Career Sabotage

We always hear how to build our careers but how often are we warned about what can sabotage them?

Andrew Kordek’s blog helped me discover a great article from Global Knowledge called 10 Career-killers To Avoid.  The article states it is for an IT perspective but I think it applies to Project Managers and all other careers as well.

I believe all ten points are right on the money, but I will comment on the five I find most relevant for PM’s.

• Forgetting to give credit to others:  Providing positive feedback to a project team member’s manager will go a long way for both of you.
• Believing that you are irreplaceable:  See my Value Meal post for my thoughts on this.
• Confusing efficiency with effectiveness: Understanding how to manage the Triple Constraint can help balance time and quality.
• Failing to deliver results:  Deliverables are the name of the game for PMs!
• Not keeping your skills current: As knowledge workers, continued learning and growth is essential.

There are so many great authors and mentors around us to provide wisdom to develop our careers.  I hope this article is helpful to you.

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A Dim Outlook

It is so easy to hide behind email in Project Management. 

Email is a great way of communicating clear requirements and keeping a documentation trail for your project team.  It is especially handy for working in virtual teams.

Email can also be a noose! 

I have heard project team members advise their deliverable is delayed because they never received an answer to their email request.  Communication is a high percentage of project management so we need to step away from Outlook and call people (maybe even face-to-face if possible).

Many people manage their tasks via email as well.  If your deliverable email is not in the top 20 of their inbox, the task gets buried.  As project managers, we need to ensure we recognize the way our team members manage tasks so we can ensure we help them deliver on time.  I call this “gentle nagging”.

Dan Markovitz recently wrote a great article about how the problem is the lack of a decent process for handling email, not a lack of time to handle it.  Tim Ferriss wrote about implementing Zero E-mail Fridays.

Once we stop hiding behind email as a single tool, our communication can only improve!

Darth Vader, PMP

I am a huge Star Wars nut so I found it funny to watch the opening of Return of The Jedi with the eyes of a project manager!  Who knew Darth Vader was a PM?  

JERJERROD:  Lord Vader, this is an unexpected pleasure.  We’re honored by your presence.

VADER:  You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. I’m here to put you back on schedule.

JERJERROD:  I assure you, Lord Vader, my men are workingas fast as they can.

VADER:  Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them.

JERJERROD:  I tell you, this station will be operational as planned.

VADER:  The Emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation.

JERJERROD:  But he asks the impossible. I need more men.

VADER:  Then perhaps you can tell him when he arrives.

JERJERROD: The Emperor’s coming here?

VADER:  That is correct, Commander. And he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress.

JERJERROD:  We shall double our efforts.

VADER:  I hope so, Commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.