If you’ve followed my blog for a while you will know that I’m a big proponent of working with focus and making the most of the time we have available. Project managers and leaders are busy people who have decisions to make, teams to lead, risks to mitigate, reports to write and clients who need to be communicated with. To get it all done to a high standard, and without spending late nights in the office, it’s crucial to master the ability of working on the most important tasks with great focus.

Reduce your involvement with firefighting and time-wasting
In The Power of Project Leadership I talk about three fundamental ways in which we can spend our time: Proactive, Time wasting, or Firefighting. In the proactive category we find important and strategic activities such as understanding the clients business, gathering requirements, planning for the future, improving and innovating, building the team and liaising with stakeholders. The time wasting category comprises activities that add very little or no value at all – for instance unimportant e-mails, drawn-out meetings, unnecessary red tape, interruptions, trivia and web surfing. In the firefighting category we have activities that only add value in the short term, such as urgent issues, putting out fires, interpersonal conflict and crisis. 

Most of us are well aware that in order to get results we must spend our time in the proactive category and reduce our involvement with firefighting and time-wasting activities. But that’s easier said than done! In a fast paced environment, a typical day is filled with e-mails, meetings, and interruptions with only a few quiet moments to get real work done. A study by McKinsey found that the average knowledge worker spends a staggering 60 percent of their workweek engaged in electronic communication and Internet searching, with close to 30 percent of their time dedicated to reading and answering e-mail. In a culture where we are expected to always be online and available our challenge is to put in place habits that enable us to get more work done from the proactive category.

Deep work vs. shallow work
What we need is discipline and focus and the ability to engage in deep work, as described in Cal Newport’s book by the same name. In the book, Newport argues that deep work – which he defines as “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task” – is one of the most crucial abilities for anyone looking to move ahead.  He even calls it “the superpower of the 21st century.” 

The opposite of deep work is shallow work. Shallow work consists of tasks that aren’t especially important and that don’t require a deep level of concentration. Newport categorises e-mail checking, social media and web surfing as shallow work as well as anything that a college graduate could easily pick it up and that doesn’t leverage the individual’s expertise. 

Our culture of connectivity and interruptions is limiting us
One of the biggest problems with shallow work is that by servicing low-impact activities, we take away time from higher-impact activities. Another problem is that when we work at a shallow level we’re often semi-distracted, switching from one task to another. Every time we do so, for instance when we quickly check our e-mail, our attention remains stuck thinking about the original task for a little while. Context switching and short interruptions delay the total time we take to complete our work. 

Our workplace culture of connectivity is a real inhibitor of deep work. Open plan offices combined with an expectation to quickly read and respond to e-mails create opportunities for collaboration, but they do so at the cost of massive distraction. You might argue that it’s necessary to always be connected, but a study from Boston Consulting Group show that performance doesn’t drop when people switch off e-mail for one entire day a week. On the contrary, by disconnecting, staff experiences more enjoyment in their work, better communication among themselves, more learning and a better product delivered to the client. 

Build up your working day around blocks of deep work
According to Newport, the key to working more effectively isn't to eliminate shallow work completely, but to minimise it while making sure you get the most out of the time that’s freed up. The first step is to put structure and discipline in place so that you take back control of the many diversions that attempt to steal your time. You can do that by quitting social media and build up your days around blocks of deep work, with the shallow activities batched together so that they don’t interrupt your periods of deep focus.
 
To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction. To get the most from these blocks of concentration identify a small number of ambitious outcomes that would return a tangible and substantial benefit for you and your project. You should also try to practice deep work at the same time every day as that will require much less willpower than working deeply in an ad hoc way whenever you feel like it.

Switch completely off from work at the end of your workday
Newport also advocates completely switching off from work at the end of the workday until the next morning because resting your brain improves the quality of your deep work. Shut down work thinking completely with no after dinner e-mail checks, no mental replay of conversations and no attention to how you’ll handle an upcoming challenge. Trying to squeeze a little more work out of your evenings will likely reduce your effectiveness the next day. When you work, work hard. When you’re done, be done. 

Overcome your desire for distraction
To help you work more deeply it’s important that you train yourself to overcome your desire for distraction. If every moment of potential boredom is relieved with a quick glance at your smartphone or checking your inbox then your brain is not optimised for deep work even if you regularly schedule time for it. The only way to build your deep-work muscle is by deliberately practicing uninterrupted concentration. You can do that by embracing boredom, resisting the temptation to always satisfy your distraction-seeking mind and by scheduling in advance when you will use the phone and the Internet and then avoid it altogether outside of these times. 

​In summary:
To produce at your peak level you must be able to focus intensely without distraction on your most important proactive activities. This doesn’t mean that you should stop communicating with people around you or stop checking your e-mails. It means that you should treat shallow work with suspicion and build up your days around blocks of deep work, with the shallow activities batched together.
 
Imagine getting to a stage were your level of concentration is so intense that you only need 3 to 4 hours of focused time to get your most important work done. The remainder of your time can then easily be spent in meetings and in conversation with the team without jeopardising your productivity.
 
Whilst writing this blog I personally put my phone on flight mode and closed down my e-mail. Whenever my mind wandered, I guided myself back to the blog in front of me. It wasn’t easy and highlighted that I definitely need to build my deep-work muscle and learn to control my need for distraction. Perhaps I should take Cal Newport’s advice on board and embrace boredom :-)


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When people come to me for one-2-one coaching they often want to achieve better results in their work and life, such as building better professional relationships, getting better at managing their time, achieving a promotion, delivering a new big project or improving their work-life balance. What’s interesting is that as we begin to work on these goals a few underlying blockers appear that need to be addressed.
 
One of the blockers that I often see is a lack of self-confidence. I’m not talking about the kind of superficial confidence that people portray to the outside world. I’m talking about a profound belief in one’s own abilities, which many people unfortunately don’t have. 

​When a person lacks self-belief it can show up in many different ways. Some people are cautious and withdrawn, whereas others can be defensive, aggressive or even arrogant. It’s only when we get to know them better that we realise what the underlying reason for their behaviour is. If we don’t recognise that an employee or a team member lacks confidence we may respond in ways that aggravate the situation. You have probably experienced a team member who used arrogance to mask their insecurities. The manager got annoyed, challenged the employee and thereby triggered another defensive reaction. This negative pattern will continue until one of them begins to enquire at a deeper level and use their emotional intelligence to get the relationship back on track.
 
The worst thing you can do is to criticise and be overly challenging
If you work with someone who lacks self-confidence, the worst thing you can do is to criticise, minimise and be overly challenging. The employee will perceive your behaviour as a personal attack, which will trigger a fight/flight or freeze response in them. They will go into survival mode and will lose their ability to think clearly. Some managers may take advantage of the situation and elevate themselves at the expense of the employee. That's very unfortunate. People who lack confidence are easy targets and pushy managers don't realise how much damage they are doing.
 
To get the best out of the situation, and the employee, respond in the following ways:

• Give them support. Let people know that you have their back. It will give them the space and confidence to contribute without fear of being judged. You can do that by taking the time to understand their situation and by showing empathy. When you offer guidance and allow them to make mistakes you remove a large part of the pressure they put on themselves.

• Give sincere praise. Insecure people need to be reminded of their strengths and the things they do well. They doubt their own abilities and don’t feel that they are good at anything. You can help them perform better by pointing out aspects of an assignment that they have completed really well and by explaining why you believe they are the right person to complete the task at hand.

• Build them up step by step. People who don’t have a lot of confidence tend to remember the times in their work and life when they failed at something. Their negative expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies where they go on to fail because they expected it. Through small assignments, which they have the skills to complete well, you can begin to reverse the flow. You gradually build them up and give them the experience of what it feels like to succeed.

• Set clear expectations. When you delegate a task be as clear as possible about what you expect the outcome to look like. Don’t be overly controlling by demanding that it’s done in a certain way. Instead give them time to think about it and check back in with them. Talk through the steps they expect to take and ask what support they need from you. This will help mitigate the risk of something going wrong, which would further undermine their confidence.

• Offer training. If the team member is new in a role they may feel particularly insecure because they don’t feel they have the right skills. Giving them the right kind of training will help them progress as there is a strong link between competence and confidence. After the training, ask them to convey what they learnt and help them make use of the new knowledge. Integrating the learning on the job straight away is essential as they will otherwise see it as another point of failure.

 
Whereas the above tips will help a team member feel more confident about their abilities and increase their performance, it’s unlikely that it will get to the root of their self-esteem issues. The employee will have to take matters in their own hands and decide to work on the underlying problem. This can take a little while, as they will have to revisit their thought patterns and understand where the negative self-talk comes from.
 
If you are the person who lacks self-esteem, try these tips:

• List your talents and successes. Take some time out to review your successes and all the things you are good at. At first you may feel that you are not good at much, but think again. What do you have a natural talent for? What were you good at as a child? What do other people compliment you for? What are you proud of in your life? Write as much down as you can think of. Find at least ten items! Perhaps you are a really good listener. Perhaps you are patient. Perhaps you are creative or analytical. Once you have written them down, take each quality and really feel it. Yes, instead of thinking about it, feel it. Take this talent into your heart and recognise that it has been give to you as a gift.

• Tone down the inner critic. Notice the negative chatter in your mind and start to challenge it. The thoughts you have are just thoughts. And they aren’t true until you decide to believe them. So stop listening to them. If you hear a thought saying I’m not as successful as others, I’m not as fast a thinker as others or I'm not as creative as my peers, challenge it. What would happen if you ignored that thought? What would happen if you replaced it with another thought such as, I’m learning and I’m getting better every day? If your mind chatter continues, engage in a daily mindfulness meditation. This practice will teach you to observe your thoughts and to let go of them without judgement. 

• Be your own cheerleader and best friend. Experiment being the fly on the wall and observe yourself and your behaviours from the outside. Could it be that you are treating yourself worse than you would a friend? How come? What would you say if you were talking to your best friend and in which ways you would build them up? What would it take for you to treat yourself in the same way? How could you show yourself more compassion and self-love? In situations where you are overly critical of yourself, say these words: This is a moment of difficulty. Difficulties are part of everybody’s life. A lot of people probably feel the same way. I will respond with kindness. I will treat myself with compassion.

 
​
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I recently spoke at Dubai International Project Management Forum (DIPMF) and was struck by the innovative theme of the conference. Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Already when I prepared for my presentation the organisers said, “Innovation is a big thing down here”, and indeed it is. In 2016 the UAE government was named the second-most tech savvy government in the world by the World Economic Forum and the Dubai government has formulated a bold strategy to be the world’s most innovative city by 2021. Not only that, Dubai’s goal is to consistently be ranked amongst the top 5 global centres for trade, logistics, tourism and finance. They are not there yet, but progress is being made. To help achieve their vision the Dubai Future Accelerators Program is investing $275 million over a five-year period in companies spearheading innovative projects in healthcare, transportation, renewable energy, sustainability, education, security and urban planning.

Dubai is also rewarding innovation in project management
At DIPMF I found the panel discussions about renewable energy and logistics the most fascinating (Dubai is investing heavily in solar power) but the awards ceremony for innovation in project management was also noteworthy. The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Award offers 8 awards with the aim of encouraging and promoting an innovative culture in project management. I was pleasantly surprised that a fellow Dane, Christina Sejr Pedersen, landed a $200,000 award for Project Half Double – an innovative project methodology centred around three core elements of Impact, Flow and Leadership. 

Everyone needs to be innovative to stay afloat
The conference made me think about how innovative I have personally been over the last couple of years, or not! When I first started out in my business six years ago I came up with new ideas and concepts that I captured in “The Power of Project Leadership”. And even my first book, “The Project Management Coaching Workbook”, which I wrote in 2012, contained innovative assessments and a unique coaching framework for project manages to reach excellence. But apart from my books, how innovative have I really been? Have I invented new models, new assessments and new ways for project managers to deliver better value, or have I just been very skilled at teaching, coaching and conveying existing knowledge? The intense focus on innovation at Dubai International Project Management Forum was a reminder that we all need to innovate in order stay afloat. The world is developing with such speed that unless we want to fall behind, we have to come up with innovative solutions to meet the needs of our clients and continuously improve the way we execute projects.
 
We need a culture where control and fear is absent
Project professionals have an important role to play in creating a culture of innovation and creativity by empowering team members to come up with new and better ways of doing things. But this may be easier said than done. Many project managers value control and compliance – attributes that are known to kill innovation. True idea generation will flourish in a culture where fear is absent and where there is an abundance of trust, openness and diversity. What this means is that managers and leaders need to make people feel psychologically safe to the extent where they are not holding back good ideas out of fear of being judged. They also have to create the time and space for unstructured thinking as ideas are unlikely to surface if people are constantly under pressure to deliver their other scheduled tasks.
 
Diversity of thought powers innovation
Another good way to create an innovative culture is to bring people together with different backgrounds and to stimulate their curiosity. Diversity of thought powers innovation, so mixing people up and inviting outsiders into the team can work wonders. People from different industries, who have different backgrounds, will bring a new perspective and generate a different set of options. Project professionals should also ask challenging questions in order to encourage team members to step forward and generate innovative solutions. Some of the questions they can experiment with are: What are we not seeing that is new or different? What have we not yet invested in that could make a big difference? What is working well for other teams that we can leverage? What if we had no constraints? What if we only had half the time? What if we could start all over? There needs to be a compelling challenge and a vision to work towards. Otherwise the risk of trying something new will seem too high.
 
Find the courage, energy and clear sight to innovate
As we enter into 2019 I will take time out to ask myself what I need to do to stay ahead of the curve, to innovate and to make a difference. I encourage you to do the same. Take a step back from your daily routine and observe your life and work from different angles. What is working well? What is not working well and what are the opportunities for making improvements and adding more value? It will always be easier to maintain the status quo than to question it and improve it. But as humans we are motivated by the desire to grow and develop so find the courage, energy and clear sight to do so. Who knows, perhaps you will be the next winner of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Award.
 

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​In a project environment it may happen that you either talk ‘up’ or ‘down’ to someone, or that another person talks ‘up’ or ‘down’ to you. This could happen, for instance, if a senior stakeholder is impatient and finger-pointing and uses critical words towards you. You may experience them as lecturing or patronising, which is an unpleasant feeling because they make you feel small. But it could also be that you are the critical one, and that you talk down to a team member who has made a mistake and not delivered on what they promised.  

​You may also have come across people who minimise themselves and talk up to a stakeholder, for instance by being overly apologetic in a conversation. In project management, these unhealthy communication patters happen quite frequently, and people are often unaware that they are using them. I say unhealthy communication patterns because trust is undermined when we either talk up or down to someone. The best relationships come about when we treat people as equals, no matter the situation and no matter the other person’s hierarchical position.
 
The Parent-Adult-Child model
Eric Berne’s Parent-Adult-Child model helps us shed light on the communication patterns that people use and assists us in building better relationships at work. Berne devised the concept of ego states to help explain how we are made up and how we relate to others. The starting point of his model is that every time two people encounter each other, they will communicate from one of three ego states called Parent, Adult and Child. These labels don’t necessarily correspond to how we use them in common English. When we say Parent ego state, for instance, we don’t mean that you are a parent, but that you act with that psychological mind-set. Each of the three ego states relate to how different parts of our personality think, feel and behave. The more aware we become of our own state, the easier it becomes to choose our responses so that we neither talk up or down to someone. If we are not aware of our state, we could be responding inappropriately, and thereby damage relationships or aggravate a conflict. Let’s look at each of the three ego states in turn.

The Parent ego state represents a set of feelings, thinking patterns and behaviours that we have copied from authority figures in the first five to six years of our life. As we grow up, we take in ideas, beliefs and behaviours from our parents, caretakers and teachers. Anything we have heard or experienced is stored in the form of a code for living, and as a result we say things in the exact same way as our parents and grandparents, even though we don’t want to. If you hear yourself say: ‘It’s unacceptable to be late’, for example, it could be something you have picked up from your parents, which is now stored in your brain as an automatic response to certain situations.
 
When we operate from the Parent state, we are typically lecturing, judging or criticising others and focusing on identifying problems. Directive managers who make extensive use of authority and give little freedom to their teams often act from this state. They might say: ‘What? It takes five days to generate the report?’ and it could be accompanied by folded arms or furrowed brows. But the Parent state can also show itself in someone who is overprotective and takes care of others. They might say, ‘Let me take care of that for you.’ In this case a manager may make plans on behalf of their team and fail to seriously take on board the team’s input. The manager doesn’t fully trust that the team is capable and responsible and therefore acts like a caretaker. In summary, the Parent ego state minimises others and treats them as less capable.
 
The Child ego state is in many ways the opposite of the Parent state in that it’s either submissive and compliant or rebellious and carefree. The Child state represents the emotional part of our beings, which encompasses playfulness and spontaneity, but also anger, despair and depression. When strong emotions such as anger, sadness or fear dominate reason, the Child ego state is in control. It will mostly come to light as a reaction to someone who speaks from the Parent state. For instance, if the manager says: ‘What? It takes 5 days to generate the report?’ the team member might reply in a submissive way saying; ‘Sorry. I’ll try to speed it up. In other words they comply with the Adults’ expectations and see the other person’s needs as being more important than their own. But there is another way in which the Child state can reveal itself, for instance if the team member rebels and responds: ‘Yea – you’ll get it in 5 days if you’re lucky!’ Although the dialogues may be exaggerated, they illustrate that neither the Parent nor the Child ego states are useful for building relationships at work. Instead these communication patterns reinforce deeply dysfunctional ways of responding to each other.
 
To build constructive and enduring relationships you have to treat people as equals and communicate with stakeholders based on analysis and facts rather than preconceived ideas. Put in another way, you shouldn’t let your own filters and emotional reactions hijack a conversation. This is an area where we really need to make use of our emotional intelligence and our ability to self-regulate. The third ego state – the Adult – can helps us do so.
 
The Adult ego state is the independent part of us, which is able to think and determine actions for ourselves and make rational decisions based on facts. It represents our primarily intellectual ego that helps us deal with situations in ways that are not negatively influenced by our past. When we operate from our Adult state we are objective, rational and less emotional. We see people as they are rather than what we project onto them. Instead of making assumptions and reacting in an emotional way, we ask for information and we solve problems based on logic and facts.
 
In the Adult state managers who want to challenge somebody might say, ‘What are the alternatives?’ or ‘What consequences will this action have?’ They engage their team and give them the freedom to participate in problem solving because they trust that they are capable and responsible. The emphasis here is on an environment with free information flow, which is conducive to self-development and where people can utilise their potential.
 
If you’re unhappy with a team member’s contributions, refrain from talking down to them. Instead, challenge them with a logical and data driven approach, where you treat them as equals. Likewise, if someone talks down to you, don't automatically respond from the Child state but use the Adult pattern. How can you do that? By staying calm and rational. If a manager provokes you by saying: ‘What? It takes 5 days to generate the report?’ You could respond. ‘I see that this is not what you expected. What problem does this cause for you? Let me explain the work we have to do on our side and we can see if we can find a solution.’
 
In which project situations would you say that you communicate either from a Parent or Child state? How can encourage Adult-to-Adult communication throughout the team?


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When I consult with organisations, train their staff or help review their processes, I’m often told that they don’t get around to formally review their projects. There seems to be so much pressure on businesses and teams today t​hat many rush from one project to the next without taking the time to learn from the experiences they have just been through.
 
When we omit to review a project, not only do we miss out on the opportunity to improve our processes, our working patterns and our team behaviour. We also fail to assess if the project was an overall success or failure and whether the benefits have been realised. Many organisations are not able to tell me how many of their projects succeed or fail and for what reason. The first step in helping a team or an organisation improve is to understand where they are currently succeeding and where they are going wrong. Project reviews can help us gather this information and do something about the situation – and they are really easy to carry out. 

​One way of carrying out a post implementation review (PIR) is to get the team together after the project has been delivered and to first list everything they feel went really well. Then, as a second step, they list all the areas where they feel they can improve. This is not about laying blame but about identifying more effective ways of working. The post implementation review should also answer the question of whether the project was successful and if it delivered what it set out to – including the benefits. When a review is completed, the project manager will typically write up the findings and circulate it to all stakeholders. So yes, post implementation reviews do have merit, but the problem is that organisations often fail to learn from them, as many of the reports are never read after they are produced. In addition, the team only learns the lessons after the project has been delivered..
 
What would be more effective is to adopt one of the agile methods of reflecting, learning and course correcting as the project is being implemented. Why wait until the end? Why not review the project after each phase or iteration so that the team can learn the lessons, identify actions, adapt and improve straight away? Even if you’re not running an agile project, you can still carry out a retrospective after each major milestone.

I once heard researcher Susan Pritchard speak at ICCPM’s Research and Innovation seminar. She said that we must learn through rapid cycles of action and reflection in the moment and that it’s all about learning in the experience rather than from it. At the same event Tim Banfield, a previous director at the Major Projects Authority, also argued that lessons-learnt papers have limited value. He said that it’s far better to get people to talk and share their experiences across projects by giving them the space and opportunity to learn from each other as the project progresses. He also emphasised the importance of asking people outside the project for input in order to continuously learn and improve.

What is your current situation? Do you review your projects? Do you learn from your mistakes and do you get a chance to course correct in the experience? 


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Personal and professional growth should be one of the highest priorities on anyone’s to-do-list. Progressing, expanding and getting better at what we do is one of the fundamental human needs that we all have. Some of us love to read and others like to attend events or workshops. Podcasts is yet another way to learn which has become increasingly popular over the last ten years – and with good reason! For the most part podcasts don’t cost anything, you only need to invest one hour of your time and you can listen on the go. But best of all, you get the opportunity to learn from the best brains in the industry.

Some podcasters record short lectures and discuss various topics with a co-host. The podcasts I prefer are those where the host interviews different experts each time so that you get to learn from different people. 

The PM Podcast by Cornelius Fichtner
Cornelius’s podcast - which has been around for a loong time - is still one of the leading project management podcasts out there. It has free recordings as well as a premium subscription service. I have only ever listened to the free recordings and they are excellent. Cornelius often attends the big PMI conferences in the US and interviews the keynote speakers just before or after they go on stage. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Cornelius a few times over the years. One of the interviews we recorded is episode 330: Project Coaching makes you a better Project Leader
 
People and Project’s Podcast by Andy Kaufman
This is one of my favourite project management podcasts, hosted by Andy Kaufman. I find the show particularly appealing because Andy’s interviews are focused on people, behaviours and emotional intelligence rather than the tools and techniques of the profession. He interviews some really interesting people - some of whom have a deep knowledge of human behaviour and psychology. I have been a guest on Andy’s podcast a few times and really enjoyed this video-based podcast, which also features Kevin Ciccotti and Kim Wasson.
 
Fix my Project Chaos by Elise Stevens
Elise is one of the only female podcasters I know of in project management.  From her base in Brisbane she continues to connect with industry experts around the world. Like Cornelius Fichtner and Andy Kaufman it’s always a pleasure connecting with Elise. We have spoken several times, not least when she interviewed me about my book in episode 39. What I also like about Elise is that she is good at putting focus on women within project management.
 
PM for the Masses by Cesar Abeid
Cesar is another great podcaster who has a lovely and genuine streak. I haven’t followed his podcast for a while but looking at his line up I'm determined to start tuning in again. His podcasts cover different topics from personal stories to interviews with project management and productivity gurus. The first time I was interviewed by Cesar was in 2014 about how to can stop managing and start leading.
 
Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak
Although Dave’s podcast isn’t aimed at project managers per se, there is a lot to learn from the hundreds of episodes focused on leadership.  I spoke to Dave years ago about Practical Strategy for Project Management.
 
Project Management Paradise by Johnny Beirne
This podcast has a real project management focus with a good mix of hard and soft topics.  Johnny is a straightforward podcaster who I spoke to in 2017 about relationship building.
 
The Project Management Show by Scotty Bud Melvin
This show doesn’t have that many episodes, but those that are there are varied and well worth listening to. Scott interviewed me in 2016 about the differences between project management and project leadership. You can listen to the recording here.
 
The Sensible Project Manager by Mark Phillipy
Marks’ podcast are split into four categories depending on whether you a) want to learn about the basics of project management b) want to prepare for CAPM c) want to prepare for PMP or d) want to go for PMI-ACP. I spoke to Mark in 2015 about how to motivate your project team. Unfortunately Mark doesn’t appear to have done any podcasts since then!!
 
The Lazy Project Manager by Peter Taylor
Peter’s podcast – although popular – also seems to lack recent episodes. So far there has only been one recording this year. The podcast is still worth checking out however as it has 184 great podcasts in the iTunes library.
 
Manage This By Nick Walker
This is a podcast, which I haven’t come across before, but it looks great with a very diverse set of topics and multiple co-hosts, so I’ll definitely be checking it out.
 
And in case you wonder what my favourite non-PM podcast is - it’s The Tim Ferris Show by the author of the best-selling book The 4-Hour Work Week.  Tim interviews world-famous authors, thought-leaders, athletes and entrepreneurs, and no, I haven't been a guest of his yet ;-) 


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If you missed Part I of this post, check out the first two steps in recruiting an outstanding project manager here.
 
STEP 3 – Consider the project manager’s personality type
In additional to the above steps, you can generate further insight by considering the personality type you require. Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment tool, which isn’t normally used in recruitment. We can however draw from the tool in order to gain a better understanding of various candidates.
 
MBTI measures a person’s preferences for how they normally focus their energy, how they tend to relate to the world, how they make decisions and how they organise themselves under normal circumstances. MBTI measures this on the four following axes:
 

1. Extraversion vs. Introversion (how people prefer to focus their energy)
2. Sensing vs. iNtuition (How people prefer to gather information)
3. Thinking vs. Feeling (how people prefer to make decisions)
4. Judging vs. Perceiving (how people prefer to organise themselves)

It is important to stress that there is no right or wrong answer and no right or wrong MBTI style. There can be great diversity in the personality of successful project managers. Having said that, it’s worth looking out for extreme tendencies to ensure that the project manager you are recruiting will be the best possible fit for you. If someone is extremely introverted for instance, will that be a good fit for the role?
 
Extraversion vs. introversion in project management
Managers with a preference for extraversion get energised by interacting with others and will enjoy being around and communicating with other people. They tend to be expressive and action oriented and would potentially enjoy a high profile leadership role.
 
Managers with a preference for introversion prefer to take a less prominent role as they tend to get energised by reflection and time with their thoughts. They are more contained and may prefer to let others on the team take the spotlight while they organise and direct behind the scenes.
 
To find out if the project manager has a preference for introversion or extroversion, ask questions such as:

• How do you tend to solve problems and become clear about a complex issue? (Would the person talk it through or think about it quietly)
• How would it be if you couldn’t talk it through with anybody or
• How would it be if you couldn’t get any quiet time to think things through?
• How would you feel about being the central person of a project, having to constantly liaise and communicate with everyone?

Sensing vs. intuition in project management
Managers with a sensing preference will approach the world and gather information in a pragmatic and tangible manner, working step by step to solve real-world problems and deliver measurable and concrete solutions and projects. They are realistic and observant and tend to look at the detail before they consider the big picture. They will be very good at providing concrete direction to others.
 
Managers with a preference for intuition are theoretical and imaginative and tend to focus on the big picture before the detail. They are good at creating a vision for the team and seeing interdependencies between various streams and aspects of the project. They tend to be future focused and are good at conceptualising ideas and solutions.
 
To find out if the project manager has a preference for sensing or intuition, ask questions such as:

• When planning a project or dealing with an issue, where is your preferred starting point: big picture or specific detail first?
• How do you tend to lead and motivate team members, by giving detailed direction or by painting a picture of end goal?
• Do you prefer to deal with the detail of the project or with the bigger picture vision and strategy?

 
Thinking vs. feeling in project management
Managers with a thinking preference are good at making decisions based on objectivity, logic and rational thinking. They are often viewed as firm but fair managers who lead in an orderly and sequential manner.
 
Managers with a feeling preference will predominantly make decisions based on personal values and have a strong awareness of others’ point of view. They will be known as a people-person and are good at empathising with people around them.
 
To find out if the project manager has a preference for thinking or feeling, ask questions such as:

• How do you go about making big decisions? (Does the person use logic and objective criteria or more subjective gut feelings)
• When you last experienced a situation of conflict, what did you do? (Was the person unemotional and focused on facts and figures or did he empathise and see it from all sides)
• How would you go about motivating team members? (Would the person provide objective and rational reasons or tap into the other person’s emotional and individual drivers)

 
Judging vs. perceiving in project management
Managers with a judging preference tend to be very organised and timely. They will often put work before play and will be good at creating timelines and plans and bringing projects to closure in a timely manner.
 
Managers with a perceiving preference are more flexible in their approach and comfortable in an unstructured or changing workplace. In managing the team they tend to give people a great deal of latitude and autonomy.
 
To find out if the project manager has a judging or perceiving preference, ask questions such as:

• How do you work to deadlines and how do you work if there are no deadlines?
• How would you prefer to delegate a task? Agree up front when it should be delivered or let them get on with it and see how it goes?
• If catching a long distance train, will you prefer to get to the station well in advance, just in time or will you get there when you are ready and then take the next available departure?

 
STEP 4 – Carry out the selection and interviewing process
Steps 1 to 3 have been concerned with the preparatory steps of recruiting a good project manager. Only when the organisation knows exactly what kind of person it is looking for, should it attempt to carry out step 4 and do the actual interview.

You should carry out the selection and interviewing process by observing and listening to the candidate and asking open and probing questions about their experiences and abilities. You can ask questions such as:

• Which steps would you take if you were to start up a new project?
• How would you go about estimating a project?
• What would you do if the sponsor kept changing the project’s scope?
• What did you do on previous projects to engage and motivate the team?
• How would you react if the sponsor asked you to deliver the project earlier?
• Please give me an example of where you effectively managed conflict?
• What do you think is important for the team to work effectively together?

 
Good luck!

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Although it isn’t possible to provide one single definition of what a good project manager looks like, certain traits, skills and attributes seem to be advantageous for a person who is to lead a project.
 
Essentially, the job of a project manager is to take on a customer’s big picture vision and to turn that vision into reality within certain time, budget and quality constraints. To do that, the project manager needs to spend a considerable amount of time and effort liaising with the customer, understanding the vision and planning the project in collaboration with the team. The project manager must keep scope, quality, risks, issues and cost under control whilst liaising with stakeholders and providing leadership and direction to the team. All of this requires thoughtful consideration and a great deal of skill. 

The project manager is the central point of coordination and communication, one minute focusing on detailed tasks, the next liaising with the customer and providing inspiration and a big picture vision for the team to follow. He or she must be a proficient communicator and have a natural ability for organising events, building relationships and making things happen. He must have attention to detail and also have the ability to lead and focus the team. That’s quite a diverse skillset.
 
A good project manager is proactive rather than reactive and will seek to uncover risks before they turn into issues. He will never assume, but constantly ask if he has proof that something is working well. For instance, how do I know that my team is motivated and fully embraces the objectives of the project? How do I know that what we are developing is what the users want and need? How do I know that risks are being effectively identified and mitigated?
 
A great project manager is honest and approachable and focuses on people as much as on tasks. She knows that she cannot manage a project from behind her desk. Instead she works closely with team members and is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. She knows when to support and guide others, and when to challenge and hold them to account. In addition, she is able to manage her own state of mind and has sufficient self-discipline and personal insight to set an excellent example for others to follow.
 
In other words, a good project manger is so much more than a person who has the knowledge and ability to make effective use of tools and processes. It is someone who has the right amount of drive, attitude and confidence to mobilise others to get the project over the finishing line.

tSTEP 1 - Determine what kind of project manager you need
Every situation and every project is different, and the type of project manager required for each project will vary accordingly. Not surprisingly, successful project managers come in many guises. Some projects need a manager who is technical or who knows a lot about the client’s business area. Others require a manager who is good at organising a large undertaking and implementing generic systems and controls.
 
The key to finding the right project manager for any department or project is to first and foremost understand what your needs are and what the company is looking for. To get started, visualise the type of project that needs to be managed and imagine the project manager doing their daily job. What is the project manager doing and how is he or she behaving towards the team and the stakeholders? How is the project manager dealing with risks and issues and with interpersonal conflict? Write down what you see, feel and hear.
 
To help you narrow down your requirements further, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this a smaller technical project or a large complex business project?
• Does the project have few or many difficult stakeholders to manage?
• Is the project’s domain straightforward or does it require specific knowledge?
• How important is the ability to manage tasks as opposed to people?
• Is the project team already in place or would the project manager need to build it from scratch?
• Has the project already been kicked off or would the project manager need to define and plan it?
• Does the role require the project manager to have line management responsibilities?
• Is a Project Management Office (PMO) in place to support the project manager with best practices and financial reporting or does the project manager need to be able to define the project management standards?
• Which type of personality does the project manager need to be in order to best complement the existing team and company culture?
• How important is the project manager’s ability to lead and motivate others?

STEP 2 – Determine knowledge, skills and attributes required
Once you have a broad understanding of the kind of project manager you need to hire, the next step is to narrow down the description by creating a benchmark of the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to have. Although one candidate may not tick all the boxes, the likelihood of finding and outstanding project manager is much greater the clearer you are about what you are looking for.
 
Read through each of the abilities below and determine the capability level that you would like the candidate to have. Allocate a desired score between 1 and 10 to each capability.

• Understand the business domain and end user’s needs
• Understand agile principles
• Understand the end-to-end project lifecycle
• Understand PMP/ PRINCE2 and project management best practices
• Understand how to gather, document and verify requirements
• Understand how to test and assure quality of end deliverables
• Serve the customer and focus on business benefits
• Effectively initiate a project and secure buy in from all parties
• Set up an effective governance process, including steering committee
• Plan and track project activities
• Estimate and control project cost
• Produce honest and regular project reporting
• Be proactive in the identification and resolution of risks and issues
• Formally identify, analyse and control change requests
• Clearly communicate project vision and priorities to the team
• Coach and grow team members with potential
• Inspire, motivate and provide focus and direction to the team
• Empathise and build strong relationships of trust with customer 
• Enable collaboration and build a high performing team
• Value own contributions and say no to demanding stakeholders
• Stay calm in stressful and challenging situations
• Effectively manage interpersonal conflict
• Maintain a positive mental attitude
• Challenge and hold others to account
• Delegate and manage own time effectively
• Communicate effectively and with impact
• Make effective and timely decisions
• Act with integrity and take personal responsibility
• Set a good example for others to follow
• Effectively give and receive feedback

In Part II of this post we look at the personality profile of the project manager you require. 
​

​A project is a unique undertaking that’s full of risk and uncertainty, because it has never been done before in that exact way. Project management, as a discipline, is a response to this ambiguity. It’s a way to control the unknown. Just consider the most important techniques we use as project managers: we define scope, analyse requirements, plan and estimate work, add contingency, manage risks, track changes and check the quality. These techniques are designed to control uncertainty and plan for the things that could go wrong. We also analyse our stakeholders and draw up a communication plan that will help us gain their buy-in and support. If we don't take time to apply these project management tools, we may jeopardise the success of the project. As Murphy’s Law reminds us, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. And when it goes wrong it may be the worst possible moment.
 
Let the following three examples remind us of how bad it can go. These projects have served the public in amazing ways after they became fully operational. But let’s not forget that they started off as failures. 

Heathrow Terminal 5

Heathrow Terminal 5 was built to handle a yearly capacity of up to 35 million passengers. It was 19 years in the making with the construction phase spanning 6 of those years. It consisted of 16 individual projects and involved over 60 contractors. In other words, it was a HUGE project.
 
At the time of opening in March 2008, only 85% of project deliverables had been completed. As construction work was running late, IT testing and staff training had also been delayed. In spite of the delays, it was decided to go ahead with the original opening date without deferring it. Terminal 5 was a big deal and moving the opening date would have been a big deal too. As a result of the delay there was less time available for hands-on training, dress rehearsals and fixing any problems arising from testing. Cutting short the testing and simulation activities had severe consequences.
 
On the opening day itself, staff had difficulties parking, moving around the terminal and operating the systems. But worst of all was the failing baggage handling system. On the first day 15,000 bags were lost and 35 flights were cancelled as the airport struggled to clear the baggage backlog. By 5pm passengers were told to travel without luggage if they still wanted to fly. 

​In the first week 500 flights were cancelled, 23,000 bags had been misplaced and hundreds of passengers had been left stranded. MPs described the opening as a national humiliation.
 
Although Terminal 5 was a much bigger project than most of us will ever get involved in, we can still learn from its lessons. Making a project operationally ready should never be underestimated or compromised. Testing, training, dry runs and handovers are essential activities on most projects. 

The Millennium Bridge

London’s Millennium Bridge was the first pedestrian bridge over the Thames in 100 years. Proclaimed as an engineering feat in its slender profile, the 320 metres suspension bridge was built in 2000. It was constructed using lateral suspension, an engineering innovation allowing suspension bridges to be built without tall supporting columns. But two days after its initial opening it was forced to close due to safety reasons. It was swaying – or wobbling – so much that people had to hold the handrails in order to stay safe. 

​The bridge had been hit by a phenomenon called synchronous lateral excitation caused by the movement of the thousands of people who crossed the bridge by foot on its opening day. Whereas lateral excitation was a known phenomenon, the engineers had failed to understand that even when people walk randomly, a certain percentage is bound to “match step” and thereby cause lateral motion in the bridge.
 
As a result of this oversight the bridge was closed to the public just two days after its initial opening. Engineers spent 19 months reinforcing the structure with 91 dampers designed to reduce the movement. When the bridge was reopened in 2002 it had cost an additional £5million ponds.
 
Although the Millennium Bridge is a beautiful piece of architecture, let’s remind ourselves of the importance of proper risk management. Some risks are highly unlikely but if they were to happen the impact would be severe. It’s the team’s responsibility to respond appropriately to these risks. In the case of the Millennium Bridge it seems the risk of lateral excitation had been identified, but not appropriately addressed. 

Sydney Opera House

​As Australia’s most distinctive brand, Sydney Opera House attracts tourists from all over the world and adds almost $800 million to the Australian economy every year. But although the Opera House is a national symbol and has been recognised as an incredible feat of architecture, it’s one of the best-known case studies of a failed infrastructure project.
 
The architect, Jørn Utzon was appointed in 1957 with the construction of the Opera House starting in 1959. The goal was to complete the building in four years with a budget of AUS $7 million. But the project took a very different turn. It ended up taking 14 years to complete and cost a whopping AUS $102 million. A number of things went wrong that could be classified as project management failures:

• There was no detailed plan in place when the project started and there was no project manager
• The project was deliberately underestimated by its proponents to get the project approved and started
• The design of the building was not completed by the time construction got underway. Utzon protested but for political reasons the government was pushing for the construction to start.
• Major changes to the requirements were approved after construction had started, moving from two to four theatres. This meant that the designs, which were already challenging for the construction team to build, had to be modified on the go.
• The Danish architect resigned from the project mid way through as he felt his creative freedom was restricted. The government had started to withhold payments as it felt costs were spiralling out of control.
• Redesigns, underestimates and cost overruns continued until Queen Elizabeth II finally inaugurated the Opera House in 1973.

 
Human ingenuity is not enough to make projects happen. We need proper project management to control the unknown elements. We also need excellent leadership to create a unified team of designers, engineers, clients and stakeholders, who act from a place of trust and honesty and who do what’s in the project’s best interest. Thankfully the world of project management has evolved since the 60ties and 70ties and is now a recognised practice. But we need to keep reminding ourselves of the failures of the past so that they are not repeated.


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I have previously written about stress and I have also shared my own story about how I managed to free myself from stress. I know from the feedback I have received, and the work I do with project managers, that feeling confident and at ease is an on-going challenge. We work in hectic environments and are at times just getting by – trying to keep the client happy, staying on top of our inbox and avoiding conflict. Wellbeing is not the word that springs to mind when we think of project management. Wellbeing is something we may focus on in our spare time to recover and get back to balance. 

​But what would it take if we really wanted to feel better whilst working on our projects? Dr. Richard Davidson, the founder of the Centre for Healthy Minds, claim that wellbeing is a skill we can all learn and that the effects can be observed in the mind. All it takes is practice. The more we practice the more we will strengthen those circuits in the brain that promote higher levels of wellbeing.
 
Let’s examine the four ingredients that lead to wellbeing.
 
Resilience
The first ingredient, resilience, is the ability to bounce back and recover from stress and adversity. In other words, it’s the speed at which we recover from unexpected changes and difficult situations. Some people recover slowly and other people recover more quickly. It turns out that scientists can measure the time it takes for our brain to bounce back and that this time span is critical for understanding resilience. Individuals who show a more rapid recovery have higher levels of wellbeing. They are in many ways protected from stress and the many unexpected events that happen on a project.
 
To strengthen your resilience, train yourself to see the opportunities in every situation. Projects are dynamic with risks and issues popping up on a daily basis. The more you resist and fight against them the more prolonged your stress response will be. Instead, accept that changes and problems are inevitable, even with the best risk management approach. When a problem occurs, do what you can to resolve it without getting caught up in a negative emotional spiral. Reframe the situation and see the positive angles. There are always opportunities to grow and learn from adversity, we just need to train ourselves to see it. Some of my biggest personal transformations came from the biggest challenges on my project.
 
To bounce back and recover from an unpleasant piece of news, first become aware of the physical impact on your body. Your heart rate will increase and your palms may get sweaty. At this moment, don’t panic or start to give orders. Instead, pause and take a deep breath. In fact, take three deep breaths and let go of the negativity and the urge to react. From that place not only will you feel better, you will also be in a better position to make rational and intelligent choices about how to resolve the situation.
 
Positive outlook
The second ingredient that leads to higher levels of wellbeing is to have a positive outlook. In this context a positive outlook is the ability to see the positive in other people. It’s the ability to acknowledge team members as human beings and to recognise that they have qualities of innate basic goodness. People who suffer from depression show very little activity in this part of the brain. The good news is that with just two weeks of loving-kindness meditation this part of the brain will get stronger. All it takes is 30 minutes of daily practice where you meditate on feeling love and compassion towards others.
 
To get started, download a meditation app that can guide you through a loving-kindness meditation. This type of meditation is one where you send kind feelings towards people around you. Initially spend just 5 or 10 minutes focusing on feeling love and kindness towards family members and friends who you hold dear. As the days pass expand the mediation to 20 or 30 minutes and begin to incorporate people within your project environment. Focus on your team members, clients and stakeholders. Take them into your heart and send them loving kindness too. This is a very powerful exercise, which not only will bring you more wellbeing but also help transform your interpersonal relationship and the atmosphere on your project.
 
Attention
The third element, attention, is about being mindful of the work you are doing and to not let your mind wander. A wondering mind is an unhappy mind. Scientists claim that on average 47% of an adult’s waking time is spent not paying attention to what they are doing. In a project environment you can work with this element by being present and by simply showing up. If you’re in a meeting, be present and pay attention to what other people are saying. Don’t check your phone or drift off. If you’re on a conference call, be fully present and decide not to check your emails whilst you’re on the phone. When a team member speaks to you, give them your full attention and deeply listen to what they are saying. When you eat lunch or walk through the building be mindful of your surrounding and the food you're eating.

To get started, examine your diary and your upcoming week. Make a note of the meetings you need to attend and the most important tasks you need to complete. Block out time in your diary for these important tasks so that you can dedicate your full attention to them. On a busy project you need to be available to support your team and won’t be able to block out the entire day. Your best bet is to set 90 minutes aside in the beginning of the day where you can work single-mindedly on your most important and difficult tasks. Tell your colleagues that you would like to not get interrupted during this time or find a quiet meeting room. If your mind wanders, bring it back and remind yourself that the more attention you give to this present moment the higher your level of wellbeing.
 
Generosity
The fourth ingredient that leads to higher levels of wellbeing is generosity.  The more you engage in generous and altruistic behaviour the more you will activate circuits in the brain that are key to wellbeing. Luckily there are many things you can do on your project to be generous: Lend a helping hand to a colleague who is struggling with a challenging task, treat a team member to a coffee, mentor or coach a younger member of staff, give well-deserved compliments to your colleagues, volunteer to organise the next team event, or give back to the project management community by sharing your knowledge.  Make a decision to nurture your working relationships by carrying out just one random act of kindness every day. Just imagine the positive effect you would have on your project.
 
In summary, wellbeing is a skill that can be learnt and that we should all take responsibility for. Make an effort to be more present and mindful on your project. Cultivate a positive outlook by seeing opportunities in every situation. Be more generous and send loving kindness to your team members and stakeholders.
 
 
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