Will Working on Projects Help You Be Less Stressed?

I was talking with a business manager the other day about organizing a presentation for her group. She said, "It's always so hectic around here, people aren't so organized. Let's see if they have time to attend the session."

I replied, "Well, there you go. Project management can help with that!"

How can working with a project mindset help with organization?

First, there's the defining of the project itself and its scope. What are we doing and not doing? Clarifying that will help keep focus and eliminate unnecessary efforts.

Then there's the schedule. What has to be done next? Can someone else do part of the work concurrently to save time? Knowing what is to be done when can help reduce the running-around-with-the-head-cut-off routine.

And there's risk analysis. What should we take care of now and what money can we put aside for in case uncertain events occur? Then we can rest assured we have taken care of the what-if's and what-may-happen and get on with the job.

These are just a few examples of how organizing work into projects can reduce stress. But let's not forget communications – lack of proper communications can cause many headaches in a project. That's why identifying who is interested in the project, who can affect it positively and negatively, and how the stakeholders want to be communicated with, is so important.

If we can define these things at the beginning of the project and keep an eye on them as we go along, we will have a stronger project.

Where's the Wizard?

The movie, The Wizard of Oz, tells the story of a girl and her dog who were picked up by a cyclone and transplanted to the Land of Oz. There she met a scarecrow who wanted a brain, a tin man who wanted a heart, and a lion who wanted courage. The girl, Dorothy, wanted to get home.

Then they hear there's a wizard who can give them these things.

When they get to the wizard, they discover he is a small man behind a curtain. But, along the way, they have found what they were looking for: they had it inside themselves all along.

Training is like that. You know you want to know something and you seek out how to learn it. But, you wouldn't have even known to look if you hadn't had the inkling of the concepts within you.

Training helps you discover what you already know. Things are unveiled to you.

BrenDaniel provides individualized PMP training, as well as classroom training. Ask us for an assessment of your own or your organization's project management capabilities and needs.

Why Record Lessons Learned?

In projects, it is a good practice to document 'lessons learned'. These are things we have discovered to do - or not do - to make our projects stronger. For example, we may have learned to order supplies earlier, to have team meetings in the mornings, or to print reports to give to the sponsor.

According to the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), lessons learned are: "The knowledge gained during a project which shows how project events were addressed or should be addressed in the future with the purpose of improving future performance."

Documenting lessons learned benefits our current project, and ours and other's future projects.

Lessons learned are often gathered by teams in end-of-phase or project closing meetings. Like any facilitated meeting, it is useful to have a meeting leader and someone who records the discussion for these meetings.

Another way to gather these lessons is through a shared document, for example, a Google document. Using such a document allows team members to input the lessons learned as they occur. I can say this is one lesson I have learned: to not leave documentation to the end of the week or the month, but to record things as closely to their occurrence as possible.

It’s not just the fact of having the lessons learned for later use that makes them so important; it’s not even just the getting together of the team to record them, or the ability of team members to provide input to project processes. It is the positive outlook generated in the team by knowing the project is continuously looking for improvements - looking 'on the bright side', you might say.

After all, projects are for learning.

Projects: Helping Others Become Successful

I just read an article by Ross Simmonds on creating blogs. Most of it was about technical aspects of blogging - distribution and the like. But the last point struck me. It was general good advice for anyone at any time, and especially for project teams. He said:

"I’ve noticed something in the last few years that I wish I knew when I was 19:
It’s easier to become successful when you’re committed to helping others be successful.
When you make a commitment to helping the people around you achieve their dreams, the people around you tend to help you back."

I believe humanity is getting better and better at helping others become successful. The marches worldwide show how people from all over the word are attempting to help others achieve their dreams.

Nurses, healers and teachers often show a commitment to helping others. Project managers do, too, after all, that's what we do: help our customers achieve their goals (dreams) - big or small. We help our customers figure out what they really want when we clarify their requirements - defining the dream. While we are ensuring the project stays on track, we are helping customers in goal realization. Incorporating changes along the way is important, too - the refinements in the dream need to be made as the picture becomes more clear.

So, congratulations to project managers and those working on projects for making dreams come true!

Breaking It Down

Sometimes when I look at an important project I am about to start, I get overwhelmed with the idea of it. It feels like, "It's just too much." Then I remember there is an easy way around this - break it down!

When I was in school, I won some contests for writing. One key to writing is the same principle - breaking the idea down into smaller parts. Even though we didn’t use the term 'mind map' then, as my kids do all the time in school now, that's what I did. I took the idea and broke it into its subcomponents and then further subdivided. Working on each part was much easier than trying to throw ideas willy-nilly at the whole.

When creating a training course, it’s the same principle - break it down. Looking at the topic of project management as a whole can be a bit daunting because there is a lot of information. The key, again, is to break the main idea into parts. What are we doing on Day One, Day Two, and so on? We want to make sure each topic is covered in the right amount.

So, if you have a big idea that's confusing you (I know when this happens to me, it's when I ignore the idea, pushing it to the side because it's "just too big" to think about), try this: take a quiet moment and write down the 'parts' of the idea. Then, put them in order as to the weight to be given to each part.

I hope this makes you feel better and breathe a sigh of relief because you are on your way to achieving your goal!

This breaking down process is really what the work breakdown structure (WBS) is all about. The WBS has been reported to be the most valuable tool by 74% of project managers.

Who is a Successful Project Manager?

My manager at Motorola, Jim, was one of the most successful project managers I have known. His projects completed as planned, but he was successful because his team got the work done happily. He hired people to do a job and he let them do it. Now that I am teaching about project management, I take some of the knowledge that PMI (Project Management Institute) gives on project management and apply it to Jim’s approach.

As a successful project manager, Jim was:

1. Inclusive: He made everyone on the team feel like they were the project manager. Once responsibilities were accepted, Jim let you do your job. But he didn’t ignore you – we knew any time we needed to communicate with him the door was open.
This is related to the PMBOK (the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge) in that roles and responsibilities were assigned, and everyone knew who was doing what on a task. We knew our RACI (chart for who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed.)

2. A delegator: Jim told us to figure things out ourselves. He didn’t take on our jobs, and he had faith that we could do what we were lined up to do. When I asked Jim a question about a software model, he said, “Read the book, that’s what I did.” It might have sounded gruff, but I got the point. And I was also encouraged that he thought I could do what he did.
The PMBOK says, “Successful project managers have strong leadership skills.” Jim was a good leader and set an example.

3. A communicator: He provided structure to the team. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do. We met weekly. We were never “lost” about what to do or what was expected of us.
We had: the RACI, mentioned above; a schedule with milestones; a communications plan; and project ground rules – these weren’t necessarily named using PMI terminology, but followed the standard.

4. A leader: He gave direction in a clear manner.
We always knew where we were in the project schedule and what we had to do. The team was led by Jim and the work was managed, monitored and controlled to stay on track.

Jim died a number of years ago from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Right up to the end he maintained his attitude and approach, and continued to lead and be insightful.

If you are interested in learning more about project management, our needs assessment at PMneeds.com will help you determine which type of development would benefit you most. There are opportunities for learning about the fundamentals of project management, advanced project management applications, and PMP certification preparation.

The Top 10 Factors for Project Success

Are your projects successful? A study determined the following factors lead to project success:

1. Clear goals
2. Support from senior management
3. Adequate funding and resources
4. A realistic schedule
5. End-user commitment
6. Effective leadership and conflict resolution
7. A flexible approach to change
8. Clear communication channels
9. Use of lessons learned
10. Effective management of risk

Numbers 6 and 7 are my favourites. Six because leadership and conflict resolution are lumped together. Seven because of the flexible approach. In any case, this list can give all of us who manage projects a checklist for review.

Best of luck with your projects!

Bravery and Vulnerability

At a business meeting I was in recently, a senior manager asked the facilitator if he should follow his instincts to make a decision, even if people didn’t agree with him.

I thought, "Isn't that brave?" He wasn't afraid to ask a question about his leadership style in front of colleagues.

A quality to be admired.

Why Project Management?

Applying project management techniques and skills benefits both individuals and organizations.

If you know how to manage your projects well, you will gain many benefits, such as:

• Career advancement
• Competence in project delivery
• Confidence in working with project stakeholders and applying management techniques
• Greater opportunities for yourself and your organization
• Improved results at work: less stress, better time efficiency, fewer sidetracked projects - all resulting in a better run organization.

Project Management is one of the most in-demand careers and methodologies today. Whether you are in the business of information technology, retail, construction, oil and gas, or other, you will find that using project management tools and methods will lead to greater success.

“Done” for Wealth and Project Success

Twice this week I have read how the word “done” can bring wealth and project success.

According to Brian de Haaff (The One Word That Will Make You Rich on LinkedIn), being rich is about achieving what you have dreamed of accomplishing, and using the word “done” can confirm you’ve achieved it.

Similarly, Glen B. Alleman in Performance-Based Project Management states that being able to define what “done” looks like is the basis for project success.

So, if getting things done brings happiness and success, and completing projects successfully is getting things done, who could be happier than the project managers of successful projects?!

Alleman gives advice on increasing the probability of project success through answering “Five Immutable Principles”:

• What does “done” look like?
• How are you going to reach “done”?
• Do you have all the resources you need to reach “done”?
• What impediments will you encounter along the way to “done”?
• How are you going to measure progress towards “done” in units meaningful to the decision makers?

PMPs will recognize that these questions cover a lot of ground from the PMBOK. But even if you are not an official project manager, these questions can be helpful to achieving any goal.

And this article is... “done”!

Stress & Conflict Management

The Project Management Institute (PMI) says that project managers need to have good conflict management and stress management skills. When I mention this in class, there is usually one person who says, “I manage conflict all day long.”

No doubt how we see and handle conflict has to do with our personalities and other factors. And, of course, how we handle (or ignore!) conflict can give us more stress.

I have found two tools that have helped me with stress, and therefore conflict management.

About a year and a half ago I started meditating daily. Meditating has changed how I react to and see situations. I can’t quite explain it at this time, but I do know my world and stress level have changed dramatically for the good since I started meditating.

Another tool that I have found lately is tapping. I first heard about tapping (emotional freedom technique) a few years ago, and even bought a book on it which I promptly ignored. It just didn’t resonate with me at the time. But in the last few weeks I found another book (Tapping into Wealth by Margaret M. Lynch) that I dove into. Ms. Lynch explains why tapping works – it has to do with acupressure. She explains this fascinating concept very well. According to Lynch, “At a physiological level, it calms the sympathetic nervous system responsible for the stress response and turns on the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for the relaxation response.” Tapping has been used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and to remedy the fear of flying. You don’t need to have major fears to use it - it is good for even slight annoyances!

Meditation and tapping may or may not be for you at this time (or maybe any time!) but I have to say, they are good starting points for stress management.

The Opposite of Mad

Last week I was driving my eight-year old to school. Out of the blue, he piped up, "The opposite of being mad is being thankful."

I was a bit surprised. I thought about my brilliant son and said, "Yes, Zachary, I guess the opposite of being mad is being thankful."

He then continued, "The opposite of being worried is being excited. The opposite of happy is sad. Now you say a few."

"Well, Zachary, I think you've covered everything," I replied after giving it some thought.

"Haven't you ever thought about emotions, Mom?" he responded.

I laughed, "Yes, I have thought about emotions."

I gave a class that day and told them about my conversation in the car. One lady surmised that perhaps they had talked about emotions in school. So, when I picked Zachary up, I asked him if they had.

"No, that was just to break the silence," he said.

Many times I have started to get angry at a situation or a person, probably for not being the way I wanted them or it to be. I think maybe a lot of us are like that. So, I am focusing on catching myself in those “almost mad” moments and turning them around - what is there to be thankful about instead?

Maybe, like my eight-year old, I can understand that the opposite of being mad is being thankful.

One Step at a Time

I had the best business advice ever last week. Karen Mombourquette, my tarot card reader, said, "Take everything a step at a time."

I laughed; assuredly this was the best advice for me, as I was starting a trend of over-committing to multiple projects. I was ignoring a simple truism of Project Management: break down the work into manageable steps and follow the plan.

I am now getting back on goal and following Karen’s advice. For the work I have already committed to, I am taking a step back and saying, "Okay, how can I get what I said I would do done?" The answer falls in line with Karen's advice: break it down! (Where was that WBS when I needed it?!)

One small step at a time can get us to big results. And no small steps, of course, leads to foggy thinking and nothing getting done.

(Thanks Karen!)

A Successful Person

A few weeks ago while I was visiting my mother in Newfoundland, she received a letter in the mail. It was a note from a doctor’s office saying she had an appointment for an urgent blood test. She had told me about the appointment, but it wasn't till I saw the letter that I realized it was urgent.

When I mentioned to my mother about the urgency, she shrugged and said, “I’ll deal with it when it comes.” I was impressed.

A lot of people become obsessed when they think they might have a problem, especially with their health. Not my mother. I would guess she did a quick rundown in her head about the options and alternatives, and decided her plan of action - which was to take it as it came.

I was going to write about how my mother’s situation is a perfect example of risk analysis - identify the risk events, figure out the probability and impact, and determine your response. And then I saw this article, and thought, “Hey, my Mom is one of those “successful” people.” (Of course, I already knew that!) She did exactly what the article said. So, whether the success is making money or achieving a happy life, here’s some research: How Successful People Stay Calm.

Project Managers - Focusing to Get Results

“A recent story about the use of transcendental meditation by top Wall Street traders was given a lot of attention, but I just see it as more evidence of what our research has shown for years,” says Hannah Shaw Grove, an authority on the behaviours and characteristics of the high-net-worth markets and the executive editor of Private Wealth magazine. “The professionals who are the very best at what they do and have monetized their skills always find ways to stay focused on the most important tasks and forget about the trivialities.”

(excerpt from: To Become Wealthier Do What You Do Best, Forbes Magazine)

When I read this article in Forbes Magazine, I thought - that’s what project managers do: focus on the important tasks.

We have a few tools to help with this, not the least of which is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). In defining a WBS, we are looking at what the end result/product/service is to be, and breaking that down into manageable groups. We then define the steps to get there and follow these steps to achieve the outcome. What could be more focused?

How about those diversions along the way? Project management is largely based on having a good plan, being prepared for what could lead the project astray, and having a change control system. Whether the changes are related to the roles and responsibilities of the project, budget, scope, etc., following the plan and using the system will help keep us on track.

And, like the article said, meditation is an excellent input to keeping focused. I started meditating about a year ago after a few nudges. I can attest that meditation has changed my outlook on life and work - more positive and calmer. If making the big bucks is what motivates someone to start meditating, I say go for it. The results will enhance focus and much more.

There are a few more project management tools and techniques that help us stay on goal. If you'd like to discuss, send me an email at brenda@brendaniel.com.

Project Management: How to Implement Trust

The basis for a good team is trust.

Team members who trust each other have positive expectations of each other. This is a great underpinning for resolving conflicts and discussing problems.

Simon Sinek talks about trust and leadership in his TED talk Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe.

So, how do we create a culture of trust? The basis is not that difficult: make the decision yourself to trust. Model and share this with your team. When making decisions yourself and with your team, reflect on whether those decisions agree with your value of trust.

So, as Simon says:

What I learned was that it's the environment, and if you get the environment right, every single one of us has the capacity to do these remarkable things, and more importantly, others have that capacity, too. 

You see, if the conditions are wrong, we are forced to expend our own time and energy to protect ourselves from each other, and that inherently weakens the organization. When we feel safe inside the organization, we will naturally combine our talents and our strengths and work tirelessly to face the dangers outside and seize the opportunities.

A Great Team

“My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people.”

- Steve Jobs

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

This week I'm writing about a tremendous team that I am proud to have worked with. It was the Steering Committee for the PDSummit (Professional Development Summit) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The PDSummit was the grand finale of eight months of planning and preparation by a team of about ten people. Our team met every week (except Christmas) on the phone for half an hour to plan, come rain or shine.

Each meeting had an agenda put together by the Chair. The Chair also distributed minutes right after each meeting. Some members of this team had been together for a few years, and other members were brand new.

Why did this team work? I think a large part was the great leadership, including the roles being allocated and processes defined and followed. Another large part was the attitudes of the team members, which contributed to the collaborative culture.

I did some research on great teams (thanks Internet!) and here are some links about strong teams. I believe this team met all the criteria stated in the following articles:

• Characteristics of Effective Teams
• Top 10 Qualities to Build a Successful Work Team

The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification is the Certification Most Likely to Get You a Job

Research was done by Toni Bowers, Managing Editor of TechRepublic, and award-winning blogger of the Career Management blog. She found that the PMP is the most frequently desired certification according to Dice.

So, if you are wondering if PMP is something worthwhile – many people think so!

Being Brave (and Project Management)

This is my year to be brave. Sara Bareilles’ song “Brave” totally captures my intent:

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I have a feeling it’s not just me who is valuing bravery these days. I read a newsletter that touched on this thought. Lea Brovedani wrote, “Although agreeableness is positively correlated with teamwork, it is negatively correlated with leadership success.” Isn’t disagreeing sometimes a brave thing to do?

Project Managers are required to be brave. I think it should be written into every Project Manager’s job description:

• Be willing to stand up for what you think is right (without totally alienating the customer)
• Be prepared to let your team and executives know when things are not on track
• Be willing to make decisions without too much grief!

All of these are acts of bravery. So, if you need inspiration for bravery as a PM or in any other role, take Ms. Bareilles’ advice:

Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing
Bow down to the mighty
Don’t run, stop holding your tongue
Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Inspired

On April 3, my company is starting up a program where senior executives will tell their stories. These leaders have inspired me by their generosity of spirit.

The executives giving these sessions are all busy people. They travel, they manage good-sized companies. All of them, when asked, agreed to share how they got to where they are.

Just considering this inspires me. That these individuals would be willing to take the time and present their tips, tools and advice. This isn’t about making more money or getting publicity - they already have enough of those.

So thank you, Halifax Executive Mentoring Series presenters!

If you are in the Halifax area and are interested in learning more about this series, please see halifaxleadership.com.