In This Issue:
From the Editor
Cinda Voegtli: Evolution of a Project Manager
Kimberly Wiefling: Wild Success in 2008
Where's ProjectConnections?
This month, Santa Clara, Cupertino and Maryland. Next month, Dallas.
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From the Editor
This year we'll be doing a few special newsletters focused on careers related to project management-what matters, what gets people promoted, what gets them the best opportunities, and how to get there yourself. We'll talk about how to effectively get project managers who work for you to the top of their game as well. So far we have slated topics on things like leadership (what it means and what it looks like in the PM role), turning around a struggling PM career, the importance of industry flexibility, and more. We will write from our personal experience; from what we've heard executives say about what they value; and from the unique, interesting, and opportunity-filled career paths we've observed and heard about. Here are just a few of the philosophies that will underpin our look at careers in project-land:
- The mechanics of the role (scheduling, tracking, status reporting) are a small part of the job and NOT necessarily what leads to the best PM rewards and recognition.
- Occasional part-time project managers with different long-term "primary roles" (e.g. a developer or a marketing specialist) can gain a career advantage via skills and insights they get from managing projects. Embrace the role!
- New project managers aren't often provided a clear understanding of what separates merely competent project managers from great project managers—highly respected project managers. They deserve that.
This last item is the one we're taking on in this first special newsletter to kick off the new year. Let us know what you think and what career questions you've got.
Featured Article
Evolution of a Project Manager, by Cinda Voegtli
What makes for a great project manager: one sought out for projects, one teams want to have in charge, one known for handling difficult projects with panache? What are the traits, actions, or capabilities that create pervasive success in the project manager role?
If you're a new project manager, do you know for sure what will make execs and team members think you're doing a great job? How do brand new project managers know not just the tasks related to their job, but what it means to really excel and succeed on the toughest projects? And what might they have to do to get there and be highly valued as a PM?
My perception of what a project manager is and how to be a great PM varied greatly over time, because I got incredibly mixed signals all along the way. Fortunately I eventually became very clear on what mattered most. I want to trace the somewhat wacky evolution of my understanding of the PM job to those conclusions—through the lens of my career—because I think it's fairly typical, but something we really shouldn't be putting new project managers through! Read more »
Related Items:
Selling Executives, Planning, and Post-Mortems - MEMBEROne person's unique segue in and out of the project management role, and how her zealous project performance led to new and unexpected opportunities.
Getting Relevant to Get Results - MEMBER
More on what teams and execs see as useful vs. useless in a PM, and steps you can take to make sure you're relevant and valued, rather than relegated to a sideline, underappreciated role.
Leadership and the Project Lifecycle - PREMIUM
Nuances of how the valued PM role looks in different phases of a project.
Personal Time Management Assessment Log - MEMBER
See if you're getting sucked down into activities that add weight to the role without bringing along any real value.
Priorities, Goals, and Actions Alignment Worksheet - MEMBER
Career planning is a project too! Commit yourself to some goals that are directly aligned to your desired career role.
Project Manager Coaching Guidelines - PREMIUM
Find a mentor who will help you get from where you are to where you could be, based on these insights, and set up a coaching arrangement you both can trust.
Featured Article
Wild Success in 2008 through Optimism and High Self-esteem, by Kimberly Wiefling
"In spite of much rhetoric on the subject, and the holy grail of the triple constraint, you cannot measure your entire worth as a project leader, or the success of your project, purely by whether they are on-time, on-budget, and feature-complete. In fact, to do so could create a negative spiral that further undermines your chances of success."
Are you new to project management and wondering if everything that's going wrong in your project is due to your inexperience? Fret no more! If you are in the throes of a project gone haywire you can at least take solace in knowing that you are completely normal (well, at least in this one particular way). Projects are messy business and extremely challenging even for the most experienced leaders. Kimberly reminds us that in the midst of project challenges we have plenty of company. Read more »
[Editor's Note: Want to hear Kimberly for yourself? She'll be in Santa Clara, California on January 12 for the Creating a Vision Workshop. Check out our other contributors' appearances below.]Related Items:
Project Manager/Team Leader Roles & Responsibilities - PREMIUMFeel like you're responsible for everything? Not so. Reviewing some real-world project management expectations can be an eye-opener.
Project Cancellation Guidelines - PREMIUM
It can be tempting to just throw in the towel, but take the time to assess the situation thoughtfully, and cancel the project gracefully if it's called for.
Project Flexibility Matrix - MEMBER
Something has to be second priority, no matter what the execs say. Here's how to help them choose.
Why Plan? Let's Just Get Moving - GUEST
Read a chapter from Kimberly's book, Scrappy Project Management.
Where's ProjectConnections?
When they're not writing for ProjectConnections, our expert contributors and columnists keep a pretty busy calendar. We thought it was high time you all knew what they're up to, so you can have the opportunity to see them in person. The following appearances are not associated with ProjectConnections, but we think you ought to know about them anyway. These folks are worth hearing.
You can catch Kimberly Wiefling in Santa Clara, California on January 12 for the Creating a Vision Workshop. You have to be fast though. She never stands still for long!
If you're thinking of leaping into a PMP in the new year, Carl Pritchard is conducting a PMP Exam Prep session January 22-23 in Germantown, MD. Registration forms are available online (PDF).
Anita Wotiz, another frequent contributor (see in particular her Requirements Change Management Guideline), is teaching a Software Requirements Engineering class January 15-31, six sessions, Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the UCSC Extension campus in Cupertino. See the UCSC Extension website for more details, (course number 20094).
If you're planning ahead, and you're interested in Agile methodologies, look into the APLN Leadership Summit in Dallas, Texas, February 21-22. Kent McDonald is on the board of directors, and it's quite likely you'd be able to waylay him in the hallways. Early bird registration deadline is February 1.
Alan Koch will be in Dallas as well, but a few weeks earlier -- to lead an Agile Project Management Workshop on February 4-5. This workshop is PDU eligible (14 units), for those of you keeping track of such things.
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