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Don’t execute a project plan in a vacuum—get input and cooperation from your team and the approval of senior management.

Do invest time in managing team members’ relationships.

Do accept uncertainty and change as being inevitable.

Do prepare for change by managing expectations and developing contingency plans.

Do adapt your management style to each project’s needs.

Managing Concurrent Projects

There are any number of project management methodologies that can help you manage concurrent projects. These methodologies systematize projects so that the process becomes standard and automatic. Their importance lies in the fact that taking a repeatable, managed systematic approach leads to higher quality, and therefore to a better project outcome.

Managers at the individual project level need consistent templates, tools, and definitions so that they can repeat their success from one project to another.

Managing Projects Strategically

As you become proficient at project management, you will rise above the day-to-day project milestones and take a broader, more strategic view of the projects for which you have responsibility. A good way to manage strategically is to pay attention to three basic phases: planning, implementation, and monitoring.

Planning. For any project, always have a plan in place that is realistic, well-defined, and structured. Know the outcome you expect, the deadlines you need to meet, and the resources that are available. Make sure that you bring people on board who have the skills you need.

“Everyone should feel as if his signature is on the finished product.”

—Ray Evernham,

NASCAR crew chief

Implementation. Executing any project requires the discipline to follow steps in a logical sequence. However, seasoned project managers know that things can, and often do, veer from the anticipated path. That is why it is important to be prepared for change and to be as flexible as possible.

Effective project implementation also requires that you delegate work to your team members. Make sure you are delegating the right work to the right people. Then motivate them to complete the project as a team.

Monitoring. Monitor the progress of each project continuously. Consider other concurrent projects that may compete for resources, including people. Finally, apply your experiences in completing one project to the successful completion of others.

Essential Skill IV Leadership & Communication

“Management is the efficiency of climbing the ladder of success. Leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”

—Stephen Covey,

author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Being an effective leader is not a right, it is a privilege—a privilege bestowed by those you lead. A leader is not much of a leader without people who are willing to follow.

This is why the first lesson of leadership is this: Inspire trust. People want to be able to put their trust in a leader.

People want to follow someone they can believe in, someone who displays character, someone whose vision makes sense to them. In today’s corporate environment, people especially want to follow a leader with high moral and ethical standards.

A leader must look deep inside, examine his or her convictions, and validate that they are in keeping with the goals of the organization. Knowing yourself is important if you are to effectively lead others.

POWER POINTS

TOP LEADERSHIP TRAITS

The best leaders possess some of these important characteristics:

Honesty

Confidence

Vision

Intelligence

Fairness

Broad-mindedness

Courage

Straightforwardness

Imagination

SOURCE: The Tom Peters Group, www.tompeters.com.

Dos & Dont’s

LEADERSHIP BASICS

Your integrity will be apparent in your actions as a leader.

Do know yourself and your own convictions.

Don’t assume people will follow you unless they trust you.

Don’t tell people something you don’t believe yourself.

Paint a Picture

A leader must be able to paint a picture of a goal that people can attain together.