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Fake It ‘til You Make It
This is a mantra for some project managers, but rest assured it only goes so far in today’s business world. At some stage, a project manager, or any other for that matter, needs to know what they are doing. Relying on others to carry them through is inherent in a manager that has zero care factor. Watch out for these ones. They’re the worst of them all. If they don’t care, then they don’t take responsibility for errors and problems along the way either.
Non-Commitment
Commitment to the business as a long-term viable concern is paramount as is a commitment to the staff involved in whatever project, whether it’s a start-up or a more established venture.
It is irrelevant whether internal or external parties are involved in particular aspects of a new project. They too need to demonstrate commitment. If your project manager is an outside, independent consultant, they may not have the same commitment as General Manager, but they need to have the same commitment to your organization, to your team, and to the company as a whole. Sometimes even more so.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Non-commitment is pretty easy to spot. Being more concerned about what’s for lunch, than pre-empting challenges along the way, or even having the right people for selected roles is an ear-piercing alarm bell, from the get-go.
Q is for Quality
While some may think the quality is boring or even worse, code for ‘too hard basket’, the importance of quality management can be directly responsible for whether your venture succeeds or does not. There’s not much sense in having a great product if it falls apart or having a great much-needed service without the relevant customer service to back it up.
Believe me, Q is most definitely for quality, and if this is not foremost on the minds of your project managers, maybe they need to Q for Quit it.
Actions speak louder
Now, just because it’s fun, let me play the devil’s advocate for a minute. Behavior is a very subjective thing. One person’s management technique may very well be another’s blatant and confidence-shattering control issue. As mentioned fleetingly, and on purpose previously, personalities are different in all of us and as prior learning goes there needs to be a healthy degree of respect for this. If, however, you are finding that there is an exceeding amount of micro-management and negative comments without due positive advice and overall guidance, then you could be in for a world of trouble.
The truth is that there are now a lot of tools to help project managers get very good at their roles. There’s really no excuse any longer not to work with the best solution providers you can find. The assistance project managers and managers on the whole can get, is unprecedented.
Don’t be surprised if you recognize some of these traits in your people. These bad habits are inherent and quite noticeable mannerisms will only succeed in affecting the confidence and solidarity of those who choose to be a part of and be an advocate of your organization.
Experience is the best teacher, and sometimes, if we have seen too much ongoing debris, we need as an organization, to weed out the dead wood. The tolerance of lazy project managers expecting others to do all the work is not seen as only an enemy to the greater good but as a direct channel to competitors’ advantage. As long as it’s not you, or your people, then you’re on the right track.