expected to win. ~ An ‘INTJ’

We are human and it is easy to make mistakes, despite years of experience or vast training to guard against error. So, successful outcomes are as much about managing expectations (your own and others’) as about balancing confidence.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Image courtesy of – http://www.despair.com/overconfidence.html

I’m Not W-BS’ing You…

We all have tasks, goals and wishes…and we cannot live without accomplishing these. In some case, completing certain tasks means earning a living or fulfilling our responsibilities to others; similarly, achieving certain goals or having our wishes come through may mean fulfilling our responsibility to ourselves.

So, what is the method for the madness of tasks, goals and wishes all swimming around in our heads?

Well, ask a project manager and he/she will tell you – it all begins and ends with a WBS.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) breaks a project into smaller, more manageable components. It is the basis for project planning…

The operative words here are smaller and more manageable…

Large, complex projects are organized and completed successfully only by breaking them into progressively smaller pieces which result in a collection of defined “work packages” or individual tasks. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the tool used to provide the framework for organizing and managing the work in front of you. Then why not, too, use a WBS for your life milestones?

I recently mapped a WBS for my personal and professional goals. The exercise resulted in:

1. Realizing where my priorities landed. Unfortunately work was a Level 2, Priority 3 item – I won’t even tell you where vacation and R&R landed. Good news is, writing was priority #1.
2. Mapping out what it would take to actually accomplish each milestone and progressively elaborating through a list of the work packages which comprised the larger goal. For example, if I am trying to write another book – sublevel 2, item 1 would be defining concept; sublevel 2, item 2 would be mapping out chapter concepts and titles…etc – and I could progressively elaborate as many subtasks as needed until the book is finished, published and marketed.
3. Reducing anxiety. In planning any project or approaching any new task, it is normal to find oneself possibly overwhelmed and confused. But, breaking a project into logically arranged, step-by-step pieces is a proven way to get to where you need to go!

The journey of a million miles…begins with one step. ~ Attributed to Tao Te Ching

So, take that step today, and WBS your own life’s projects and milestones! Preparing and understanding the steps for your life’s projects are an effective way of managing and achieving your goals.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

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The Journey of a Million Miles

Image Courtesy of: The Project Diva

Managing Change – Flexibility or Fallibility?

A few of my long-term projects lately have been encountering changes on the fly. OK, if I am being honest here – the actual truth is that every project I’ve ever worked on in the past ??? years has faced change requests somewhere along the path to completion. YET, every time an email floats in that threatens to alter scope, resources or content, I stare at the laptop like an alien in a UFO just landed on the keyboard. My heart flutters and a certain minuscule level of anger rises up in me. What is wrong with me… shouldn’t someone tell me to stop being surprised by now??!!

The only constant is change…

Did I even need to block quote that? I think not. We all know that change is inevitable, unavoidable, unexpected yet expected, annoying and welcome at the same time. And, clearly, I am not alone. A recent study published by Wharton’s Aresty Institute for Executive Education cites that “most CEOs consider themselves and their organizations largely ineffective at implementing change.” The study cites the failure rate for initiatives at almost 60 percent, with just 61 percent of CEOs reporting that they managed change well in past projects. The study also reveals that the percentage of CEOs who expect substantial change climbed to 83 percent.

So, if 83% percent expect the change, 61% feel that they manage well to change, why then is the failure rate(60%) still so high?

And, for a project manager like myself – who manages to a carefully laid out plan, where change requests are actually integrated into the plan, and whose success hinges on bringing projects to positive completion, where is the delineation between flexibility and fallibility – both in projects and in life….?

Interestingly enough, the answer to that and the CEOs’ high failure rate problem are much alike…

Expecting change is not just an emotional connection, it must be tactical, too - whether you see the change coming or not, experience tells you it will come, so know how you will deal with it. Develop change management procedures and coping mechanisms which can be widely adopted regardless of circumstance. Wharton Professor of Management Sigal Barsade notes, “Even as executives realize they’re not effective at implementing change, they continue to approach new initiatives with the same methods they used in the past. ” Hello, definition of insanity calling….

Understand change – I don’t care how many people actually admit to it or not, but NOBODY LIKES CHANGE. And we are pre-programmed to berate ourselves when we find that our involuntary reactions to change invoke feelings of instability (reference first paragraph, last sentence of this very blog!) Be it positive or negative, change can evoke excitement, happiness, anxiety, anger, denial, sadness, frustration – whether we want/allow it. And, more often than not, we cannot do a darn thing about the change other than to….

Accept and Adapt - And herein lies the simple answer to my original question, which was fraught with complexity and frustration: “Where is the delineation between flexibility and fallibility ..?” Change WILL happen, so accept that, and flexibility will follow. Be prepared for change, whether it is by building float into your schedule, reviewing lessons learned from the past before embarking on new/repeated initiatives, or invoking coping mechanisms. Change is not synonymous with a disastrous ending, it’s simply a re-start – so learn techniques to adapt, be flexible within those adaptation techniques, and failure will no longer be in your forecast.

Perhaps you cannot predict change, but we can all predict how we behave in its wake.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

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Journey v. Destination

When haven’t we all asked ourselves this age-old question…Which is more important, the journey or the destination?

I’m not sure anymore that there is a right answer to that question. So, if you haven’t found the answer yourself, don’t fret.

It is human nature to focus on the destination – i.e., the goal, the reward, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And, it’s important to have destinations that create the possibility for the journey.

Personally, I’d like to believe that the destination guides the journey; but in the end, does it even matter if you ever get there or not…?

Image Courtesy of Dopiaza

So, let’s talk for a moment about what actually happens along the journey.

~ Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. ~ Arthur Ashe

In 2009, I had a destination in mind ~ a virtual one, that is. Create a website to showcase my project management skills: a virtual mirror for me to glimpse at my capabilities from the outside in, if you will. Within the website a blog would exist. The blog would be an outlet for my love affair with words and a harmonious marriage between what I do as a PM on a daily basis and what I write. Well, almost 20 months into writing the blog, I can count on one hand the number of posts which had anything to do with project management! Needless to say, I needed some help with scope management on my own project!

According to the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), there are 5 phases to a project:

Initiation – Planning – Executing – Controlling – Closing

I need not highlight the fact that I veered off course at Initiation. My blog became a stream-of-consciousness exercise as opposed to a stream of knowledge!

So what does that have to do with the case of Journey v. Destination, you ask?

The way I see it, “destinations” complicate the journey too much. They’re no more than placeholders, mile markers if you will, and how you get there is in no way comprised by whether or not you get there…. It’s not written anywhere that we must reach certain destinations in life, no more so than it’s etched in stone what each of my blog posts must be about. That is not to say you should not have goals, or resolutions, or set mile markers of achievements to which you may aspire – and if you need help setting those, check out fellow blogger extraordinaire, HR Bartender’s, post here – but, it may mean that destinations will be arrived at on their own merit, as long as you seek fulfillment and growth along the journey’s way.

Wishing You Success on Your JOURNEY,
Natalya

Author’s Note: Ironically, my 20 month journey gone askew led me directly back to its initial destination…writing about Project Management. Just when I thought my scope had creeped too far and the risk of retrieval too high to mitigate, the compass turned 180 degrees back to writing blogs about PM. (Funny how that works, eh? ) I hope not to “projectize” my blog too far such that I lose readers along the way, but rather illustrate how you, too, can project manage your life.

What Is Black, White and Varying Shades of Gray…?

What Is Black, White and Varying Shades of Gray…?

The tide of life…some may argue. Others may say it’s all only black and white; and still, others, may see it as entirely gray.

I recently purchased a build-your-own file drawer for my home office, and being as instructionally challenged as I am, could not figure out how the metal bars and supports combined to create the whole. Thanks to a handy friend of mine who made short work of it, the structure was soon in place. Now, all I needed to do was insert the plastic drawers that came with the product. When I purchased the set I thought I’d noticed a black and white alternating motif for the drawer colors, and the project manager in me immediately began mentally labeling each drawer for its future purpose! But as the building process ensued, I realized that there were more colors than I had initially noticed. In fact, the black and white ones numbered in the minority; plentiful were the gray drawers – and not just one shade of gray, either. There was a spectrum: dark gray, medium gray and light gray. All of a sudden, the build-your-own-drawer-set frenzy came to a halting stop as I drew the analogy between my initial vision of the drawers and the colored lenses through which I see life. Of course, when I made the purchase I noticed only the black and white drawers and concluded that that’s all there was. Upon closer examination, with an extra dose of patience and some outside support, the shades of gray materialized before my eyes and I had a completely different outcome [product] than I even knew existed.

When I am at work, I often have no choice other than to see the shades of gray. When ‘no’ is not an option, and the black or white solution which should be easily apparent, isn’t – but the job still needs to get done – creative problem solving must be invoked. I learned very early on in my career that ‘A’ is for attitude, and if I came to the table with a problem, I also needed a viable solution to go along with it! Sometimes, that solution simply meant opening up the issue for discussion and invoking the talents and experience of those also involved in the project/issue/department at hand. For example, I know I am not a marketing guru – but if a publication or piece I’ve helped create or edit isn’t reaching the target market, then it’s as much my responsibility as it is the client’s to ensure it gets where it’s intended to go! So, reaching out to those who touch the target market daily or someone with a talent for big picture marketing and creative approaches doesn’t mean I’ve failed at finding a black or white solution myself – it means I’ve recognized the need to delve into the gray. Funny thing is, the answers are often in the gray areas if you slow down and open yourself enough to find them.

In the same way, life will present both its challenges and opportunities; sometimes all the variables will fall into place and timing will be perfect. But most times, life happens and we have to modify our initial vision to include alternative approaches. It is not always easy to accept that there may be a gray solution to your black and white issue, and acquiring the patience it takes to allow that solution to unfold can be anxiety-provoking, but is almost always worth the wait.

As life and work present their challenges, be willing to swim past the black and white, and freestyle your way into the gray. Your solutions may just be floating there ready to find you, and they are often far from what you originally thought you would find.

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

A…B…C is for COMMUNICATION

Reprinted with the Permission of Workshifting,

A…B…C is for COMMUNICATION
By Natalya Sabga
July 16, 2010

We all think we know how to communicate, right? As children, we learn how to talk; as adults our vocabularies increase as does our knowledge of both verbal and non-verbal queues. To borrow from an overused cliche: “It’s not only what you say, but how you say it…” Wellllll…maybe, yes, ok. But what about when you say it, how much of it you say and to whom it’s said?

In the world of project management, communication is KEY. It’s so key in fact, it’s one of the Project Management Institute’s nine knowledge areas. And, as any well-seasoned project manager knows – and as any new PM will soon find out – communication breakdowns can spell a project’s certain demise. My mantra has always been, “when in doubt, OVERcommunicate.” We all have too many emails in our inboxes anyway; leave it to the recipient to decide if they need the information or not.

If there is relevant and timely information which pertains to a project, disseminate it!!! I have never had a stakeholder nor project resource tell me to stop bombarding them with emails about a project, but I have certainly been involved in instances whereby a simple FYI would have gone a long way toward keeping stakeholder’s anxieties at bay and resources and schedules on track.

In particular, if a project has met with any type of constraint ( be it a resource, budget or scheduling constraint) or dependencies are preventing a milestone from being met – communicating potential roadblocks will help a PM avoid having to ask forgiveness at best or admit project failure at worst. Although you do not want to instill unnecessary concerns or “cry wolf” if you will, when there is the definite potential for adjustments or parallel pathing, your stakeholders need to know.

Effectively, the art of project management involves delicately balancing a defined scope with identified deliverables, the resources involved in managing these deliverables, in order to ultimately reach milestones within an acceptable timeframe and budget. If any of these items stand to be affected, the three ‘Cs’ are your best friends: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. Remember – one of the distinct advantages of being a project manager is the implicit trust you earn from those relying on you to steer a project to success; embedded in that trust is a willingness for your voice to be heard – so don’t be afraid to use it. It’s your “responsibility” !!!

At the same time, use the tools which have been created just for your project management pleasure – tools such as MS Project and Visio are invaluable visuals which can communicate the progress of your project and any changes therein. I vividly recall managing a dual datacenter build for a methodical Japanese client (who also happened to be the parent company!), and when faced with project roadblocks for which I could neither excuse nor prevent, my constant Visio timeline updates won me all the brownie points that I needed to overcome an inevitable shift in delivery date. If you’re not a techie, which I certainly am not, there are numerous tutorials and resources available to learn how to use these tools.

We all take comfort when uncertainties are minimized, and there is no better way to ensure that those who need to know are in the know than by communicating. And whether you are a professional project manager or managing a life project such as a new home purchase or renovation or enrolling in a new school, the same rules apply. A…B…C is for COMMUNICATION. You would not settle for mis-information so don’t settle for a lack thereof either.

Project Management for the NEW Home Owner

I’m often asked how project management can be used outside the boardroom or office cubicle, and more specifically, how I use project management in general and in life. And, until recently, I thought I’d been using it pretty darn well – so well, in fact, that I conceptualized and am in the process of creating an entire new book around it.

Well, I have President Obama to thank for proving me wrong. Enter the 2009-2010 new home buyer’s tax credit and watch my motivation to become a first time homeowner soar. Until…closing day. While most people would look forward to and celebrate this moment, I faced the closing table with no small amount of dread and an increased, intense Excel worksheet frenzy late into the nights. When all was said and done, and none of it had even begun yet (!), I had a worksheet with too-many-to-count carefully color-coded, columnized tabs – there was a tab for PRE-Closing steps and documents, AT Closing, POST-Closing, Change of Address Lists, Vendor Lists, Cable-Internet-Phone-FPL-Utilities-to-Connect&Disconnect Lists, Furniture-I-Own Lists, Furniture-I’d-Like-to-Own lists…..etc, etc.

Armed with Microsoft Corp. on my side, what could go wrong?! Well, fortunately, Excel aside, it was a textbook closing and all went well! Yet, instead of popping a bottle of champagne at the closing table, I needed a bottle of Advil. I could not wait to jump up and get home to update my spreadsheet. Strange, some may think , but not really – certainly not for me! The keys were mine, and renovations could commence – but more importantly, the real planning could proceed in all its glory! Project planning, that is….Microsoft Project and all of its delights were going to be my new best friends…deliverables, milestones, predecessors…I simply could not wait to identify and track them all! On my critical path: painting and flooring. The paint an obvious predecessor to the floors, and the floors with a ’start no earlier than’ paint constraint. Fortunately, these two items were the only items on the critical path to move-in day. So, once complete, I could set a move-in date.

I already had movers lined-up. Oh, and by the way, my current apartment had been packed up for 7 months, save for the daily essentials needed to live (anyone who knows me would not be surprised). I even had a genius friend map out my current furniture to scale of the new house (!!!) in VISIO (thanks again, Microsoft, we love you) so I knew where all of the pieces would fit in my new home.

So, what was the problem? I was wrought with anxiety, sweating the small stuff, and fearful of all things new-home-owner-centric. Regardless of how many lists I made, project plan deliverables met, and boxes packed – I did not feel ready. I felt overwhelmed and certain that any move-in date I set would not hit its target. Would my very own first home be the first project of mine to colossally fail?

Stepping back for a moment, and taking deep breaths, I had an epiphany. In that moment of clarity and temporary sanity, I stopped berating myself for how badly I was managing my own project, and forgave myself for trying to solve the move, instead of simply living it.

I did berate myself, however, for failing to recall two primary tenets of good project management:

1. Rolling Wave (not) Crashing - Rolling wave project planning (RWPP) is a phased, iterative approach to project planning and implementation. When done well, it balances structured processes with flexibility.* It was readily apparent to me that there was a clear imbalance between my project planning ( too strong) and project execution (weak and anxiety-ridden). If I continued on the path of everything-needs-to-be-done NOW and BY ME, my project would surely crash.
2. Resource Management - There is no ‘I’ in Project Team. Why? Because every project manager is only as strong as the resources assigned to his/her project. And, typically, the PM is not the one with the technical expertise – the resources all bring a special skill to make the project work as a whole. So, I had to not only recognize but also accept that I needed help – I reallllllyyyyy needed help – not only movers to move, but people I knew who knew more than I did about…landscaping, sprinklers, patio cobwebs, light fixtures, paint, and decor, and who were willing to jump in to help without even the promise of a sandwich or donut in return because I was just too busy to stop and feed them. And accepting that I needed help meant, in turn, accepting that I would need to let go of control and learn patience.

So, therein lies a prime example of good intentions gone awry. Instead of willing my new-home-project forward, I had to awaken to the truth that it would be a process not a finish line, and I should celebrate milestones along the way instead of stumbling over them to prove that the project could be closed.

Something tells me that I will be compiling the “Lessons Learned” from this project for a long, long time to come.

VERY SPECIAL THANKS to all those who assisted me during this process…in word and in deed. You KNOW who you are!!! They deserve a standing ovation for making this happen – not only the time and effort expended but for simply tolerating me during this time of anxiety and preparation. And, an extra thanks to a wonderful real estate agent who led me, after a year-long search, to a home better than any I could have dreamed, and to Dad for spotting the diamond in a housing market full of rocks. Stay tuned for my follow up post…”House Hunting as a Metaphor for Life…”

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

* RWPP definition credits: Gregory D. Githens, PMP, Catalyst Management Consulting

“Sense”-ible Project Management

Re-print of my recent WORKSHIFTING* article:

As a certified PMP^®, one of the requirements I am held to is continuing education for my certification. Despite the costs, time and effort involved in earning “PDUs” (Professional Development Units) to maintain the certification, I welcome the opportunity – albeit involuntary – to learn new and enlightening facets of my field. Given the international recognition and proliferation of PMP^®s, many companies are offering webinars and other online learning opportunities to make PDU-acquisition that much less painful! I recently attended a free webinar entitled “A Sixth Sense for Project Management,” which spoke to the need for projects managers to find and invoke an intuitive “sixth sense” to overcome and identify that which empirical business acumen and planning simply cannot supercede.

And, so I began pondering….how we, as project managers, must essentially invoke ALL of our senses to manage projects and ensure success.

1. Sight : A good project manager not only “sees” the vision and scope for the project, as derived from stakeholder requirements, but also keeps the project “visible” throughout the organization and throughout the project life cycle.
2. Touch : In the world of project management, “touch” is synonymous with impact. Without a doubt, a project manager’s ability to lead and influence are paramount to a project’s success. Your priority is not only to capture requirements and obtain stakeholder buy-in from inception with a strong scope statement and kickoff, but also to continually “touch” the resources assigned to your project and on whom you rely for its completion. There’s a lot of meaning behind the phrase “All hands on deck!” when you need both stakeholder, resource and project manager cooperation to ensure a project’s timely and successful completion.
3. Hearing: It goes without saying that a project manager must have an acute sense of hearing in order to catch all of the requirements, scheduling constraints and deliverables which are part of every project. However, project managers need to be able to “hear” undercurrents of emerging risks, schedule constraints and resource apathy which will all adversely affect a positive project outcome. Tuning in to such inaudible signals is crucial so that you can avoid hearing stakeholders shout at the top of their lungs when a project gets off track.
4. Smell : A project manager does not need to be a bomb-sniffing dog to know when the wheels are stuck, rubber is burning, and a project is veering off track.
5. Taste : A good project manager must be able to taste for “done-ness” to know when requirements have been fulfilled and a project is fully ready for implementation. And much like a restaurant tasting, all members of the project team must agree on the level of “done-ness”. But then, when all is said and done, there is no sense a project manager likes more than this one and the taste of sweet success when milestones are met, schedules align, budget constraints are not exceeded and stakeholder expectations satisfied!

So, when managing a project, whether large or small, personal or professional, you need not be a certified PMP® like me to appreciate that you will engage 100% of yourself and your senses. It is important to recognize the relationship between a project manager’s “sense-ibilities” and the innate ability to initiate, drive, and guide a project to success.

What do you think?

*Reprinted with the permission of Workshifting, a division of New Marketing Labs, LLC.

Questions Floating In Your Head

Lately, my personal, professional and proverbial cup not only runneth over but my plate overflowth and my head near explodeth.

All of this may, in fact, sound positive – but it has had one negative effect: I cannot think coherently enough to make sound decisions, in the present moment, nor to allow creativity to flow. In simple terms, my blog entries have been fewer, but fortunately I do not blog for a living. In the larger picture, long-term decisions like career choices, personal travel plans and how and when I interact with others have all been compromised by this state of too mucheth.

Being the black-or-white person that I am, balance has eluded me much of my life, and no amount of superhuman organizational skills nor intellectual intuition have helped me overcome the extreme. In fact, they may have stood in the very way of the balance I used them to achieve. Over-organization led to over-analysis which led to over-thinking of the outcome, which led to …guess what??? Nothing that I can remember or have to show for all of that mental effort!

These exercises in futility have led me to two inevitable conclusions, which lend themselves to life lessons:

1. Accept who and what you are – Give up beating yourself up. Enough. The same skills which make you a success in a professional situation may turn against you in a personal one. Know your skills, their advantages and disadvantages and when to recognize that they may need to be toned down or heavily invoked for a particular instance.

2. Listen for, actively seek and find techniques which can assist you – work with you, in the times you need mental clarity most.

• When I am most frantic, in mind and body, what I need most is quiet time – to turn on my Ipod and let the words of a soothing Podcast or meditational tune calm my mind so that my actions will follow. Yet, it is during these fast and furious episodes when I am chasing after the hi-speed-car-chase thoughts in my head, that I would rarely stop and actually invoke this technique when I need it most. So, I keep a list of “relaxation” techniques close at hand, and on my fridge, as a blatant reminder that I must stop in order to keep moving…

• When my metaphorical desk is covered with projects large and small, multiple tasks, deadlines near and far, what I need most is to streamline those projects into priorities – keeping them all on the radar and within range of accomplishment – yet not necessarily all crowded at the front lobe of my brain. How to do this? There are many tools, technical and creative, which I invoke:

1. One of my favorites is a simple “responsibility assignment matrix” template which I created to compartmentalize my areas of responsibility. It acts as a visual taskmaster, illustrating what needs to be done in plain sight and guiding my brain, therefore, to where I will place my focus, or upon whom. I used this as a manager, having a compartmentalized “box” for each employee’s individual tasks which I needed to oversee, as well as an extra box in which I placed my own departmental deliverables. Today I use this same template to quantify my individual projects and clients as well as my own personal agenda items. I have even used it to itemize the rooms I needed cleaned, when I had hired a housekeeper.
2. Another tool I recently discovered, the “Action Book.” This is an actual paper product which has its own complementary software. The Action Book was designed to provide a flexible template to get the most out of what is in your head and which needs to be put into action. Its format cleverly encourages you to gather your thoughts/projects/responsibilities in the way which will most effectively boost productivity and make ideas happen. Fabulous gift for students and professionals, alike, by the way!
3. If you’re more electronically enlightened, the options are limitless – one I happen to enjoy is Microsoft‘s OneNote which allows you not only to create a virtual notebook, but also to individualize its sections and even to drag and drop websites, web-based articles and the like as reminders or pieces of inspiration. I am also a huge fan of Microsoft Outlook, but not in the typical sense – many swear by its calendaring and note features which create electronic pop ups and task reminders, and can be sync’d with IPhones and Blackberries etc – instead, I simply and religiously print weekly (or depending on how busy I am, daily) calendars from Outlook in which I map out my day’s/week’s/ or 6 months’ worth of upcoming tasks, meetings and reminders. Call me old fashioned, I just prefer to write things down, preferably in as many colors as there are color pencils in the box. But either way, Outlook is a very handy tool to use to keep yourself on time and on track.
4. Sometimes, you may just need a nap. So, listen to your body and mind if it’s tired, and sleep in just one extra hour. It may make all the difference you need.

So, when there are multiple thoughts, ideas or decisions floating in your psyche, swim against the current in your head and STOP for a moment to consider what techniques you need most at that moment to regain focus, practice being in the present and channeling your innermost most creative and productive self.

I plan to stop writing and do just that…

Wishing You Success,
Natalya

Enduring Success

We all know Maria Bartiromo and her unbiased and informative financial reporting on CNBC. However, departing from that, she set out to write a book about the most influential and successful people of our time, and the secrets which have led to their enduring success….which, of course, incited me to start thinking about my own views on what leads to enduring success, in business and in life…

• Love What You Do – Possibly the most over-stated, yet underrated piece of advice floating out there in the universe of wisdom which surrounds us. Have you ever tried cooking a meal with ingredients you cannot stomach? That meal will not only not appeal to you, but chances are your heart and best cooking skills won’t go into its making. So why then would your life’s work be any different? If you do not love what you do and use your greatest strengths to contribute to the tasks at hand, the end result will be nothing more than empty success at best, or a miserable empty existence at worst. Your strengths will find you if you are open to hearing their voice; then, try to apply those attributes in any opportunity you have. If your job does not lend itself to using your strengths directly, find ways to use them indirectly or to try applying your skills and passions to avenues outside of work and from there they will grow. I never knew I loved to manage projects until I realized that I was creating projects in every area of my life and applying the skills to whomever or whatever would allow. In turn, I recognized that I was good at it, which then led to my wanting to grow those skills and apply them at work, as well!
• Prepare for the Worst, Expect the Best – In LIFE:
  Advice I really believe in yet have found the most difficult to authentically implement. In life, we are programmed to be optimists, continually wanting to believe that the best outcome is imminent. If we lose hope we lose everything, etc., etc. So how does one re-wire our minds to truly believe in the best outcome and the possibility of it, all the while simultaneously conniving our minds to prepare for a worst case scenario? Well, my answer to that consists of two words: support system. Continue to believe that you will be blessed with the best, but at the same time put measures into place to ensure your life will go on should the worst occur. These measures may be tangible in nature: i.e., work hard at your job and continue to vie for that promotion even if you want to believe that you are about to win the lottery; don’t buy that dream house until you are ensured that your current home can be signed, sealed and sold with something left over; continue to pursue your own goals and build your own success – even if you want to believe that prince charming will sweep you off your feet into a castle in the sky… And, in the face of uncertain and unpredictable disaster, your most important survival kit is going to be those with whom you surround yourself. Without the love, support and prayers of family and friends, no success will be worth having and no disaster survivable with your heart, mind and soul intact.

• Prepare for the Worst, Expect the Best – At WORK:
  I would not call myself a project manager if I did not believe in and take this statement to my grave: If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. From scoping out the extent of work you have, to estimating schedules and flagging deadlines, building in float & fluff time in case something arises or someone’s efforts fall through, assessing and mitigating risks before they have the opportunity to occur, monitoring and controlling the resources you have to help you achieve the final goal, and most importantly – realizing that YOU are not a island nor invincible – illness and unforeseen family issues will arise; do yourself and your team a favor by cross-training so that any dips in resources are seamless, and you are not a prisoner of your own making. Awareness of ALL of these factors will ensure that you are never caught off guard at work. By employing these attributes of awareness, and maintaining a can-do attitude, your projects will never fail and your success at work will be inevitable!

• Identify and Maintain Your Own Standards of Integrity: There will come a time in each of our lives when we are faced with challenges to our integrity…and how we handle these situations will surely dictate who we really are and how much enduring success our lives will hold. One of my favorite, albeit most clichéd sayings, states that “If you don’t stand for something, you will FALL for anything.” Sure, we will all be caught off guard at times, or allow others to put us in compromising situations – but we do not have to remain there. It is fully within our power to rise above others’ acts of disintegrity and to climb out of personal and professional gutters if we have built up our own standards of self-knowledge and beliefs along the way. Know who you are and ask yourself the tough questions – because, if you can answer them with satisfaction and still sleep at night – then you are on traveling on the right path.

• Bloom Where You are Planted: In other words, accept nothing less than success. Continuously strive for your personal best, rise to the occasion and embrace the opportunities before you – even if they are uncertain or unfamiliar. For there are no higher standards you can reach that exceed the ones you set for yourself.

Wishing You [Enduring] Success,
Natalya

Failure to Plan = Planning to Fail? Keeping Those 2010 Resolutions…

As we look forward to the onset of a brand new year and decade to boot, New Year’s resolutions will inevitably find their way into one of two categories:

• The front part of your brain where the voice of motivation (some may call it nagging) resides.
• The back part of your brain that is like the back of your closet – you put things there and forget they exist and/or are too afraid to go looking for them.

Now, I am no doctor and do not really know the anatomy of frontal lobes versus other parts of the brain, but this sounds about right when it comes to how I think and operate.

Some of our resolutions may be very concrete – lose x pounds, take a trip to Aspen, volunteer at such and such organization, market your business; others may be full of intent and inspired action – work less/relax more, eat more healthfully, enjoy the simple things in life…etc.

Whether concrete or nebulous, when setting goals for yourself does a Failure to Plan constitute a Plan to Fail ?

I am a ‘Type P’ Personality – The Planner. I cannot change who I am nor how I operate, and know there are others out there just like me. Spontaneity is considered a four-letter word even though it contains eleven.

Planning is great – in a world where you must expect the unexpected, planning ahead allows you to handle surprises and catastrophes with the knowledge that you have room and time to spare!

As a project manager, I learned very early on that a project plan (like life) is not static – it is a moving, living document which will require revisions as the project moves forward on its critical path…and, sometimes, the project will require re-evaluation, resource re-allocation, careful risk mitigation, possible postponement of certain deliverables or parallel pathing to get things done on time, be disrupted by acts of God or family…does this sound like your life thus far? It sounds a lot like mine!

So, as a rule and a ruler for your 2010, set your goals and objectives so they remain on your radar and in the front part of your brain, track them in any form you choose (I enjoy Excel), but be flexible enough to re-assess them every opportunity you get to ensure that these are still your goals and that you are giving yourself the best opportunity to achieve them!

And for all my fellow ‘Type Ps’ – work hard to not be so hard on yourselves, and don’t be overwhelmed. A mentor of mine recently told me: “writing down what you want to accomplish can be a good exercise, but only if you are in a position not to be overwhelmed by it.”

If you enjoyed this post, look out for my next book – A PMP’s Guide to Project Managing Your Life – coming in 2010 ( according to my own New Year’s resolution )

And, as I close out 2009, a goal I set for myself in 2005 was finally accomplished. My first full length non-fiction book, From Secretary to CEO – A Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder is now IN PRINT and available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com!

Wishing You Continued Success…
Natalya

Purpose Driven = Project Driven

Life expectancy in Okinawa, Japan is 81.2 years – the longest in the world. Okinawans’ longevity can be attributed to their diet, rich in grains and low in fat and sugar, perhaps….but I recently heard a study in which their longevity was attributed to a characteristic far less quantitative than a diet plan yet far more qualitative: their sense of purpose in life.

Simply put, longevity in Okinawa is defined not by living longer, but living better.

We all need to have a purpose. The human spirit thrives on it, will languish without it.

…Without purpose, life has no meaning.

Pastor Rick Warren, from The Purpose Driven Life.

In many ways, adopting a project-minded, project-driven life, if you will, can also contribute to your sense of purpose. Projects, big and small, abound in our lives although we may not always define them as such. Projects are often correlated with work-related objectives and in the context of “doing a job” or “meeting organizational milestones.” And, of course, there are hundreds of thousands of certified project managers around the world(PMP®) who would agree…but, like myself, my fellow PMP® colleagues could also tell tales about the impact project management has had on their day-to-day lives and the lives of those around them.

Let me wax academic for a moment:

By definition, a project must be finite – i.e., modeled with a defined beginning and end. Therefore, all projects will come to an end….and then you begin again with a new one. Perhaps my favorite part of project management, each project provides its project manager with the excitement and trepidation of a new beginning, the learning curve in the middle, and the satisfaction of finishing what we started at the end. You will learn new skills, and experience new perspectives while running the project, and then get to do it all over again when this project ends and a new one is assigned.

Every project will be different, and every project will make a difference. Project management is ready to undergo a paradigm shift: We are all project managers in our own right, and our projects affect our lives and those around us.

You may be planning your baby’s first birthday or your friend’s bridal shower, renovating your home, sitting on the board of your condo association and advising on how to implement a new digital cable system for the property, organizing a weekly Bible Study or book club, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and building homes for the less-fortunate, etc., etc., etc…

Regardless, each of these undertakings contributes to our personal sense of structure, daily rhythm and life’s purpose. You will find it amazing how — by projectizing even the smallest tasks in your life or business — teams around your project will form, your awareness of project milestones will surface, and you will stand back and observe that, for each project in your life, your mission and focus are clear.

Projects give us purpose: one person, one plan, one deliverable and deadline at a time.

And, as we approach the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, let us all find a project that will contribute to the life of someone in need. There is no project too small

Wishing You Success,
Natalya