I’ve recently become immersed in developing a much better understanding of the role, challenges and contributions of Project Management to an organization’s success, and I cringe when recalling the many examples I observed of executives strong-arming the project process to fit their objectives.  In the spirit of candor, I recall one or two instances where I might have asserted executive will to try and change the forces of the universe and get a new product out the door faster than my project manager said was humanly possible.  I also recall that the Project Manager ended up being right.

As professional project management practices (and project managers) grow in importance to a firm’s success (see my post: Struggling With Strategy? Think Project Management), it is critical that top leaders learn how to support the process rather than beat it into submission.  And because as the saying goes, "it takes two to tango," Project Managers need to learn how to "manage" their executives to minimize unproductive involvement or outright interference. 

Both parties have a vested interest in becoming great at project management and at supporting the development of project managers.  Both parties have a lot of work to do until they can claim success in this area.

First, my suggestions for Executives and Leaders:

  • Recognize that developing competence in project management is a critical organizational goal, and you as the leader or top manager have responsibility for helping the firm achieve this goal.  Your firm’s ability to organize, execute and deliver can be a key competitive advantage and a source of value creation for the firm and for customers.
  • Work hard to create an environment conducive to the development of best-practices project management.  In my book with Rich Petro, Practical Lessons in Leadership—A Guidebook for Aspiring and Experienced Leaders, we spend an entire chapter on what it means for a leader to focus on creating the right working environment for success.   Work with your project managers to identify where they need support.  Make certain that your leadership approach reinforces the need for both rigor and creativity in pursuit of projects.  Foster collaboration and encourage appropriate experimentation and risk-taking.  And when things go wrong, remember that this is a great opportunity for a constructive leadership lesson and resist the urge to seek a scapegoat.  After all, you are responsible.
  • Avoid the common reflex action of doubting your Project Manager.  Whether they recognize it or not, many leaders exhibit a visible distrust of their project managers, especially when questioning schedules and cost estimates.  Recognize that there is an art and science to scheduling and estimating, and guide your project manager on what is appropriate for your team or organization.  The project manager is not inherently guilty until proven innocent on cost or schedule, but they are reliant upon your leadership in working with the many professionals that have input into these areas.
  • Walk a mile in the project manager’s shoes.  Do a ride-along or whatever metaphor works here for you.  Spend quality time in some tactical project meetings and watch and observe the interplay between the project manager and the team members.  Chances are, you will walk away with some coaching opportunities for all parties involved and a better understanding of what you need to do to align your working environment with the goal of improving project management effectiveness.


Suggestions for Project Managers:

  • Keep it real.  With apologies for sounding like a judge on American Idol, one of the challenges of many freshly minted Project Management Professionals (PMP) is strict adherence of formal practices to an extreme.  An executive doesn’t want to be quoted chapter and verse of a certifying body when discussing ideas on improving schedules or shifting resources.  Choose your dialogue carefully and seek creative solutions to complex problems instead of falling back on what the "book" says.  No one is asking you to compromise, but you are responsible for being creative.
  • Develop a relationship with your executives and seek to develop a detailed understanding of your organization’s strategy.  All projects should be rooted in supporting a firm’s strategic goals, and you can become an invaluable resource in the project portfolio management process if you understand the overall strategy.
  • Recognize that like a leader, credibility is your currency as a project manager and seek ways to enhance your credibility through your words and actions every day.  (Sorry for the sales pitch, but this is a key theme in Practical Lessons in Leadership.)
  • Get to know what your leaders expect for performance (time, costs, resources).  The issues around estimating are fraught with peril.  Play it too close and unexpected issues will throw you way off.  Pad too much and you’ll quickly be identified as a sandbagger.  Learn the risk tolerance of your team and your executive, and work to hone your precision as you gain experience.

The bottom-line:

It is in everyone’s vested interest to become great at managing projects.  While operational excellence allows a firm to perform routine, repetitive tasks as effectively as possible, becoming great at managing and executing projects can be a strategic asset and source of value creation.  Both the executive and the project manager are responsible for success in this endeavor, and both can stand to improve considerably in how they work with and support each other.  The benefits from improving this collaboration are material and tangible.