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Archives for March 2022

Riding the Waves of a Project

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Projects can be like riding the crest of a wave—super fast and exciting, but stressful. But along with the swells, there are troughs where suddenly there’s “nothing to do.” Take advantage of the troughs!

Projects can be crazy busy. Long days, back-to-back meetings, milestones, updates, and endless decisions to make. My stress level climbs just typing it out!

But there is a flip side that we don’t often acknowledge, and one that we should take advantage of.

While much of our project maintains hectic pace, there are also periods where we’re simply waiting. We may be in the midst of testing, or waiting for a contract to be signed. Or there’s no one around during the holidays so you hear, “We’ll pick it back up in January.”

I think of it as ocean crests and troughs.

While the surge of activity can be overwhelming, it is also exciting. We feel a sense of accomplishment when we solve a challenging issue or reach a milestone. We can even look back on a full day of meetings and be proud (and amazed) that we lived through it all! These wave crests are the reason they hired us, a professional Project Manager. No one handles it better.

But what about the troughs?

For me, this downtime can be more stressful than the crests. Too little to do is worse than too much!

Waiting is not my strong suit, I’ll admit. A day with no meetings is fantastic if I’m in the middle of creating a complex project schedule or preparing for a Launch decision. The rest of the time, however, I’m just about ready to jump out the window if there’s nothing else on deck. Which is why, over the years, I’ve learned how to take advantage of the slow times on a project.

I find these to be most useful during this “down time”:

  • Create a Project Plan. I’m not talking about a schedule but a Word document with a section for different project areas like testing, documentation, project strategy, and special considerations. Use this document to write out ideas, decisions, and plans. Allow your mind to flip between areas without the need to keep focused on one. You will likely never need to present this document, but I find that going back and updating it helps me retain the project thread when my schedule get crazy again.
  • Catch Up on Documentation. Not the ones you’re simply behind on, though yes, do those first! Take this time to start the next few documents you know you’ll need. (And having a Project Plan handy is a great jumpstart.) You may be months away from your launch date, but starting your Launch Plan (aka Cutover Plan, Go Live Preparation Plan, etc.) will take the pressure off later when things are busy—you won’t have to start from scratch.
  • Rest. It’s easy to say but so hard to do! Take time off if you can. Actually take a break for lunch instead of eating at your desk. Put in eight hours and go home (or shut down your laptop). I consciously try to slow down my typing speed so I’m more thoughtful in my chats and emails. And, as I work from home, I take a minute to step outside and breathe some fresh air.

We all know the wave crests will come again soon, and we’ll wish we took advantage of the downtime that comes with a trough. Plan for it now so you can take advantage when it hits.

Three Truths About Praise

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There are three truths of workplace praise. And all have their roots in communication style and human behavior.

The topic of workplace feedback is wide and deep. Maybe I will write a book about it someday, but to keep this article a reasonable length, I’m going to focus exclusively on praise.

There are three truths about praise:

  • Not many people take the direct path and say, “Good job.”
  • Most people are oblivious.
  • Not everyone likes to be praised.

Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

The Indirect Path

I was working with a client a while back who felt disconcerted because his manager never said, “Thank you.” He thought he was doing a good job at work, but never received direct positive feedback. When we took a closer look at the situation, the proof his manager valued him was right there all along.

Here are some clues that your manager is pleased with the job you’re doing:

  • You’re invited to meetings. Most people are so busy they think of another meeting as a punishment. But consider: Who else is at the meeting? Is it a topic that expands your current role? Will being involved create opportunities down the road or make your current job a bit easier? Most often, the invitation is a gesture of growing trust or belief in your abilities.
  • You’re called upon to present…again. Like attending more meetings, many people don’t enjoy presenting. But if you did a bad job the first time, your manager would hesitate to put you in front of an audience a second time. It’s actually a compliment to be asked to lead a meeting and share your knowledge.
  • Your manager stops attending your meetings or no longer wants to be copied on every communication. This isn’t a sign that they don’t care, but that they trust the work you’re doing. Just remember they expect you to keep them updated on the project’s progress, and to let them know if you need them to help resolve an issue.

Most People are Oblivious

Yes, it’s true. 😉

What seems like a monumental task to you, something you’re exceptionally proud of, your manager may never even mention. They’re not trying to ignore your good work. They just have a myriad of other things to do. (Hey, if they had time to do your work as well as their own, you wouldn’t have a job.)

A long time ago I had a friend who worked for a big supply company. He used to go in on the weekends when no one was around to inventory the warehouse, straighten the shelves, and basically do a ton of things that kept the place working efficiently during the week.

I’m sure you can guess what happened: his boss never noticed, and if he did, he didn’t say a word.

Don’t expect anyone to be focused on what you’re doing. Most managers expect you to do a good job—you were hired to do it, so just being competent won’t merit praise. There are no participation awards.

I gave my friend this advice and it is still relevant: either don’t do the extra work, or let your manager know the relevant outcome.

There was no reason for my friend to go in on his own time to clean the warehouse. He could do it, or assign someone to do it, during the workweek. If he wanted to show his initiative, he could have told his boss about a significant finding during his time the past weekend. Remember, fishing for compliments is unprofessional and will backfire. Better to focus on the outcome. And again, if there’s no benefit to the project or company, don’t do it.

If you have an “oblivious” manager, simply let them know a particular event or effort went well. Here are some tips to receive a positive reaction:

  • Keep your delivery in your normal communication style. You want your manager to focus on the event, not be distracted by your altered style.
  • Don’t tell them about every little thing; the big efforts won’t stand out.
  • Be consistent in your communication so sharing good news won’t come during a special meeting.

Not Everyone Likes to Be Praised

This may shock some people, while others will raise their hand and say, “Oh, yeah, right here!”

For those who can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good pat on the back (or bouquet of flowers), take a moment to think about your teams. You have many personalities and styles to manage every day. Your communication methods vary to make sure you reach everyone.

So if Brenda doesn’t speak during a meeting, or if Lonnie blathers on about everything he did last weekend, you will likely find they will receive praise very differently, too.

And there are more of these folks on our teams than we know. They usually just grin and bear it.

A few years ago, I worked with an amazing team lead. She was the lynchpin to success in her area. I wanted to let her know how much I appreciated her. But she told me that she hates (yes, hates) to be called out, even if it’s praise. And she didn’t just mean in the obvious, public way. Her name attached to a team thank-you email caused her discomfort.

For team members like this, balloons aren’t going to be well received. Here are some low-key ways that, if they accept anything, may work:

  • Reply to all their email / DMs. That’s it. Just do them the courtesy of acknowledging their communication.
  • Use their data. They want to contribute and to know they’re doing a good job. When you actually use their work product, they’ll feel valued.
  • Do something for the whole team, but not together. A team gathering is probably not going to fly. But something non-personal will be more appreciated, like letting people know that next Friday you want everyone to take off at noontime (if within your power).

At the end of the day, the most important part of praise is paying attention to the communication style of the person on the other end of the line. When you’re seeking validation, you may want direct feedback but receive indirect signs of trust. On the other hand, you may feel uncomfortable with a public shout-out, but your manager loves to hand out awards.

And when showing appreciation to a team member, the best outcome happens when you focus on their most receptive communication style, not your own.

Is There Ever a Good Time for a PM to Take a Vacation?

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Project Managers need a vacation, too. There’s never a good time to take off, but the right preparation means less stress when you return.

Greetings from Florida! For those who don’t know much about me, I live in snowy Massachusetts. Every year, around October, I start obsessing about how to escape the cold New England winter.

It started years ago. I had a conference in Florida in February, and it happened to coincide with my husband’s 50th birthday. There was simply no way I was going to skip down to the Sunshine State and leave him (and our kids) home. A week away mid-winter was so restorative that each year since then we’ve made the trip south.

2020 was an eye opener in more ways than one. Since flights were canceled and hotels closed, like everyone else we hunkered down at home and endured. That year reinforced, at least for me, the deep need to get away during the coldest part of the year.

I’ve written about the importance of vacations before. I’m a strong believer that a change of scenery will change your attitude, whether you’re going downtown or across the country. That mental reset can be worth more than a raise.

But, if you’re a Project Manager, when is the right time to take a break? With a few exceptions (Go Live, obviously), no one time is better than another.

Let’s be honest: No one can predict the project timeline with certainty. Even the most simple, benign projects have milestones that get delayed or pulled forward depending on resource availability, funding, technical hurdles, and change requests.

Sometimes fate smiles and we decide to go away the exact perfect week. But typically, it’s “not the best time” and consequently, our stress level inches higher as the days to vacation draw near. And when we return? How often do we sit at our desks, confronted by requests that piled up while we were away, and mutter, “Ugh, was taking a week off really worth it?”

Seriously, you need that vacation. So here are some tips to help alleviate the stress of the “before and after”:

  • Go away when it’s convenient for you. There’s never a good time and no one at your company will suggest you take off for a week or two. If you need to get out of the winter cold (or summer heat), that’s the time to go. You’ll feel more refreshed if you go away when you really want to.
  • Don’t make the day after you return your first day back at work. It’s great to spend every second you can in paradise, but coming back on Saturday gives you time to re-acclimate, do laundry, or just relax before hitting the ground running on Monday morning.
  • The more you prepare, the less they’ll need you. I’m famous for meeting with my team, my sponsors, or anyone I routinely meet with, the week before I go. I create back-up plans to the back-up plans. I remind people I’ll be away. I give them my contact information, including the best way to reach me (“text is the fastest”), and make sure they can get to it in three different ways. Basically, by the time I leave they’re saying, “Sheesh, Amy, you’re only going for a week!”
  • Catch up on Monday morning, not Sunday night. You know you’ll have three hundred emails. You’ll need time to go through them. Use your catch-up time on Monday, not Sunday night. Don’t short-change yourself on that transition time!
  • Block your catch-up time before you leave for vacation. If you don’t, you’ll come back to find you’re in back-to-back meetings before you’re up to date. You don’t want to go into your first meeting blind. By the way, this catch-up time means both reading and meeting. Who were the key people you met with before you left? Schedule time with them when you return. They’ll key you into what happened while you were gone.

Above all, remember that if you’ve been paying attention to your project and your team all along, it should be able to keep moving forward while you take time to recharge.