The Art of Project Management:
4 Tenets for Success

There is hope, but only if IT professionals recognize that project management is not all about process! Many of the current crop of project managers think, for example, that if priorities are confused we just need a new and improved prioritization process. Problem solved. But they are ignoring the fact that processes are - or aren't - followed by people.
There's a people side to managing projects - an art that requires a fundamental change in the approach that most project managers take.

While techniques, tools and technology are important, it's relationship-building and interpersonal skills that are essential to project management success. Projects are not about technology and a good SDLC process. Projects are about people.

Four basic tenets that every project manager should internalize:

1. Understand Your Clients

Most project managers focus on delivering the required product within budget and designated timeframe. But the real goal of a project is not on-time-and-on-budget, it's client satisfaction and real business value. Understanding the interests of key players and making sure those key players are satisfied are critical success factors generally missing from the work breakdown structure. So focus less on the features and functions of your solution and more on the people for whom you designed them. You can't provide good service if you don't know who you're serving, what they want to achieve, and why.

2. Work On Your Relationships

Understanding your clients' goals is important, but getting to know them as people is important, too. The only way clients will call the project a success is if they perceive the overall experience as positive. Providing that positive experience requires a deft touch and a willingness to really listen and value your client's interests. Look for shared interests as a way of bringing people closer together to bridge different views. And find ways to spend time with key project players outside of your project meetings. You need their trust, and you can't win that by technical competence alone. So do lunch!
(also read "When Projects Founder Emotions Run High")

3. Grow Your Team

Nurturing a good team is not an engineering project. It's more like agriculture. You start with good seeds, put them in fertile soil, provide them with water and sunlight and - hopefully -- get a good crop. The best environment in which to grow a team is one that's open and invites members to discuss concerns. Take the time to listen well and to coach, rather than dictate, to grow the best possible team.

4. Own Your Project

Believe that you have a personal stake in the outcome of the project. If you don't have a sense that the project reflects your talents and abilities, then you won't be able to make the hard calls that a project often demands. But make sure everyone else owns it, too. That means not just taking control of the technical side of implementation, but taking ownership of the project in a more holistic sense - including all the people associated with your project, and all their positions. Keep focused on the big picture of how people are feeling about your project, how that shapes the interactions they have with each other, and how those factors can impact your project. Then you can help everyone get along, get things done, and maximize their project benefits.

Project management is truly a blend of both art and science. The science is pretty well documented, but the art of relationship management has been underemphasized. People accomplish goals when they feel good about what they are doing and what they will get from their efforts whether there's a clear process, or not. Focusing on the people side of projects isn't touchy-feely fluff - it's essential for project success

Bill Hagerup is a senior O&A consultant and contributing author to O&A's latest book, Leading IT Transformation: The Roadmap For Success. Hagerup is frequently quoted in industry publications such as Computerworld and CIO magazines, and provides training to O&A's clients in the areas of Project Management, Project Politics, and Business Requirements Management.