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Wednesday, May 2. 2007
Project Management Woes? 10 Tips for Success
Grenny
That's not good for you -- or your organization. But how do you express your concerns without looking like a traitor or slacker? Joseph Grenny, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High," offers a 10-point remedy...
1. Gather facts and question your hunches.
Cynicism is the order of the day in most companies, so it's fashionable to predict failure. It can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When people believe a project will fail they withhold effort—contributing to the project's failure. Avoid becoming part of the problem by carefully gathering facts about the project's status and weaknesses—as well as its strengths. Thoughtfully compare these conditions to past successes and failures and be willing to admit when project problems are not a matter of life or death.
2. Challenge your boss, first and most.
Sometimes it can be hard to speak up about problems with a project when that project is being headed by your immediate boss. However, don't take the easy way out by criticizing your boss to others when you haven't spoken with the boss about the issue directly. And be sure when you do disagree with your boss, you are 100 percent candid while remaining 100 percent respectful. Many people give themselves much higher marks for candor than the actual conversation shows. They sugarcoat and understate their concerns with the boss, then report later to others that they were absolutely honest. The best way to honor your boss is with the truth. So be as candid with him or her as you would be with others on the project.
3. Document your communication and register disagreement.
If your boss disagrees on your assessment of project risks, or there is a likelihood your concerns will be filtered on the way up the chain of command, be sure to save e-mails documenting the feedback you gave. You need to do this for two reasons: 1) To drive learning. If it turns out you were right, it's important that you be able to provide evidence that bad results were predictable—and, therefore, potentially avoidable; 2) To protect yourself. If blame is assessed later you are fully within your rights to produce evidence that you did your level best. Also, once you've registered and documented your disagreements, swallow your pride and get behind your leaders. Don't set your boss up by pretending to go along then producing evidence of disagreement later. Let him or her know you "disagree and commit."
4. Keep your boss in the loop.
If you are participating in a project cross-functionally, you are within your rights to consider sharing feedback independent of the chain of command. However, make sure you cover your bases (and rear) by letting your boss know when you're making controversial statements that could come back to him or her.
5. Separate "whether" and "how" questions with boss.
If your boss agrees that the project is at risk but disagrees about raising a red flag, be sure when you discuss your concerns you separate these two questions. Many people make the mistake of talking to their boss about their concerns and not realizing the boss is disagreeing because he or she doesn't want to make waves rather than because he or she thinks all is well. Play it smart by separating these two conversations. Secure agreement first about the real concerns. When you are both in agreement, brainstorm politically appropriate ways of raising the concerns. If you let these two concerns get muddled, you'll force the boss to argue with you about project risks when you may really have no disagreement there.
6. Admit your own fallibility.
Always remember that no matter how much experience you have, when it comes to complex projects the conversation is less about truth than probability. You may see risks differently than others do. Accept that you aren't the sole possessor of truth. Not only that, but others may see a bigger picture than you and understand that risk to quality, for example, may be acceptable in order to get something to market quickly. Perhaps a B-quality project launched on time is better for larger reasons than an A-quality project launched a year from now. So keep an open mind when you're looking for the facts.
7. Don't exaggerate for effect.
A resistant audience is looking for ways to poke holes in your data and argument. If you cross the line of exaggeration for effect, you become very vulnerable to others attacking your exaggeration. When this happens, you've lost your point. Your overstatement of your data becomes the issue rather than the risk you were trying to raise.
8. Motivate by sharing natural consequences.
Consider the needs, interests and worries of those you're addressing. Not everyone is motivated by flawless execution to the same degree. Help them see how both overall interests and their own will be affected by current policies.
9. Share conclusions tentatively.
When you finish sharing your facts—the evidence you have for concern about the project—candidly share your conclusion. But describe it as your conclusion, not as a fact. Say, "Based on this analysis, I'm convinced we're going to miss schedule" rather than "There's no way we'll make the schedule." The first is stated as a conclusion. The second is a conclusion disguised as a fact. The first invites challenge and dialogue. The second provokes opposition.
10. Invite dialogue.
The goal of your crucial conversation should be both to share and to learn. After sharing your tentative conclusions, influence with your ears—by listening intently to others' views.
Cynicism is the order of the day in most companies, so it's fashionable to predict failure. It can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When people believe a project will fail they withhold effort—contributing to the project's failure. Avoid becoming part of the problem by carefully gathering facts about the project's status and weaknesses—as well as its strengths. Thoughtfully compare these conditions to past successes and failures and be willing to admit when project problems are not a matter of life or death.
2. Challenge your boss, first and most.
Sometimes it can be hard to speak up about problems with a project when that project is being headed by your immediate boss. However, don't take the easy way out by criticizing your boss to others when you haven't spoken with the boss about the issue directly. And be sure when you do disagree with your boss, you are 100 percent candid while remaining 100 percent respectful. Many people give themselves much higher marks for candor than the actual conversation shows. They sugarcoat and understate their concerns with the boss, then report later to others that they were absolutely honest. The best way to honor your boss is with the truth. So be as candid with him or her as you would be with others on the project.
3. Document your communication and register disagreement.
If your boss disagrees on your assessment of project risks, or there is a likelihood your concerns will be filtered on the way up the chain of command, be sure to save e-mails documenting the feedback you gave. You need to do this for two reasons: 1) To drive learning. If it turns out you were right, it's important that you be able to provide evidence that bad results were predictable—and, therefore, potentially avoidable; 2) To protect yourself. If blame is assessed later you are fully within your rights to produce evidence that you did your level best. Also, once you've registered and documented your disagreements, swallow your pride and get behind your leaders. Don't set your boss up by pretending to go along then producing evidence of disagreement later. Let him or her know you "disagree and commit."
4. Keep your boss in the loop.
If you are participating in a project cross-functionally, you are within your rights to consider sharing feedback independent of the chain of command. However, make sure you cover your bases (and rear) by letting your boss know when you're making controversial statements that could come back to him or her.
5. Separate "whether" and "how" questions with boss.
If your boss agrees that the project is at risk but disagrees about raising a red flag, be sure when you discuss your concerns you separate these two questions. Many people make the mistake of talking to their boss about their concerns and not realizing the boss is disagreeing because he or she doesn't want to make waves rather than because he or she thinks all is well. Play it smart by separating these two conversations. Secure agreement first about the real concerns. When you are both in agreement, brainstorm politically appropriate ways of raising the concerns. If you let these two concerns get muddled, you'll force the boss to argue with you about project risks when you may really have no disagreement there.
6. Admit your own fallibility.
Always remember that no matter how much experience you have, when it comes to complex projects the conversation is less about truth than probability. You may see risks differently than others do. Accept that you aren't the sole possessor of truth. Not only that, but others may see a bigger picture than you and understand that risk to quality, for example, may be acceptable in order to get something to market quickly. Perhaps a B-quality project launched on time is better for larger reasons than an A-quality project launched a year from now. So keep an open mind when you're looking for the facts.
7. Don't exaggerate for effect.
A resistant audience is looking for ways to poke holes in your data and argument. If you cross the line of exaggeration for effect, you become very vulnerable to others attacking your exaggeration. When this happens, you've lost your point. Your overstatement of your data becomes the issue rather than the risk you were trying to raise.
8. Motivate by sharing natural consequences.
Consider the needs, interests and worries of those you're addressing. Not everyone is motivated by flawless execution to the same degree. Help them see how both overall interests and their own will be affected by current policies.
9. Share conclusions tentatively.
When you finish sharing your facts—the evidence you have for concern about the project—candidly share your conclusion. But describe it as your conclusion, not as a fact. Say, "Based on this analysis, I'm convinced we're going to miss schedule" rather than "There's no way we'll make the schedule." The first is stated as a conclusion. The second is a conclusion disguised as a fact. The first invites challenge and dialogue. The second provokes opposition.
10. Invite dialogue.
The goal of your crucial conversation should be both to share and to learn. After sharing your tentative conclusions, influence with your ears—by listening intently to others' views.
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