Can you learn project management?

by Andy Kaufman on February 8, 2013

Certainly you’ve wondered that before, haven’t you? “Can that person–that so unorganized, easily distracted, doesn’t take work seriously person over there–really learn how to manage projects? I don’t think they could deliver a pizza to their mother!”

We can put someone in a class or e-learning session, but can they really learn the stuff? Can you teach project management?

Here’s my take…. I actually like PMI’s definition of project management, which includes “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.”

Now I grant that some may argue this isn’t the perfect definition but let’s roll with it.

Can someone gain (or be taught) knowledge? Certainly, assuming they are willing and motivated to learn. You can enroll a person in a class, but you can’t make him learn.

Can someone develop skills? Absolutely, even if they didn’t win the DNA lottery with seemingly innate tendencies toward those capabilities.

For example, I used to abhor giving presentations. I couldn’t eat or sleep the night before. Now I do it for a living, around the world. I had to learn some knowledge about how to do it. It took some years to develop skills, and I’m convinced I’ll never be fully skilled. But what cracks me up is when someone says, “You make it look easy” or “I’m just not good at that”.

Strong project managers can make it look easy, but people miss the fact that it took years of developing the knowledge and skills.

Frankly, I think we set some project managers up to fail when we assign them to projects that require them to draw on significantly more skill than they’ve banked thus far. Just because someone passes their PMP (which is arguably mostly testing knowledge), that doesn’t mean they have developed the skills to run a highly complex, high-profile project.  Similarly, even if someone has in-depth experience in one domain, their knowledge and skills may not fully equip them for navigating a high risk project in another domain.

Yes, you can learn project management. Time management. How to make effective presentations. Lead a team. Play a piano. Develop an eye with a camera. Fly a plane. Juggle. Say “I’m sorry.” Hmmm, that’s a tough one….

But knowledge alone is not enough. Mentoring, teaching methods that align to learning styles, practice, learning from mistakes, persistence, and time can help a motivated learner do far more than they realize.

I’ll end with a quote I’ve seen attributed to many people: “Success comes from good judgment. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” :)

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How to Get Your Work Noticed When People Take it For Granted

by Andy Kaufman on February 8, 2013

In a recent conversation with a group of leaders around the world, a participant mentioned that her work is often seemingly taken for granted. She puts great effort into her projects only to deliver them to a… yawn.

How can you shine more brightly in a workplace that seems oblivious?

In a perfect world, our results should stand on their own. When we deliver something remarkable, the people around us should recognize our brilliance (or at least our effort) and express appreciation.

Yet that’s often not the way the real world works. Granted, sometimes we have bosses who express appreciation for good work. But what if you work in an environment where your deliverables are taken for granted?

I love cycling for exercise and pleasure. For safety purposes, I assume that all drivers are blind and that I am invisible! That’s not only a good idea when on a bike…. It’s also wise advice in the work setting, particularly as teams become more virtual. What if you assumed your boss is blind and that you are invisible?

There are no simple answers that work for every situation and across all cultures. Here are some ideas that I’ve used with executive coaching clients:

  • Results. Never mistake being busy for delivering results. Your reputation must be that you deliver results on time and with high quality. There is no technique or advice that can help you shine if you do not consistently deliver high quality results. As one executive told me, “Credibility is currency“, and one of the best ways to develop credibility is to consistently deliver.
  • Relationships. In our keynote and e-learning entitled The Dirty Little Secret of Business, we stress that everything comes down to relationships. Want more recognition from someone? Make sure you are actively developing a stronger relationship with them. How do they like information presented? What are their “hot buttons”–things that drive them crazy? What do they like? Customizing your work to their unique preferences can help you shine in their eyes. A stronger relationship means there are more opportunities for visibility with them. That provides more opportunities for them to recognize what you are doing.
  • Refer. When delivering your results, you may want to refer to a challenge or two that came up and how the challenge was overcome. This is even more powerful if you can mention how others helped as well. This makes it clear that you are not just talking about your own awesomeness!
  • Repeat. Let’s say someone asks you to do something. There’s actually research that says if you repeat back to the person their request, word-for-word, you are more favorable to the requestor (I learned this from my interview with Dan Pink about his book To Sell is Human). Tipping at restaurants varies by country. But in research done in the U.S., waiters or waitresses that used this technique got bigger tips. I’m not saying this is a major point but an interesting bit of research you might want to try!
  • Remind. We talk about this in our Leadership Fast Track Program module on influence. In Robert Cialdini’s research on influence, he found an interesting influential phrase. When you deliver something on time, say “As promised, here is the report you asked for by today.” The “As promised” phrase subtly reinforces that you keep your promises.
  • Request. In certain circumstances, asking a colleague to send a note of commendation for the work that you did might be a wise approach. I realize this may seem challenging for some cultures known for more humility than we might naturally show in the States. However, there are situations where someone else in the organization knows you are doing great work. But the person who is doing your performance review is unaware. In such a case, you may want to consider requesting that the person in the know send an e-mail to your boss summarizing the work that you (and, if applicable, your colleagues) did.
  • Relax. If you put too much energy into trying to shine, it will become obvious and work against you. Don’t take it personal if someone overlooks your work. Don’t let your satisfaction depend on someone else’s approval. At the risk of sounding idealistic, seek to find joy in the good work you do. I realize you can’t give yourself a raise or promotion, but you can learn to find personal satisfaction in a job well done.

They are blind and you are invisible. It’s wise advise when I’m riding a bike, and if your work situation seems to run that way, try sprinkling a few of these ideas into your weekly routine. Let me know how it goes!

Here’s to you and your work shining more than ever in the weeks ahead!

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How to Say “No” without Saying “No!”

by Andy Kaufman on December 5, 2012

“Hey, could you do this for me?”

It’s a simple question. Being a team player (or a good direct report), it seems like a reasonable answer would be “Sure!” But there are times when saying “No” is the best way to respond.

This is not a matter of laziness or unwillingness to help. Rather, it is a reflection of other circumstances, such as you already being fully committed to other work. Or it could be that someone else would be better suited for the work.

Regardless, saying “No” can be difficult, especially when the request is coming from a boss or colleague higher in the organization.

The list below outlines some responses that are effectively saying “No” without necessarily using the word “No”. Clearly, none of these will work perfectly every time. You may also find ways to combine some of the approaches. The key is to adapt the response to the situation.

1. Express your willingness to help (with an explanation, if necessary). Showing that you have a willingness to be part of the solution is nearly always a positive approach. It will not serve you well to be known as the “No” person—the person who tends to respond “No” to seemingly every request.

  • “I’d like to do that for you, but I’m not taking on new projects at the moment.”
  • “I’d like to help you, but my manager has asked I complete these tasks first.”
  • “I would love to be able to help. Unfortunately with the other projects I’m currently working on, I would not be able to get that done on time.”

2. Offer an alternative. The person making the request has a need. Giving them an alternative can be a responsible way to help without requiring you to do the work.

  • “I won’t be able to do it, but I can show you how to do it.”
  • “I see you need help. Roberta might be better for the job.”

3. Offer to do it later. This approach shows you are willing to help but cannot do so now.

  • “I can’t help you now. However, I can do it next week.”
  • “I wouldn’t be able to start that until Monday. Is that OK?”

4. Offer to do a part of the task. If your availability is short, you might be able to help with part of the task. Instead of signing up for it all, offer to help on part. This can be used as a way to help teach them how to do the task.

  • “I can’t take the entire task on. However, I can do this part for you.”

5. Ask for the priority. When you are juggling many high priority tasks, sometimes the best thing you can do is to find out how a new request fits in with the others from a priority perspective.

  • “I’m in the middle of several projects. Which one would you like me to set aside to do this?”
  • “I’m fully booked working on __________. I’d be happy to do what you’re asking. Which project should be put on the back-burner?”

6. Buy time with a delay tactic. Sometimes requests surprise us and we seemingly don’t have enough time to consider them before responding. Instead of agreeing to something you can’t deliver or saying “No” to something you could work on, a delay tactic may give you just enough time to come up with a more informed answer.

  • “Can I get back to you? I need to check my schedule.”
  • “Can you stop by later? I’m unable to commit right now.”

7. Put some responsibility back on them. If you are doing work for someone else, it helps if they retain some accountability with the task. Sharing some of the responsibility can show how big of a priority the request is. It can also make sure the other person is committed to giving you the information and resources necessary for you to successfully deliver for them.

  • “Could you put that in writing, including the due date and key outcomes? I will review it with my boss.”
  • “Yes, I can do that. Here is what I need from you.”

8. Acknowledge your limitations. There are times you will be asked to work on something that is outside of your expertise. It may be a learning experience that is worthy of trying. But it also may be a situation that your lack of experience would make it extremely difficult to deliver successfully. Or it could be you are not available to help.

  • “I don’t have sufficient experience with that. I can’t help you.”
  • “I am on holiday for the next two weeks and will not be able to help.”

9. Say “No”. Finally, sometimes the best response is just saying “No”. This is particularly appropriate if the request crosses an ethical, safety, compliance, or other boundary. Beyond those difficult situations, this approach can also be helpful for people who have not caught on to your other attempts of saying “No” without saying “No.” In such a case, just smile and respond, “No!”

  • “No. I’m not comfortable with that.”
  • “No. Thank you for asking.”
  • “No!”

“Hey, could you do this for me?”

“No, you idiot! Can’t you see I’m busy!” That’s probably not how you want to respond!

Though none of above strategies will magically make all unreasonable requests go away, here’s a dose of reality from my career: Too often I failed to at least attempt to influence the situation. Rather, I acquiesced.

I invite you to adapt one or more of these approaches the next time you want to say no but are concerned to do so.

 

 

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