A Good Meeting… Is it Possible?
I recently attended a project kickoff meeting with a federal agency client. The meeting was scheduled to last 8 (!) hours. There were 50 people participating -- my immediate reaction was to assume that the meeting would be long, boring, and chaotic. I showed up armed with my BlackBerry and some snacks to get me through the anticipated brain-drain of such a long meeting with so many people. As it turns out, it was one of the best run and effective meetings I ever attended. I will tell you why.
Detailed Agenda. The agenda was distributed in advance by the project manager so all the participants were clear of what would (and would not) be accomplished at this meeting. The agenda is the Playbill of the meeting. Without this, meetings can get sidetracked and become less effective.
Great Facilitator. The project manager did a great job of pacing the meeting. While she allowed discussion on the issues, she didn't let the group go off topic. She wasn't afraid to (nicely) cut off a discussion and to assign a group to follow up on the topic at a later date.
Clear Lines of Authority. The project manager began the meeting by introducing the decision makers and establishing the lines of communication. She clearly stated who could make decisions, who could not, and what channels to follow regarding communicating project issues.
Decisions were Made. Nothing is more frustrating that a meeting that doesn't resolve an issue and leads to ...oh no...another meeting. The project manager invited all the right decision makes who could on the spot make the call on any given issue. What satisfaction it is to leave a meeting with clear direction!
Repectful Audience. About a third of the meeting participants were affiliated with the armed forces, several were in combat fatigues. There was an air of discipline and respect that I rarely see in audiences. Only one person spoke at a time. People waited until a speaker finished before chiming in. There were no "side-bar" conversations. Even with 50 people in the room, and no mics or amplifying equipment, everyone could hear the speaker.
Climate Control. A room that's too hot, too cold or stuffy can be the kiss of death for an effective meeting. Make your audience comfortable and their focus and attention will last much longer.
Meeting Minutes. The project manager started the meeting by stating that the meeting minutes would be very important as they would memorialize all decisions made and would be refered to in future discussions. The participants tasked with keeping the meeting minutes asked questions throughout the meeting to ensure clarity in the documented minutes. Needless to say, I frantically took notes for those 8 hours to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I hope I don't have to sit through too many all-day meetings, but if and when I do, may they all be as organized and well planned as this one was.
How to Be “Most Wanted”
As the group manager of a staff of 15 people, one of my jobs is to staff people onto projects. Some of my staff are always busy because they are "most wanted". Others have a harder time getting staffed on project. With the recent difficult economic times, I've had to evaluate my staff and make sure that everyone I kept on was a strong contributor. I've starting thinking about the attributes of my "most wanted" staff which led me to develop a list of what attributes are needed to succeed in engineering consulting (or any career for that matter...)
Check your work. Maybe it's a Gen Y/Millenial thing (topic for another post, I'm sure) but young engineers these days hand in work to their Project Managers (PMs) that is incomplete or has errors. Perhaps the engineer is looking for preliminary feedback. Perhaps they were taught in school that if you hand in a crapy paper, the teacher will give you a critique and then let you re-write it. Well, I'm not your teacher and I'm not your mother. Before handing over your work, check it and double check it to make sure it's the best, most accurate work you can do. Don't expect others to find and correct your errors. What you give me should be your BEST work.
Be flexible. We all have to take on assignments that are not exciting or challenging. Gen Y/Millenials don't want to hear that you have to pay your dues, but guess what... you do. We all have to take on projects that are boring. At a minimum, do excellent work on it to prove that you're ready for more challenging assignments. Even better...find a way to improve the assignment or learn something new. Your ability to take anything on and do it well will help you succeed.
Be organized. You can't impress your team mates if you can't even find your stuff. Your office doesn't have to look any particular way, but whatever system you use, you should be able to find what you need when you need it.
Pay attention. When your PM gives you a task, listen carefully and TAKE NOTES. You don't want to go back to your PM and ask him/her to remind you of something they already told you. Ask questions if you don't understand something. It's much more preferable to ask lots of questions than to pretend you understand something and then do it wrong.
Have a good attitude. In addition to being flexible, be positive, enthusiastic, and have a good attitude about your assignments. Managers don't want to deal with someone who is always unhappy or complaining.
On time and on budget. Many project managers do a poor job of explaining how much time a task should take and/or when the task should be completed. Unfortunately, their lack of planning will reflect poorly on you when you deliver your work later than when the PM expected it. For every assignment, ask the PM when the work is due and how long you should spend doing it. Then do it on time and on budget. If you need more time, set clear expectations and communicate with your PM.
Take it to the next level. Your PM gave you an assignment and you're done with it. Is there any way you can add value to your deliverable? Can you summarize your results in a way that helps the PM make sound decisions? Can you research the options for the next step in the project? Don't just do what you were asked to do. Use that expensive college education to think about how you can make your deliverable even better.
The staff who can do these things are always in high demand and most likely to have long and successful careers at my firm.
Question Authority? Yes!
Every meeting has one of these. The person who always agrees with the boss. The one who echoes what the boss said with full affirmation that those are the wisest words ever spoken. He or she never questions what is said. This is the Yes-er. (Notice that I didn’t say Yes-man. These people come in both male and female versions). The boss loves the Yes-er. The Yes-er makes the boss feel great -- that the boss is the smartest, wisest person ever to run the company. But I would argue that Yes-ers (and those who love them) are harmful to well functioning organizations.
It takes many great minds to manage a successful organization. No one person has all the answers or the perspectives needed to make sound decisions. A good decision maker hears the perspectives of many individuals, is open to learning and understanding alternate approaches, makes a thoughtful analysis of alternate ideas, and then makes the call. Is this “paralysis by analysis”? It need not be. Just because you get many ideas doesn’t mean you have to please everyone. But chances are that among those varying ideas is something you haven’t yet come up with, an idea that really gets you to where you want to be. Add diversity to your management team and see what great ideas you can come up with. Include men and women, experienced staff and recent grads, people of different backgrounds and races. You’ll get perspectives you never thought of.
And if you’re the Yes-er, keep in mind that you are not adding value to the organization. Making your boss’ ego feel good might enhance your brownie-point score, but that’s about it. Your boss needs you to think on your own, to come up with something new and brilliant, to present an idea she hadn’t thought of.
So – is it okay to question authority? Not only is it alright, it’s critical to organizational growth. Here’s how you do it –
1. Think first, then speak. If you disagree with the point being made, makes sure you have an alternate idea based in facts or personal observations that you can defend. You can’t disagree with an issue unless you can propose a solution that’s better. If you don’t have something better to propose, then stay out of the conversation.
2. Choose your venue carefully. Presenting a controversial or differing idea should not be done in front of a large group. Catch your boss in her office or send her an email with your idea. If you present your idea in front of a large group, your boss may need to dismiss it outright just to exert her position of authority. In a one-on-one discussion, the differing idea is less of a threat and that opens up the thinking process to a more open, collaborative approach.
3. Choose your words carefully. Start with agreement on whatever your boss said that you do agree with. Then present your idea as an option or alternative that could also work. If you come off too strong, you’ll be an immediate turn off.
4. Agree to disagree. There will be times when a decision will be made that you completely disagree with. You don’t have to agree with the approach to comply. The boss is still the boss. You can agree to disagree and do your best to respect the decision. After all, she still signs your paycheck.
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4. Not all your ideas will be winners, but the fact that you’re thinking about ways to do things better is something that all good bosses will appreciate.
Don’t be afraid to question authority! Done right, it will help your career grow and make your organization a better place to work.
Cleavage, Hickeys & Thongs… Oh My!
This post is the true story of three happenings in my workplace. But before I begin, I must include a disclaimer. This post is Miz Management’s opinion of what is and isn’t appropriate in the workplace. My readers (do I even have any?) may completely disagree, but that’s the whole point of a blog, right? To state an opinion and foster some conversation and thought.
So let’s begin with a story that has become almost urban legend. Several years ago, we needed some boring locations marked along a stretch of road several miles long. We sent a young female engineer out with a can of spray paint and a site plan showing the boring locations. It was a sunny day and she took it upon herself to multi-task. That is, work on her tan while marking the boring locations. She proceeded to put on a bikini and a pair of rollerblades and skated along the roadway, stopping as needed to mark the location with the spray paint. We found out about Ms. Bikini Skater when the City Engineer called to inform us that the residents in town were calling Town Hall asking, Why is a woman in a bikini spray painting the street?
The next story is about another woman engineer who liked to wear tight pants. Under her tight pants she wore thong underwear. Why do I know this? Believe me, I don’t want to know what she (or anyone) has under their clothes. I know this because one day while meeting with clients, she was bent over a table while looking at a set of plans and her tight, low riding pants and her short blouse parted ways to reveal her latest acquisition at Victoria’s Secret.
Story Number 3 involves a young male engineer who, while not exposing excess skin or his Fruit of the Looms, did manage to frequently come to work with hickeys on his neck. Oh, come on…this isn’t high school. This is a work place.
Okay, people…listen up! I would think this is obvious, but apparently not. The workplace is a place to get work done. Not a place to sport décolletage, skivvies, or trophies of your sexual conquests. Maybe Miz Management is a prude (I’ve been accused of worse), but I don’t think cleavage in the workplace is appropriate. I work in an engineering office, not Hooters. My simple rule of thumb is this – if men don’t do it, then women shouldn’t do it. Men don’t wear a shirt unbuttoned three or four buttons down and show their pecs and chest hair (or lack thereof). Ergo, women shouldn’t show cleavage. (BTW, I also use this rule as my excuse for why I don’t wear skirts or nylons to work. Fortunately most of my male coworkers don’t wear ties, or else my rule would require me to learn to tie a Double Windsor. But I digress…)
I’m a (straight) woman and yet I find it a challenge to maintain eye contact when sitting across from Busty Betty with the low cut sweater. I can only imagine the challenge for a guy to not let their eyes drift 12 inches lower. If women want to be taken seriously, like it or not, we want people to focus on the quality of our work, not our boobs. I’m not saying we have to dress frumpy. You can be fashionable while being professional.
Same goes for the thong busines
Decision Making 101
Every day we make decisions. Some are simple – paper or plastic, cash or credit, baked potato or fries. In our work lives, our decisions can impact lives, careers and the bottom line. Good decision makers are critical for corporate success. However, making sound decisions is far from easy. We are not machines; we are humans with egos, feelings and emotions that get in the way of objective decision making. While we’ll never make decisions with Spock-like discipline, here are some guidelines for making sound decisions in an organizational setting.
Don’t be afraid of change. Nothing irks me more than hearing “This is how we’ve always done it.” If that’s the best reason you can come up with for doing something a certain way, it’s time to rethink your approach and try something new. Technology changes, attitudes change, nothing about our culture stays the same, and if you don’t adapt to change, you will fall far behind your competitors.
Don’t look backwards. I want to scream when I hear “But we already invested so much in this…” As they say on TV, “Past performance is not an indicator of future results.” Each and every decision should be made with your eyes looking forward, never backwards. If you have multiple options to pursue, evaluate each option based on its probability of success, resources needed, and financial cost/benefit starting from today. What you did in the past is a “sunk cost”. It shouldn’t affect your thought process (I know…easier said than done). If you include past decisions in your current analysis, you risk “throwing good money after bad”. Better to cut your losses than to continue investing in an option that won’t yield the results you need.
Analyze impacts to multiple stakeholders and… Many decisions result in unintended consequences. These can be minor issues or major deal breakers. Before picking Path A over Path B, be sure you’ve thought about how your decision will affect anyone involved. Some of the impacts may be negative, but if you’ve analyzed it and defined the ramification, you can plan ahead and turn a Win-Win-Lose, into a Win-Win- Not So Bad.
…Include diversity. It takes a wide range of perspectives to understand the benefits and ramifications of a critical business decision. Make sure you confer with a group of people, preferably with different backgrounds than you, to get the full picture before going down a path. You don’t want a group of Mini-Me’s who will always agree with you. You want people to challenge you and complement your skills. You don’t know all the answers (really…you don’t!) Trusted advisors can make the difference.
Alright…you’ve done it all. You’re ready to change things up. You’re not looking backwards. You gathered your diverse group of trusted advisors and analyzed your options. You’re ready to pull the trigger. Are you done? No way. The final step is…
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Implementing a new program or instituting change of any sort can only be successful if you communicate often and effectively. Make sure people affected by your decision know What, When, Where, Why and How. Don’t assume that people know why or understand the changes. Better to over communicate than to leave people at best confused or at worst angry, cynical, and disengaged.
As leaders, we have the responsibility to make sound decisions that can advance our organizations toward reaching their strategic goals. Following these steps will keep you on the path to successful decision making.
What do you think? Is this how decision making is done where you work?
Ten Tips for Better Project Managing
In David Letterman fashion, these tips will be counted down from 10 to 1.
#10 – Listen to what the client really wants. You like Escalades, the client wants a Prius. The best thing we can do as consultants is to listen carefully to what our clients are saying. By talking less and listening more, we can truly discern what the client is asking us to do.
#9 – Build in the quality. Quality management isn’t just a peer review at the end. It’s making sure the work is done right all throughout delivery. Make sure quality is built into the staffing and pricing of the project.
#8 – Discuss change management before there’s a change. Yes, that means you talk to the client during project kick-off on how she wants you to handle changes to scopes and fees if/when they become necessary. When this is decided up front, it’s easier to have that discussion later.
#7 – Think about what’s the worst thing that could happen. It’s not just for safety. An LPSA can also help you plan your project better. If there’s a large risk involved, make sure we have Plan B and maybe even Plan C in the works.
#6 – Build the right team. The best person for the job may not be in the next cubicle. It may be someone in another time zone. Make sure you’re using the resource sharing team to get the right skill set at the right salary level for the assignment.
#5 – Decide who can talk to who. Communication within a project context is very important. The PM may not want to be central to all communications, but you also don’t want 15 people calling your client. Same for regulators and other stakeholders. Discuss this at your kickoff meeting.
#4 – Tell your team their budget. If there are only 40 hours to do a report, tell your team member before they start. Waiting until 39 hours is already spent is too late!
#3 – Keep a change log. Things change during project execution. At some point you may need to write or call the client asking for a budget adjustment (euphemism for “more money”). You might forget all the changes she asked for or other conditions that require the adjustment. Keeping a change log with date, description of change, and what or who caused the change, will help making that request much easier.
#2 – Make your schedule detailed. A milestone table is a good start for developing a schedule. But you also need to work backwards from each deliverable date to account for quality management and peer reviews, addressing comments, printing and production time for the deliverable, and mailing or delivery of the final product. You might find that your schedule requires “pencils down” on a deliverable as much as two weeks before it’s due to the client.
And the #1 Tip for Better Planning…
#1 – Follow your plan! You worked hard to come up with a good plan. Don’t just file it away -- check it often to make sure you’re following it!
The Future of Project Management
Predicting the future is an activity usually best left to crystal balls and fortune cookies. Yet there is no shortage of pundits predicting the future of project management. A recent Google search of "future of project management" yielded over 60,000 results! I will now take my place among these soothsayers and predict for you what the future will be for project managers in the A/E/C industry.
• The "Professionalization" of Project Management
The skills needed to provide technical services are not the same as those needed for effective project management. Effective PMs need "soft" leadership skills as wellas strong communication and planning skills. Our industry is recognizing that project management is a profession of its own and that wemust recognize and reward project managers for the unique skillsthey bring to the table. Specialized training courses, projectmanagement degrees, and certifications such as the ProjectManagement Professional (PMP) lend credibility to project management as a separate skill set from technical project delivery.
• Virtual work teams
As the A/E/C industry consolidates withhigh merger and acquisition activity, we are seeing more projectteams spread among various geographic locations. We are also seeing more Gen Y’ers and Millennials demanding a level of work/ life balance that involves less travel and more time at home with family. Both of these trends mean that increasingly, our project teams may be spread among various locations and even time zones. The successful project manager will need to know how to use project collaboration tools and effectively manage virtual teams.
• Sustainability in the projects we deliver and how we deliverthem
Whether it is a decrease in carbon footprint, water footprint, or cradle-to-grave waste minimization, our clients will ask us to evaluate ways to deliver sustainable projects. As PMs, we will be asked to measure the risk to natural resources against the costs to protect those resources. Even our project delivery methods will be scrutinized to ensure sustainable practices in our project delivery methodology.
• The Only Constant will be Change.
Successful project managers will need to adapt to new technologies and methods of communication. Social media, cloud computing, new hardware form factors, and new project management software will change the way we manage people, projects, clients, and data. The rate of change will only increase and those who embrace the changes, adapt to new approaches, and arewilling to take risks will reap the benefits of success.
Of course, one important thing about project management won’t change – our best PMs will be those scientists,architects, and engineers who combine their passion for project delivery and client service with a thorough understanding of solid project management fundamentals.It is all of our jobs to identify, nurture, and mentor the nextgeneration of PMs.