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Leadership Skills

Presenteeism: Go Home and Stay Home

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When you don’t feel well, you’re project is better off if you take a day off!

I had my second C-vaccination the other day. As any good Project Manager would do, I planned the timing so I wouldn’t miss anything important. Knowing the risk of being sick for a day or two, I prepared and cleared my schedule for the next few days.

Yes, I did get sick. The risk turned into an issue and I was very happy the mitigation plan was in place!

During the period I was “feeling a bit better”, I kept wavering between boredom and guilt.

Boredom because I’m always “doing something”. Sitting still is tough, even when I know it’s the best thing for me.

Guilt because even though I cleared my schedule – I’d been planning this for a month – there’s always a ton on my plate and I could really use the extra time!

I knew my brain wasn’t working 100%. And that a little exertion would delay my full recovery. But it was so hard to stop myself.

Many Project Managers fall into this trap. It’s called “Presenteeism”, the opposite of Absenteeism. We push ourselves to the point of exhaustion…and then we jump over it.

But just like I knew my brain wasn’t working at capacity, when we’re sick (or routinely work too many hours…or don’t take a break) our minds aren’t able to take information and process it effectively.

We start to make mistakes.

Mistakes lead to inefficiency, delay, and more issues.

And what comes out of our mouths (or through our fingers on the keyboard) is usually unclear and confusing. At worst, our communication devolves into barking out orders. We can’t even think about altering our tone to get the best response.

Bottom line: Presenteeism has a bigger impact than Absenteeism.

When you’re absent, you’re only out for a day or a week and everyone rallies to cover. They know it’s temporary.

When you’re always there, even when you shouldn’t be, your team has no recourse. They can only dig in and spend the extra time figuring out what your messages mean and what their next actions should be. And then try to not take offense when you’re ordering them around like robots.

Here’s my advice:

When you’re sick: stay home. Log off. They have your cell if they need you (they probably won’t).

When a 12 hour day routine is normal: commit to a reasonable time to leave each day (not at the 12 hour mark). Set a timer…or make plans after work, if you need to. And shut down your computer at the end of the day.

The fact is, the work will be there when you get back.

And the fact is, your brain needs a rest to get back to full capacity.

I know it’s hard. I live it, too. But when we rest, we’re able to come back more efficient and effective. We’ll see the issues and have a much better idea how to solve them.

If you’re still struggling, remember our teams will benefit from the clear direction. They don’t want to waste time, either.

Homemade Pancakes: Blessing or Curse?

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Yummmm….pancakes!

I made pancakes this past weekend. I really shouldn’t be eating them, but wow, did I have a craving for something sweet!

I could have gone out for breakfast. I could have said “nope” and eaten something healthier.

The fact is, I’m a good cook. I can make just about anything. And if I want something bad enough, it’s way too easy to talk myself into making it.

That’s both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because I can always feed myself (and what I make is healthier than anything at a typical restaurant, anyway). It’s cheaper than giving into the craving and heading out for pancakes…or steak.

But my kitchen skills can also be a curse. 

Because even though I may be able to talk myself out of running to the local café, if I have the ingredients sitting right there in my kitchen, it’s hard to resist making something I want!

This concept of “both a blessing and curse” hits many Project Managers hard. A lot of us come from the business, and can clearly see what needs to happen in a particular project area.

These PMs are blessed with understanding, and can use that knowledge to guide the team and pick up on risks earlier. They are the ones who “get it” and provide a good sounding board or another pair of eyes to solve a problem.

But when you know how, it can be really tough to resist jumping in and doing the team’s work. 

Have you ever heard yourself say “it would take less time to do it than explain it”? I know I have. Just like making pancakes, it’s hard to resist!

But, like making a treat, doing the team’s work isn’t all that good for you….or them.

When you jump in, your team doesn’t feel autonomous, and it can erode the trust you’ve built up. If you don’t take the time to teach them, how will they grow and be able to handle the next challenge that appears?

From your perspective, it may feel good to “get your hands dirty” with something familiar. But you probably have more than enough project management work to keep you busy.  

Yes, sometimes it’s “all hands on deck” and everyone pitches in. That actually improves how the team functions and gets the job done faster. But in most cases, doing it yourself is really not the best option.

The next time you have the urge to jump in and do it yourself, consider: even if you can, is it the right choice?

PS – When I’m leading a software implementation, I try to avoid having a logon. It can be way too tempting to start playing! How can you stay an extra step away from the “danger zone”?

Listen to the Grumpiest Person in the Room

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Every Friday I post a short video on project communication. This past week I talked about paying attention to the grumpiest person in the room. But there is more than I can cover in a 2 minute video. So here’s “the rest of the story”.

Essentially, in every project I’ve worked on there’s that one person who says “this isn’t going to work”, “it will take too much time”, or “we can’t do that”.

As soon as you get the team moving in the right direction, finally making progress, they just stick a big old pin in everyone’s balloon. Very frustrating!

But I’ve found that this grumpster usually has a valid point. They may simply not be able to articulate it. Perhaps they have enough experience to understand it will take weeks to complete a certain task, but they can’t tell you exactly how long, and have a tough time breaking down the steps to explain why.

My advice is to listen to these folks. Be proactive. Work with them to understand the reason behind their negative talk. Doing so can uncover risks to your project you hadn’t considered…in time for you to mitigate them!

Someone watching my video made a comment about some people being simply negative. He said “Some of the grumpy people I know are grumpy 24/7/365 and their constant grumpiness just becomes white noise as they are ALWAYS the stick in the mud. “

This can happen as well, of course. Some people are just…negative.

This is where it gets nuanced. As a leader, the key is to listen to any changes in the person’s demeanor. Has their tone shifted – the intensity increased – the detail – the frequency? These are all indications there is more to the story than personality.

And it may be trickier to get to the actual concern.

But here’s the good news: one of these “stick in the mud” team members has the potential to be your biggest advocate.

My dad told me this story years ago and it made a big impression on me:

When he started a new management position, one of the people in his office was well known for her always negative, “can’t do” attitude. And she wasn’t quiet about it. He took extra time to listen to her and to ask her opinion in her area of expertise. After a short time, her griping ended, she was more enthusiastic at work, had great ideas and input, and became one of his biggest supporters.

It truly is amazing what can happen when you pay attention and value your team.

PS – want to see the original video? Here it is on LinkedIn and Facebook!

The Plateau

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Your team worked long and hard to achieve this milestone – they need some rest!

I recently finished creating a quiz for Project Managers. It’s called “What’s Your Project Leadership Type”. It took me months, lots of effort, some late nights, and a fair bit of revising & rethinking along the way. 

As the quiz neared completion, I was doing great – making quick decisions, easily hooking up the tech, and making huge progress every day. I was so excited when I went through it one last time and couldn’t think of any other adjustments – I was DONE!

But over the next few days, instead of building on that momentum and quickly taking the next steps to get my quiz “out there” in the market…I actually started to feel a bit adrift. I *wanted* everyone to take the quiz, and I *wanted* to start presenting the accompanying webinar on Leadership Types.

But I found my motivation was actually lower than normal.  Sleep in? Garden? Read a novel? Yes, please!

And to my frustration, I couldn’t seem to figure out exactly what the next step should be, so it was tough to hook onto some kind of action to keep me moving forward.

What in the world was going on??

That “lull” I was experiencing is actually perfectly normal. It’s the “plateau” you reach after making a big, long duration effort. Think hiking up a mountain trail. You keep climbing up with no relief until you hit that bit of level ground where the view is amazing.

This plateau is what your team feels whenever they hit a milestone.

Which milestones? Any that take effort. For example:

  • Blueprinting is done or requirements signed off
  • User Training is over
  • Data conversion is successfully completed
  • A major demo is given to the customer (or executives)

Your team worked long and hard to hit each of these milestones. They’re much more than a line item on the schedule.

Be aware that your people are going to lose a little momentum. They may slide backwards in the area of team development and start “storming” for a while. They may chat a bit more during a meeting, or seem unable to make decisions.

Don’t worry – just like when I feel the need to curl up and read a book all afternoon, your people need some time to recover.

When will they get back to “normal”? It depends on a few things:

  • How long was the heavy lifting…and how much effort did they put into reaching this milestone? 1 week of all-day testing might be draining, but if your team has been burning the midnight oil for 2 months, they’ll need longer to recover
  • How strong are they as a team? If part of the effort was dealing with each other, they may be hesitant to jump back into close quarters again (even if it’s virtual)
  • Were they able to recover from the last milestone before the current one began? My husband had a manager who used to tell the team they needed to “surge”. The team would grumble “when are we ever not surging?!”

Since they hit the last milestone out of the park, no doubt the team will eventually recover. But you have a big influence on their plateau’s duration and intensity. Remember to let them rest. And help them prepare for whatever comes next.

The Problem with Helicopter Leadership

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Do they really need the rescue?

I was listening to a podcast about children and anxiety. The host (a psychologist) said oftentimes parents tell their kids “Just do your best. If you are struggling with something, we’ll find someone to help you get better.”

She went on to say this is actually conflicting instruction. It tells the kids that sometimes their best won’t measure up and someone needs to swoop in to make sure they do better.

She gave the example of her nephew. He’s in the 4th grade. He was assigned an oral book presentation for class via Zoom.

His mom had two options:

  1. Option 1: Ask him about the book, set a schedule for first draft, final draft, and practice times in front of mom, make sure he goes to bed on time the night before and eat a good breakfast the day of the presentation. Afterwards, grill him on the details, how he could improve for next time, etc.
  2. Option 2: Be aware of the assignment. Ask how he’s feeling and if he needs anything. Listen if he wants to share – but don’t interrupt. Then, after the report, ask how it went and how he felt about it. Don’t worry about anything else – he’s only in 4th grade!

Option 1 sets up the child for anxiety and stress. Option 2 gives him a sense of accomplishment and encourages independence.

When Mom takes over in Option 1, it also teaches the child that he’s not good enough and someone else needs to be in charge. This is also known as “learned helplessness.”

My question for you today is this: when it comes to project leadership, what messages are you sending your team?

Are you listening, guiding, and letting your team learn so they’re more independent?

Or are you micro-managing – attending every sub-group meeting and telling them exactly what they should do so they don’t make a mistake?

We want our project to run smoothly and our team to succeed.

But it can be difficult to let go of the need for everything to be perfect. The truth is, our people won’t feel a sense of accomplishment, and they won’t be able to work without your guidance if they never do anything on their own.

How can we learn to let go?

When considering what to let your team work on without you, ask yourself these two fundamental questions:

  1. Is your team ready for this next level of independence?
  2. Is the risk low enough that failure won’t tank your project?

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then let go of the reins.

If you have a good relationship with your team, they’ll ask you when they need help.

Be ready when their output isn’t perfect. Then be ready when the next item they take on is better!

Before you know it, your project team will be independent, strong, and successful.

And you can feel proud to have helped them get there.

Where Do You Go From Here?

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When you’re at the top of your game – where do you go next?

When you’re a new PM, your immediate career goal may be to keep your head above water, or to succeed at your current project.

Mid-career, you’re looking to build relationships and grow into that “go to” PM – the one they call when the project absolutely must succeed.

Lots of my readers are already highly experienced Project Managers.

They’ve “been there and done that.” They’re seasoned – senior leaders and are well known for their ability to get the job done right. These folks are comfortable with communication to every type of stakeholder, from brand new BA to CEO to vendor resources.

So that got me thinking: for those at the pinnacle of their career…what’s next? Where do you go from here?

Seasoned PMs: this post is for you!

(What? Not a senior leader yet? No worries – you may find some nuggets in here, too!) 🙂

So what do you do with all those years of experience and wisdom?

To be fair, some PMs will be perfectly happy continuing to lead projects as they have been all along. That’s fantastic – and a huge relief to their companies, as well!

But PMs are driven to grow. We love projects, after all. And projects, by their very nature, create.

Without opportunities to grow, it’s easy to become dissatisfied and bored. The risk for the most experienced project managers is stagnation.

That’s not good for anyone!

So what can a seasoned Project Manager do to avoid this trap?

Here are a few options:

  • Mentor.
    It’s gratifying to share your skills and help others avoid the mistakes you’ve already overcome. Find a program that allows you to foster the skills inherent in younger PMs. Many large companies have formal mentoring programs, but if yours does not, that doesn’t mean you can’t unofficially mentor someone! And if you belong to PMI, your local Chapter may have a Mentoring Program you could participate in.
  • Speak.
    This isn’t for everyone, but opportunities abound to share your wisdom and knowledge! Your company may have a lunch & learn series, or you could present to a local group (i.e. Chamber of Commerce or other professional organization). You can also participate in panel discussions.
  • Bring your skills to the community.
    At one time I ran the “Between Shows Pizza Dinner” for our town’s band and chorus nights. 200 kids descending upon the cafeteria, fed, watered, and back out the door in 45 minutes. Do you think that doesn’t call from some serious project management skill? Look around and see what opportunities you have to give back.
  • Join a PM group.
    I hope you’re already in one. But this is a great way to not only use your skills but to mentor, to get to know other PMs outside the office, and help grow the profession
  • Get another role.
    Have you ever considered leaving behind the title and moving to, say, VP of Engineering or Finance Director? What about Leadership Training? You can go “back into the business”, and the skills you’ve honed over the years will serve you (and your department) very well. Leadership & communication? Check. Milestones & prioritization? Double Check.

I hope this gives you some ideas to mull over. And perhaps you’re doing a few of them already? The goal is to continue to grow, even when you’re the expert. When you share, we all benefit!