When I ask firm owners about their biggest concerns, they say project managers need to act more like leaders: not just manage the deliverables but manage the team, develop them, keep them accountable, develop a trusting relationship with the client and the consultants, have hard conversations early, and look ahead for what’s coming up. When I ask why that’s important, they say principals can’t focus on bringing in work and running the firm if they’re also acting like project managers. The most successful project managers are also future principals, so developing project managers ensures the firm will continue to run smoothly and profitably as principals retire. In response, I developed a comprehensive training program to meet that need and help project managers become leaders.
But each time I walk into a training session, I can see this will be a big ask of those project managers. They look tired, overwhelmed, and stressed from all the unnecessary demands on their time: soul-sucking meetings, inboxes with hundreds of unread emails, constant texts, and voicemails about the latest fire. Changing their habits, thinking, and approach takes a lot of mental energy on top of their already overtaxed schedule. Even the most motivated student will struggle to apply a new way of planning their day, a different tack to have a difficult conversation, or a more thoughtful approach to delegation. How can the organization support their evolution?
A three-legged approach to setting project managers up for success shares the responsibilities between the project manager, their supervisor, and peers. Sure, the project manager still must put in the work to change. But they’ll learn more effectively and not burn out if they are supported by their supervisor and their peers. Plus, people learn best on the job. Here’s how you can make sure your investment in professional training will stick.
The role of the project manager People engage in doing the hard work of change if they are personally invested in the outcome in other words, if it serves them and not just the company’s needs. So, the first exercise I have participants do is to develop their three-year vision that includes not just their professional goals but their personal ones. Where do they eventually want to be? Why is it important to them to grow as leaders? An end goal will motivate them to make the connection between work now and reward later.
In my book “Coaching & Mentoring for Dummies,” I emphasize the concept of career self-reliance; the project manager’s career is not the responsibility of the firm it’s their own. The firm can provide the opportunity and support, but ultimately, it’s up to the employee to mold and develop their own career. That moves us into the next discussion: Growing as a leader means the project manager must understand what they don’t know whether it’s how to give feedback or how budget decisions are made. The best way for a project manager to take responsibility is to learn by asking questions and getting clarification. That may mean scheduling time with a principal, asking a colleague, or researching on their own. And project managers should not be afraid of giving their best educated guess.
The role of the supervisor In this three-legged approach, the supervisors who are most successful with their project managers are coach supervisors. The difference between a doer and a coach is that the doer supervisor tends to be either totally hands off or too particular about the way a task is done, while the coach supervisor understands they need to take the time to offer genuine interest and mentor people to be independent problem-solvers and team leaders. Coaches have learned the long-term goals of their project managers. They encourage trial and error. They ask questions to encourage learning and self-discovery. They understand that if they just dictate how they want something done, without allowing for a different approach, their project managers will never stand on their own and the supervisor will never have time to focus on higher-level initiatives.
The role of peers Peers are the most powerful source for project managers to stay energized and not feel alone in challenging themselves to grow. The project managers who have made the fastest progress reach out to colleagues when they need help or a sounding board on dealing with an issue. Support can be listening to the colleague project manager or tactfully offering them honest, constructive feedback. Chances are the peer will gain something in return.
Project managers who understand it’s in their best interest to invest in themselves don’t see change as something that is mandated by someone else but rather is necessary for themselves to reach their own goals. Supervisors who take the time to mentor and develop project managers can keep them focused on reaching those goals. All project managers on the same journey can help one another by learning from each other they can even exercise their leadership muscles by scheduling a monthly get-together for themselves and appreciating that the path to leadership doesn’t have to fall only on their shoulders.
Leo MacLeod is a Portland-based leadership coach, speaker, and author of “Coaching & Mentoring for Dummies” (second edition). Learn more at https://leomacleod.com. Contact him at 503-880-8393 orleo@leomacleod.com. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the DJC guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein. Copyright © 2024 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.
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