Leading a multi-country, international project... Part 3

The last two weeks have been intense... On Friday my team and I successfully completed a very challenging test phase of our project. 

For two weeks we had roughly 30 people in a conference room - a combination of users tirelessly testing the system and developers and analysts supporting the tests and simultaneously adjusting the system as needed.

The results were better than expected! #yay

As the project manager I added little value to the actual testing. I don't know the system well enough, nor will be the one using it once it is launched. So while it is important that I learn and be well versed in the concepts, my job is of another kind. 

Before I proceed let me clarify one quick thing - I am not an advocate for project managers without knowledge or technical acumen - just the opposite. I come from a technical background and very much enjoy the techy talk. But there is a time and place for everything.

As I was saying.... My key contribution comes from a different perspective in this role. I am not there to solve technical problems... Rather it is to solve all other problems and blockers that may prevent my team from reaching their goals.

There are 5 key practices that I recommend to all project managers and leaders as they navigate through their efforts and lead their teams.

• Proper Planning
• Effective Communication
• Servant Leadership 
• Emotional Intelligence

These are the exact practices I employed throughout the last two weeks as my contribution to the successful achievement of our key milestone.

• Proper planning 

Planning is my #1 responsibility - in order for things to happen, they need to be planned, especially when you're talking about activities that involve and impact 30+ people from different backgrounds, areas and locations. 

Planning isn't simply putting a plan on paper and expecting everyone to follow it.

Planning includes risk management, expectation management and communication.

When you plan not only for the good scenarios you prepare yourself to react better when things don't go your way. I believe it is important to remain flexible even when you have a solid plan, because things will change and they will go wrong. So it isn't as much about how well you stuck to your plan, but yet how #agile and #adaptable you are as things changed throughout the execution of the plan while still working towards reaching your set goal.

Risk Management is a very important concept for project managers. I have a blog in oven about this concept that I hope to post soon. In the mean time I encourage you to read about it - or contact me if you're interested to chat about it.

• Effective Communication 

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. - George Bernard Shaw

What is effective communication? Effective communication, in my own words, is when the message that is sent is received as it was intended. Sounds simple, right!? Well it is not!

Remember that we are all individuals, with our own preconceptions, expectations and we all see the world from our own points of view. So when a message is sent, it may leave the sender with one goal, but it may very well be received in a complete different way.

I will give you a simple but typical communication breakdown example. I am guilty of this many times. As a project manager you want to know what is going on. But sometimes when developers are troubleshooting issues we can become antsy. So what do we do? We stalk them... We ask them the same question 400 times and that only delays the process even further. However our intent (mine at least) is not to say that the developer is incompetent - this behavior of mine has more to do with my anxiety to have to problem solved and lack of patience than anything else. But the fact that I hound the person sends the opposite message. I am worry about our progress and need to manage risk, plan for contingency and therefore be aware if any significant progress is being made. But in the process, I end up potentially upsetting and distracting the developer. 

Better approach would be to meet early in the morning with the developer - talk about the plan for the day and set goals and periodic touchpoints so that he/she can focus and you can get the information you need. This also prevents misinterpretation of the behavior.

"Big and Visible" is another strategy I try to use to ensure effective communication. This also helps with the emotional part of all change and efforts. 

Placing communications, notes, questions, and information in general in a "big and visible" way across the room provides people with an outlet for their questions, a means for sharing information easily and quick, and ultimately a good mechanism for everyone to be on the same page, quite literally. I learned about Visual Management Systems when I first started to learn about Agile. They are heavily used in Lean Manufacturing - visual management is one of the core principles of the Toyota Production System.

Over the last two weeks, I placed large flipchart sheets on the walls, where I invited all participants to write their questions, open items, areas of concerns, etc. I also created a list of Out Of Scope items to help us all manage "scope creep".

• Servant Leadership 

"Servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible." (Wikipedia)

As a leader, one of the most important things you can do is get out of the way - allow your team to complete their tasks in the most efficient way possible. Getting out of their way simply means you are not a blocker yourself. I gave earlier the example of when I've in the past continuously bother one of my developers to see how he was progressing in solving a specific problem. I was in the way! 

We as a leaders have to not only get out of the way, but we need to also support our team by removing all blockers that hinder their efficiency. Blockers come in many different ways - it can be lack of access to servers, or a laptop with a slow processors. A blocker may be lack of knowledge, or inability to focus due to competing priorities. Whatever the blocker is, you need to remove it. 

During the past two weeks my focus was to put my team's need first and help them perform as highly as possible. That included making sure everyone had what they need to do their jobs, and do it well. 

I arranged their lodging, meals, breaks... took care of the air conditioner, went hunting for numerous power strips, and even made tea for some of them in the morning. Of course I also organized the daily sessions, help drive key discussions, and prioritized activities accordingly. But the point is that there was no task that I was not ready and willing to tackle for the team. 

• Emotional Intelligence

"Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior." (Wikipedia - Emotional Intelligence) 

When you're in a leadership role, emotional intelligence is crucial to your success. You must carefully monitor your emotions, and of everyone involved so that you can manage the associated behavior and reactions. 

The Webster dictionary defines a project as "a planned piece of work that has a specific purpose". The purpose of a project typically entails introducing a change. Changing a system, a process, or even people sometimes. The bottom line is that something always changes as a result of a project. 

Therefore Change Management becomes another important function in project management. Emotional Intelligence helps you with the human aspects of change: how the people involved in the project deal with the idea, the process and the change itself. 

Change can be very emotional, especially when it affects people's everyday life. So it is important to understand the impact of your project on the individuals involved, and understand how they specifically will or could react to those changes. That understanding will help you deal with situations that may arise, such as avoidance or even disruption.

I took a class in 2011 about High Performing Teams, and Dr. Harvey Robbins, shared then 7 hard truths about change, that stuck with me and have proven accurate ever since:

1. People will feel awkward
2. People will think first about what they must give up
3. People will feel alone
4. People can handle only so much change
5. People are at different readiness levels for change
6. People will feel they don’t have enough resources
7. If you take the pressure off, people will revert back to old behaviors

If someone is unwilling to participate, or rejecting ideas without providing alternatives; showing uncooperative behaviors; take a moment to think about these 7 hard truths and to understand the emotional impact that your project could be taking on that person. 

Another good tool I use to assess people's emotional state in the context of the project or a specific activity (such as the test phase we've just completed) is the Kubler-Ross Change Curve a business adaptation of the Kubler-ross model, or five stages of grief, that illustrates the stages an individual goes through when faced with change.

This graph helps me visualize, on an individual basis, where they stand in the transition, and what help they may need to move forward and reach integration. 

All and all, these five practices, help me be a better leader, and assist my team in reaching their goal.

Thanks again for reading.... and good luck with your efforts!