As we enter a new year and even a new decade, it could be an appropriate time to look at good resolutions I could take (and that you may want to consider) to improve my (your) effectiveness in Project Management.
- develop project team members
- understand the business objectives of the project
- respect all commitments that I accepted
- plan the full project in details and execute in steps
- know, communicate and manage the critical path
- anticipate and plan for changes
- demonstrate flexibility
- do not fudge with PM ethics
- lead with a positive and collaborative attitude
- focus on people
1. develop project team members
Very early in my professional life, as I was reaching my first management position, I met with Yves, a great Human Resources Director at Digital Equipment. He asked me: « what is the number 1 priority for a manager? ». As I was still reflecting on the question, his own answer came very clear and loud: « your priority #1 is to develop the resources that are under your responsibility. If there is only one thing you shall learn from working at DEC, this is it! » While Yves was referring to people management roles rather than project management at the time, I strongly feel that his advice applies even more so to PMs.
As a project manager, resources are under my leadership for the duration of the project, it is my responsibility to get the best out of these project team members and also help them grow as much as possible.
Doing so serves the project; it will help the team members to find an interesting next assignment when the project completes; and it benefits the company that gains better resources working for it. It can be done through a combination of exposure to new tasks, coaching, challenging members to go further, providing them the support and training they need. Of course, a prerequisite is to know my team members. I’ll need to have a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, their past experiences, and their personal objectives, to build on these for the success of the project and their own professional development.
2. understand the business objectives of the project
Too often, as a project manager, I was told about my project objectives only in terms of schedule, deliverables and budget, without real explanations about why the project was critical or important for the business. So, I focused on delivering a quality product on time and on budget. Not so bad.
But, on one occasion (the deployment of an Enterprise Resource Planning solution) it came as a surprise to me that, while the sacred triangle of Project Management had been fully satisfied and somewhat exceeded on one of the dimensions (23M of costs versus 25M budgeted), my customers were only partially satisfied. How could this be? Well, I learned that the project as defined did not fully take into account what critical users would perceive as success. Their perception was in fact limited to the reports they could get from the system to run the business. They had little if any visibility of how the reengineered processes drove greater efficiency, or the guaranteed data integrity of the new systems, or the improved data consolidation mechanisms, or the benefits coming fro the unification of processes…
So, on my projects in 2010, I will ensure that I better understand the business results expected by my customers, how they will perceive and measure these and how I can establish a baseline, with a picture of the current situation, to put in evidence the improvements brought by the project.
Understanding the expectations that key stakeholders have of the project will also make it easier for me to communicate clearly to the project team and to focus our attention on these.
3. respect all commitments that I accepted
The first thing I shall do to enable the above is to learn to say « NO ». It is never easy to say no but we all learn the hard way that it’s even more difficult to respect an unachievable commitment.
This applies of course to project budget, schedule, resources… It also applies to how I handle relationships with others: team members to whom I could be tempted to make promises that are beyond my control (especially true in the matrix organizations we often evolve into), sponsors who can decide to appoint another PM, stakeholders who often have conflicting but nevertheless understandable requirements, boss who has pressure from the top…
It will also be wise that I order these commitments by priority for my customers and that we are very clear on which ones leave room for negotiation if need be.
One of my first managers used to say: « time, cost, quality: pick any two and give me some freedom on the third one ».
4. plan the full project in details and execute in steps
I will plan the full project in as much details as possible. Of course, the immediate next phases may be planned with greater granularity but it’s important to have a reasonable level of details for the entire project. Without this, it is not possible to predict the time and costs and resources required over time for the project. This also sets the tone and makes the overall project’s deliverables clear for me and for team members as well as stakeholders and sponsors.
It is also particularly useful to have the full view before accepting to crash or timebox the project’s schedule or to respond to a demand to do it with limited resources or budget. It allows me to understand where I and the team are making compromises, the risks this creates and to reset expectations accordingly.
The execution of the project will in my experience almost always benefit from staged or phased deliverables. It allows the team to focus on a limited scope; it energizes us to meet a deadline that’s closer to us; it creates confidence in ourselves and builds trust with the customer as he can start to see and touch some deliverables; a quicker feedback loop is there in case adjustments are required; and it enables progressive testing.
5. know, communicate and manage the critical path
The critical path is a good communication tool towards teams and management. It presents a logical succession of tasks that lead to a successful conclusion when all are executed on time. It enables focus on key tasks and can serve as a basis for prioritization decisions.
However, most PM tools will display only one critical path on my project based on resources, dependencies between tasks and progress made. I have learned over time that there may be multiple other critical activities that the tool will not detect as « critical path » tasks. However, some could lead to greater delays if not completed on time. An example on one of my projects was the task related to communicating an IT application’s objectives to the end users whose work would be impacted upon its introduction. We had plenty of time to do this while building the software and it took only a few days to execute it in the end. Because it was not highly visible on the project’s critical path (small effort, due date quite late in the schedule), we focused on it very late and it caused major issues for the project when treated as a rush activity.
So, apply your experience, common sense and your holistic understanding of the project rather than blindly trust the critical path proposed by the tool you use. Question the proposed critical path to understand why some tasks you did not suspect to be critical are there and others that your guts tell you to worry about are not on the critical path,.
6. anticipate and plan for changes
First things first, in order to anticipate changes, I will start by solidifying the requirements with a very strong stakeholders’ buy in to establish a clear scope and perimeter for the project.
Of course, this will never prevent justifiable changes to be required but it can limit them significantly. And, I will implement a clear, simple and fast turn around process to handle demands for modifications, including who may submit them, the vetting process, the estimating approach and decision criteria.
I will also keep in mind that the process does not operate in a vacuum and that changes outside the project’s perimeter will potentially affect it. It could be a change of an executive who happens to be a stakeholder, a move of the competition, new entrants or modifications in the market place…
By the way, there could be positive changes that enable me to produce better deliverables sooner or cheaper. For example, it happened to me that a service management system we were developing for one of our regions was then selected to be rolled out Worldwide. While it increased the project’s scope, costs and timeline, the cost per end user of the solution was drastically reduced overall, enabling greater and more homogenized services for the company at lower cost.
7. demonstrate flexibility
Of course, I learned as a project manager a number of approaches, methods and best practices for each of the nine specific knowledge areas of project management proposed by PMI® (www.pmi.org): integration, scope, risk, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications and procurement.
However, it is of crucial importance that I remain open and flexible about which one to apply to my specific project and context. For example, an agile development approach may fit well the software development of a new web front end for monthly Key Performance Indicators visualization, while a waterfall approach may be better suited for an Enterprise Resource Planning solution deployment.
I will also always look for new techniques, approaches, and tools. Especially ones other team members may have experienced with success on prior projects. I.e. I’ll always be looking for ways to learn and progress. For example, I learned to implement very productive short daily issues review meetings for critical projects as it had been successfully used in the past by our sponsor. On a different project, I learned about the criticality of learning about local culture. I tried (unsuccessfullyL) to run a brainstorming session with my Japanese colleagues before understanding that there was a better suited approach to draw requirements and establish priorities with them.
8. lead by example with the PM ethics
Since 1981, PMI® developed progressively a code of ethics and professional conduct. http://www.pmi.org/PDF/ap_pmicodeofethics.pdf
As certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), I am committed to doing what is right and honorable. This Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct describes the expectations that we have of ourselves and our fellow practitioners in the global project management community. It articulates the ideals to which we aspire as well as the behaviors that are mandatory in our professional and volunteer roles.
I will continue to make mine these values that the global project management community defined as most important: responsibility, respect, fairness, and honesty.
9. lead with a positive and collaborative attitude
I will certainly continue to be under heavy pressure from management and customers to deliver a superb product in a reduced timeframe and with limited resources.
This shall not prevent me from creating and maintaining a positive attitude in the team.
I shall also provide a collaborative environment where the team’s communications are facilitated. The tools are there, we just need to facilitate their implementation and usage.
The objective is to build an atmosphere that recognizes the urgency, the pressure, the amount of effort required by each of us and also one that shows confidence in our joint ability to succeed. The project manager like any leader is looked at by collaborators a little bit as an orchestra conductor. So, his positive leadership sets the tome and influences the overall ability of each player as well as the perception of the customers and engagement of stakeholders. More on Project Leadership.
10. focus on people
Focus on people: the team members I shall develop (see resolution 1), the customers and stakeholders I shall satisfy (see 2, 3, 6), my family with whom I will spend as much quality time as possible.
I will keep in mind that a project is a temporary endeavor while the relationships I build during its course last much longer.
Does this title sound odd to you? Are you like many PMs trying to escape audits as much as possible? Do you consider them as a waste of time at best and a potential killer in extreme cases?
For example, we were audited during an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system construction and deployment. It was an internal audit. Once we understood that the focus was essentially to ensure that we were in control of project spend and managing the risks correctly, it was easy for the team to provide clear evidence of what we were doing in these areas. We showed our expenses tracking process, time tracking method, issues log and risk register. The Chief Finance Officer was reassured by the findings. Additionally, the auditors helped us to further highlight our top risks to the steering committee during a specific risk management brainstorming and review session with them.
You should also consider that the auditors will most certainly have some checkpoints with management and audit sponsors. They will share their progress at these sessions, expose findings, test the water on initial ideas (to see potential reactions), and at a later stage present recommendations (draft and final).
We shared our recommendations with the project team before management and also helped define and put in place action plans to address the identified issues. We even followed up after the audit on execution of these action plans. This, I am sure, was much more beneficial to the company than a one-off report.
As a conclusion, I suggest that if your project is not yet being audited, you consider which areas could be improved using external advice and eventually solicit an audit on these: Get help before someone above you decides that you need to be helped.
I suggest in this note looking closely at the ways each of us could improve the effectiveness of the trainings in which we get the chance to participate. This is only a personal return of experience and I encourage you to enrich it with your comments.
Other important criterion: pre-requisites. Do I have the experience and the necessary knowledge so that this learning can be beneficial? If I attend an advanced class of preparation for the PMP® certification without the required experience (3 years minimum as a PM) and without having done the preliminary classes, there is a strong risk that it’ll be of little value.
Considering my workload, is the timing convenient to undertake this training course? I had the chance to follow several intense education programs (several months long): IT consulting university, preparation for the PMP® certification, Intrapreneurship University. All three were very dense and demanding with long periods out of the office and far away from home. With on top of it, personal work I had to provide between the classes of the programme, and requiring availability and concentration. If I engage in a long cursus: will my family bear with me?
Let’s not waste time pointlessly seeking classes which would not be approved (unless you have decided to pay from your own pocket or to use your DIF for the French people). Of course, my ability to convince can be essential as well as my positioning of the training in a logical manner with regard to my job and ambitions. But, the budgets are not extensible and some classes very expensive in cost and at time: so, do not jump this step. Will my boss be ready to help me to put into practice what I will learn: new tasks, responsibilities or projects, with coaching (by him or others), by giving me some time to prepare for the certification …
Diverse vectors of research are to be used: the human resources department of the company, colleagues, manager, the Internet and especially professional forums and blogs, the training companies and bodies… For larger studies, it is also interesting to take into account: the reputation of the provider and of its education programme, the trainer (a lot of information on internet if you succeed in obtaining a name). For example, some trainers for the PMP® Exam preparation have a success rate of their students that is close to 100 %. Select these!
I cut the telephone, emails, and I took my precautions to avoid any non-absolutely critical interrupt. The periods of training are rare enough that we take advantage of these well by dedicating ourselves 100 %. I thus made sure that all those who could need to join me as a matter of urgency know who to contact in my place or at what time I shall be contactable. Personally, I try to set time slots to read urgent emails, check the answering machine and SMS in an asynchronous mode (i.e. when it is the best moment for me) and I stick to these.
It is necessary to create for ourselves opportunities to practice what we recently acquired. Otherwise we’ll very rapidly forget it. If the initial preparation stage prior to the course was well followed, I have defined my motivations for this training and convinced my boss to invest in me. It is necessary upon my return to review this list of motivations and to turn it into a list of concrete objectives to implement in order to really master the new skill. For example, if I attended a class on risk management, I will commit upon return to revise within a couple of weeks the risk analysis of my main project (in the lights of the new methodology) and to produce corresponding deliverables: risks register, risk evaluation, priorities, risk management plan, method for periodic control … If it was a course on the presentation skills, I try to create an opportunity in the month to come to deliver a presentation to a wide audience…
I met new persons (including the trainer). Some of them very interesting and with whom I have discovered affinities. I’ll keep in touch. I’ll send them a message after the class, suggest remaining connected via a professional network (Linkedin, Viadeo or others), send them regularly some news about me and interesting articles on the subject we studied together, if possible I’ll organizing meetings to keep the link alive…
Quelles sont mes motivations pour cette formation? Me sera-t-elle réellement utile dans un futur relativement proche? Personnellement, j’évite toute formation spécialisée dont je ne pense pas pouvoir utiliser les enseignements dans les 3 mois. Cette réflexion permet également de préparer l’ « Après formation ».
Le moment est-il propice compte tenu de ma charge de travail pour suivre cette formation? J’ai eu la chance de participer à plusieurs programmes musclés de formation sur plusieurs mois : école de consulting informatique, préparation au PMP®, Intrapreneurship University. Les trois furent très intenses et exigeants avec des périodes de plusieurs semaines hors du bureau et loin de la maison. Avec en sus, du travail personnel et d’équipe à réaliser entre les étapes de la formation et exigeant une disponibilité d’esprit et de concentration. Une question à se poser pour une formation longue: Ma famille me supportera-t-elle?
Bien sûr, mon habileté à convaincre peut être primordiale ainsi que ma capacité à bien positionner la formation de manière logique par rapport à mon job et mes ambitions. Mais, les budgets n’étant pas extensibles et certaines formations très chères en argent et en temps.
Divers vecteurs de recherche sont à exploiter: le département ressources humaines de l’entreprise, les collègues, le manager, le web avec en particulier les forums et blogs professionnels, les organismes de formation… Il est également intéressant de prendre en compte pour des formations supérieures ou plus longues : la réputation de l’organisme et du cursus de formation, le formateur (beaucoup d’infos sur internet si vous parvenez à obtenir son nom). Par exemples, certains formateurs à l’examen PMP® atteignent des taux de réussite de leurs élèves qui frisent les 100%. Autant choisir ceux-là!
Je coupe le téléphone, les emails, et je prends mes précautions pour éviter toute interruption non réellement critique. Les périodes de formation sont suffisamment rares pour bien en profiter en s’y consacrant à 100%. Je m’assure donc que tous ceux qui peuvent avoir besoin de me joindre en urgence sachent qui joindre à ma place ou à quelle heure je serai joignable. Je me définis des créneaux pour vérifier de manière asynchrone (quand c’est le bon moment pour moi) les emails, répondeurs téléphoniques, SMS… et je n’en déroge pas.
Il faut se créer les opportunités de pratiquer ce que nous avons récemment acquis sous peine de l’oublier très rapidement. Si l’étape de préparation a bien été suivie, j’ai défini mes motivations pour cette formation et convaincu mon chef d’investir sur moi. Il est nécessaire au retour de formation de reprendre cette liste de motivations et d’en faire une liste d’objectifs concrets à mettre en œuvre pour réellement maîtriser cette nouvelle compétence. Par exemple, si j’ai assisté à un cours sur le management des risques, je m’engage au retour à revoir sous quinzaine l’étude des risques de mon projet principal aux lumières de la nouvelle méthodologie et de produire les livrables correspondants: registre des risques, évaluation, priorités, plan de management, méthode de suivi périodique… Si c’était un cours sur les techniques de présentation, j’essaierai de me créer une opportunité de présenter à une large audience dans le mois qui suit…
J’ai rencontré de nouvelles personnes (dont le formateur). Certaines très intéressantes et avec lesquelles j’ai des affinités. Je garde le contact. J’envoie un message après le cours à ces personnes, suggérant de rester connectés sur un réseau professionnel (Linkedin, Viadeo ou autres), j’envoie régulièrement de mes nouvelles et des articles intéressants sur le sujet étudié ensemble, si possible j’organise des rencontres pour garder le lien…
I have been privileged, thanks to my activities within the professional association PMI® during 15+ years and my professional activities since 30 years, to meet many project managers in France and abroad.
How could we communicate clearly if we do not have a very clear vision of the project? It is critical to grasp and integrate all the objectives of the project: financial, professional, technical, human, process, strategic, tactical … An exercise that is both complex and necessary. As long as we do not understand in the details the objectives of the project, we cannot synthesize and explain them in a simple and understandable way.
For the technicians, the fact that we were migrating towards a leading software package in the industry (Oracle eBusiness suite not to mention it),
We often walk a tightrope between the satisfaction of the desires of our customers and our understanding (and that of our teams) of what is feasible or not. The compromises are numerous during a big project to find the fine balance between desire and reality.
Also, it will be necessary to pay very high attention to details while keeping a little distance to maintain a global view of the project and its final objectives. Not always easy to raise our eyes towards the horizon when the daily tasks monopolize us.![Image courtesy of stockimages] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net](https://dantotsupm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/well-informed-and-consulted.jpg?w=200&h=133)
We can be in a situation where we have to decide before midnight if we backtrack in the installation of the new version of the software (that is taking longer than planned) or continue (at the risk of no-return solution in due time). We can have a limited window of opportunity. For example, have to launch the project operational on January 1st or postpone it by several months or even cancel it altogether if we are not ready on time.
It is almost impossible to create a reliable climate without demonstrating every day your confidence in the team, in its members and in our capacity to make together the project a success. It is often easier as a first reaction not to trust. We may wish to take back a task previously allocated to someone because his first deliverables are not matching what we expected in terms of contents, quality or duration. We can be tempted to request heavy and\or too frequent reporting. We can even simply stretch out excessively the duration of certain tasks for a given person due to a lack of confidence in his capabilities … However, the slightest error is fatal. The lack of trust will be perceived by the interested party and by his team-mates. It takes a lot of time to gain trust and only seconds to lose it.
This one is all the more difficult when the project manager is himself an expert of the domain and capable of executing perfectly the task he delegates. It also may happen that a task appears so important to us that we think we cannot possibly delegate it. The leader will start by surrounding himself with good skills, better than his own as much as possible. He will attempt to develop the resources which are entrusted to him through giving them difficult, critical, complex assignments and by providing them the necessary support to succeed. I have been favored to work with some great leaders and it always was a pleasure to learn and to grow next to them. All had very different styles but in common this capacity to trust you. A trust you do not want to disappoint.
For example, during my first professional visit to Japan, I have very stupidly (but I learned it only later) tried to conduct with my Japanese colleagues the same session of brainstorming as realized with a lot of success in Europe and in North America. Complete disaster! After a course upon my return about the Japanese culture, I was able to appreciate not only my error but also the very uncomfortable situation in which I had involuntarily placed my colleagues (my apologies again, Hiroshi-San). I had happily asked at a common session and without preparation to persons of very different hierarchical levels to exchange openly on their ideas. I went against their very mode of operation as teams where they try to understand/test in small touches the positions of each other before softly pushing ideas. Nothing is innate in this domain of intercultural work and nothing is ever acquired. It is necessary to constantly keep it in mind.
I had on the last point, « to lead by example », animated discussions with some project managers. I shall let you be your own judges. Personally, I sincerely think that the leader project manager has to lead by example.
…with his team and customers, particularly in the case of geographically distributed teams. The « open door » attitude and the management by « wandering around » are particularly effective. Cooperative tools can reproduce at distance a certain level openness and even create proximity: instant messaging, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs …
An English consultant with whom I worked for several years had a very sharp sense of politics in his most interesting meaning for us as project managers. He always asked the question (and often out at loud so that I could benefit from his experience): « What could Mr or Mrs X gain in helping us to make this project a success? ». This voluntarily positive attitude in the search of how to sell the project to such or such person was very useful in the numerous countries and organizations we worked with. The corollary « what could Mr or Mrs. X be afraid of or have to lose because of the project « is also interesting to work on your selling arguments. (Thank you for your numerous advices Ralph)
J’ai eu la chance, grâce à mes activités au sein de l’association PMI® pendant plus de 10 ans et à mes activités professionnelles depuis 25 ans, de rencontrer de nombreux chefs de projet en France comme à l’étranger.
On m’a si souvent demandé ce qui faisait que certain chefs de projet étaient considérés comme des gestionnaires de projet alors que d’autres avaient une véritable dimension de leader que je me suis penché sur la question. J’ai lu de nombreux articles, notamment de PMI®, discuté avec des chefs de projet et des managers expérimentés. J’ai donné des présentations et animé des sessions sur ce thème dans nos différents forums professionnels de rencontre de PMI France-Sud (Sophia Antipolis, Grenoble, Marseille). A chaque fois, au-delà de la présentation en elle-même, ce fut le débat avec les chefs de projets novices et expérimentés qui fut la partie la plus intéressante et qui me permit d’enrichir encore mes propos.
J’ai essayé de synthétiser les attitudes, qualités et caractéristiques que j’ai retrouvées chez les plus brillants des chefs de projets que j’ai côtoyés en 7 attributs principaux qui en font des leaders exceptionnels.
L’un de ces succès était un projet de déploiement de système intégré financier et logistique. La vision synthétique était que ce projet allait permettre à l’ensemble de la compagnie de partager une vérité unique sur ses comptes dans le monde entier, à tous les niveaux hiérarchiques, et pour chacune des divisions métier et lignes de produit. Les déclinaisons par type d’interlocuteur intégraient ce cœur de message et y ajoutait les messages spécifiques aux diverses populations d’interlocuteurs:
Le second exemple auquel je pense est en fait un contre-exemple. Notre objectif était de déployer un système d’allocation automatique des interventions sur équipements électroniques à des techniciens de maintenance. Le message était clair: la solution, en optimisant les temps de trajet des techniciens, accroîtrait la satisfaction des clients et notre productivité. Le message retenu par le terrain fut seulement la partie accroissement de productivité. Celle-ci fut rapidement traduite en accroissement de charge de travail, risques de pertes d’emploi, et moins d’autonomie par les principaux intéressés (les techniciens) dans le choix des incidents à traiter. Hors, ce sont précisément eux qui pouvaient faire du projet un succès ou un échec. Donc, une mauvaise communication de la vision vers les techniciens. De plus, les responsables de clientèle qui auraient facilement compris et su expliquer les bénéfices à leurs clients furent oubliés dans la communication. Après une période initiale très réussie de tests en situation réelle survinrent les inévitables premiers problèmes. Les responsables de clientèles supportèrent la fronde des techniciens. Ceci aboutit à l’abandon pur et simple du projet.
objectifs et motivation de l’équipe
Nous sommes souvent sur la corde raide entre la satisfaction des désirs de nos clients et notre compréhension (et celle de nos équipes) de ce qui est faisable ou pas. Les compromis sont nombreux au cours d’un grand projet pour réussir ce juste équilibre entre désir et réalité.
De même, il faudra prêter très grande attention aux détails tout en gardant un peu de distance pour conserver la vue d’ensemble du projet et de ses objectifs finaux. Pas toujours facile de lever les yeux sur l’horizon quand les taches quotidiennes nous accaparent.
pas assez de données
Plus concrètement, il n’est pas rare que nous n’ayons pas assez de données pour prendre une décision réellement informée et basée sur des certitudes. Dans d’autres cas, c’est le surplus d’informations qui tue l’information et nous sommes noyés sous la masse. Ou encore, les consultants ou experts qui ont étudié le sujet ne parviennent pas à dégager de meilleure option parmi celles qu’ils ont identifiées, ou n’arrivent pas à s’accorder sur une recommandation commune.
De surcroît, certaines décisions ne peuvent être reportées. Nous pouvons avoir à décider avant minuit si l’on fait machine arrière dans l’installation de la nouvelle version du logiciel (qui est en train de déborder er de prendre plus longtemps que prévu) ou bien si l’on continue quand même (au risque de plus avoir le temps de revenir à l’état antérieur). Nous pouvons avoir une fenêtre de tir limitée. Par exemple, devoir lancer le projet en mode opérationnel le 1er janvier ou le reporter de plusieurs mois voire même l’annuler si nous ne sommes pas prêts.
confiance en l’équipe
Le sujet suivant de ce même thème est la délégation. Celle-ci est d’autant plus difficile que le chef de projet est lui-même expert du domaine et capable d’exécuter parfaitement la tache qu’il délègue. Il arrive aussi qu’une tache nous paraisse si importante que l’on pense ne pouvoir la déléguer. Le leader commencera par s’entourer des bonnes compétences, meilleures que lui-même autant que possible. Il s’attachera à développer les ressources qui lui sont confiées en leur donnant des missions difficiles, critiques, complexes et en leur assurant le support nécessaire à leur réalisation. J’ai eu la chance de travailler avec quelques vrai leaders dans mon parcours et ce fut toujours un plaisir d’apprendre et de grandir à leur coté. Tous avaient des styles très différents mais en commun cette capacité à faire confiance. Une confiance que l’on ne veut décevoir.
Par exemple, lors de ma première visite professionnelle au Japon, j’ai très stupidement (mais je ne l’ai su que plus tard) essayé de faire avec mes collègues japonais la même session de brainstorming que celles réalisées avec beaucoup de succès en Europe et en Amérique du nord. Fiasco sur toute la ligne! Après un cours de rattrapage en rentrant sur la culture Japonaise, j’ai pu apprécier non seulement mon erreur mais aussi la situation très inconfortable dans laquelle j’avais mis involontairement mes collègues. J’avais allègrement demandés sur une séance commune et sans préparation à des personnes de niveaux hiérarchiques très différents d’échanger ouvertement leurs idées. J’allais à l’encontre même de leur mode de fonctionnement en équipe où l’on cherche à comprendre/tester à petites touches les positions de chacun avant d’avancer des idées. Rien n’est inné dans ce domaine du travail entre plusieurs cultures et rien n’est jamais acquis. Il faut sans cesse y penser.
savoir écouter
Pour recevoir des commentaires francs et sincères, il est nécessaire d’établir une relation de proximité (et de confiance voir point 4) avec ses équipes et ses clients, particulièrement dans le cas d’équipes géographiquement distribuées. L’attitude de la porte ouverte (de son bureau) et le management par la promenade dans les bureaux (« wandering around ») sont particulièrement efficaces. Les outils coopératifs peuvent reproduire à distance une certaine ouverture et même créer une proximité: messageries instantanées, « twitter », SMS, blogs…
on ne peut pas toujours faire plaisir à tout le monde
Un projet est rarement un long fleuve tranquille. Les remous seront nombreux et les passages difficiles aussi. Lorsque les choses vont bien, il est plus facile d’être positif et constructif. Hors c’est quand elles se durcissent et ne vont pas comme on le souhaiterait, qu’il est le plus important pour le leader de garder à l’esprit que son attitude est observée et qu’elle est primordiale pour les membres de l’équipe. Il ne peut baisser les bras, se laisser aller à des commentaires pessimistes… Il est la force constructive qui pas à pas, brique après brique, aide l’équipe projet à progresser vers des solutions satisfaisantes sinon idéales.
rester à l’écoute de l’environnement
• séparer la communication poussée/push de celle de traction/pull. Mettez les détails à disposition dans un endroit comme un portail de projet) où les gens qui ont besoin du détail peuvent facilement le récupérer (traction/pull). Tout ce que vous envoyez (la poussée/push) devrait se concentrer sur les points majeurs et les informations qui exigent une action.
séparer le passé de l’avenir. Le rapport sur ce qui est arrivé la semaine dernière n’a aucune valeur pour le projet à moins qu’il ne contienne les informations qui influenceront des décisions futures. Des données historiques sont nécessaires pour les comptables et les administrateurs financiers. Les leaders de projet et les membres de l’équipe ont besoin d’informations prévisionnelles, se concentrant sur ce qui pourrait arriver dans l’avenir et ce qu’il faudrait faire pour améliorer la situation.
se concentrer sur les besoins des récepteurs de la communication (destinataires). Assurez-vous que vous donnez à votre audience les informations qui vont les aider à réussir le projet. Les membres de l’équipe ont besoin de savoir quel travail faire cette semaine et la suivante. Les managers ont besoin de savoir ce sur quoi ils doivent prendre des décisions.
Et rappelez-vous la Loi de Cohn : plus vous passez de temps à faire un rapport sur ce que vous faites, moins de temps vous avez pour faire quoi que ce soit. Le point mort est atteint quand vous passez tout votre temps à rapporter sur l’inexistence de ce que vous faites.
Un bon article d’introduction et de démystification de cette technique d’estimation des points de fonction qui est très répandue pour l’évaluation des charges de développement logiciel (documentations et tests compris).
