EQ4PM

Build Effective Relationships...with Everyone

This post is part of my series called "Soft Skills for Hard Time; How to be Your Best When the Economy is a Mess".  My goal is to get you to appreciate that your security comes from within and you can increase your security and value to the marketplace by investing in your soft skills.

In the movie the Godfather II, Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, says that his father taught him to "keep his friends close and his enemies closer".

 

I think the point he was trying to make is that we need to build effective relationships with others.  In particular, we need to be attentive to building relationships with those we don't consider our friends, who don't like us or we don't like, those who are different from us, or those who intimidate us. 

Think about the spectrum of people that you interact with on a regular basis.  At the highest level, you have the ones that you like and the ones you don't like.  Of that second group, you have people that you don't know very well, people that you are sure don't like you, people that are too busy too spend time with you, people that are self-focused and disinterested in you and your success, and the people who for any reason seem to send out a signal that says "please go away and stay away".  (BTW, I used to send those signals myself.) 

It is natural for us to spend the majority of our time with people we DO LIKE and that LIKE US and to avoid or spend no time with people that we DON'T LIKE or DON'T LIKE US.  While it might be natural, this may be the exact opposite of how we should approach relationships.

In the past year, I worked for 3 different companies and led 2 different projects and 3 programs.  With the exception of two people, every resource on those 5 teams was a brand new relationship for me.  I am probably unique in terms of project managers.  But I think I know something about building stakeholder relationships and doing it quickly and effectively.  I make relationship-building a priority because it is critical to my success.  

I still struggle though when it comes to building relationships with certain people.  I put them last on my list when returning calls. I dread my next interaction with them.  I grind my teeth when they speak up at meetings.  My stomach turns when I see their caller id on my phone.   

The Godfather knew what he was talking about when he said to 'keep your enemies closer'.  I admit that I struggle with this but I do know the way out - we need to invest in those relationships that are difficult.  This means to invest in getting to know the people that are tough instead of avoiding them.

There are a couple of tools that I use to help with this - a strengths and weakness assessment and a stakeholder matrix.  I will talk about strengths and weaknesses in an upcoming post.  Read on for more information about using a stakeholder matrix.

The stakeholder matrix is a helpful way to collect and organize information about our team, sponsor, key contributors and any other stakeholders involved in our projects and programs.  Some of the key pieces of information I recommend collecting includes:

• Stakeholder Priority 
• Position toward you (positive, neutral, negative) 
• Role on the Project 
• Stakeholder Objectives 
• Facts, Passion, and Areas of Interest 
• Communications Style

The key benefit that I see in the use of the matrix is to keep us honest.  By putting it together in one place, we can get a clear view of the state of our relationships.  When we begin to look across our projects and programs and compare our relationships, we can see the patterns where we have inconsistencies in relationships.  Sometimes we think we do a good job with all our relationships, however, without some sort of tracking mechanism, we don’t really know. 

I often have workshop participants complete the stakeholder matrix as an exercise.  Inevitably, they are surprised at how little they know about specific team members or other stakeholders. 

 

You can download a blank stakeholder analysis template from my website here.  Use it to catalog your current relationships and identify those that are in the most trouble or are the most challenging to build.  Then, one relationship at a time, take steps to address those relationships that are hardest for you or in the worst shape. 

Action Steps:

1. Download the stakeholder analysis tool and complete it for your current project or team.
2. Identify those relationships that are difficult for you and what it is that makes them difficult.  It is because people don't like you, they avoid you, you are intimidated, or they are too busy?  Try to be as specific as possible.  Rank order the relationships from best to worst.
3. Pick just one of those relationships to start with and make an investment.  There are plenty of posts on relationship building here on this blog to give you ideas.  But the simplest way to build the relationship is to spend some time with the other person.
4. Treat your relationship building efforts as a game.  Give yourself points every day when you do well and deduct points when you don't.  Have fun with it.

Please stop back and post a comment about your relationship building struggles and successes.   

Cheers!

Anthony

 

EQ Research - Surveys Underway Now

I am honored that recently several different individuals have contacted me about research projects being conducted on emotional intelligence and project managment or leadership.  There are currently six different studies on these topics and I am excited about the findings that will come from this work.  Some of the research has been completed and the findings will be made available here on this blog in the near future.  Other studies are just getting underway or are in the survey phase. 

It is that second group of researchers that could use your support as their surveys get underway.  This is where you get a chance to participate, to learn more about yourself, and to get insights into how you compare with your peers.  So I would like to invite you (even challenge you) to participate in the following two studies that are currently underway.

#1 - Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership for Project Managers

The research study focuses on identifying the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Transformational Leadership for Project Managers.  The outcome of this research will address the knowledge gap that exists around the relationship between our emotions and the type of leadership we exercise in our work place and our projects.  The survey is currently active – please visit the following link to participate:  http://www.emotionsandleadership.com

Researcher:  Dereje Tessema, PMP, CFEA, dereje.tessema@waldenu.edu

#2 - Emotional Intelligence, transactional, transformational, and laissez-faire leadership within a virtual team environment of IS project managers.

In today’s information systems (IS) environment, the projects become intricate making the project managers as change leaders instead of task masters. Despite the rich literature on management and leadership, the current project management framework does not underscore the importance of project leadership for success. Besides, the project manager’s role is further compounded in the virtual team structures enabled by collaboration tools like video and telephone conferences, Internet messenger (IM), email, and online meetings. Therefore, this study attempts to evaluate the relationship of the various dimensions of emotional intelligence and the laissez-faire, transactional, and transformational leadership styles of project managers.

This survey is currently active.  If you hold the PMP certification and work in the IS field with virtual teams, Sriram would very much appreciate it if you would take the survey at:   http://www17.brinkster.com/shreesundar/survey

Researcher:  Sriram Rajagopalan, PMP, sundarinusa@yahoo.com

I am going to be posting more about the other research projects in the very near future.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Cheers!

Anthony

[Apple – (Steve Jobs) = Dell]

I don’t normally follow the market too closely but recently noticed that the value of my Apple stock was declining faster than the overall market.  Analysts have speculated that concerns over Steve Job’s health and lack of viable successor have caused the decline.  The thinking goes like this: with Jobs, Apple is able to produce hot-selling products, such as the MacBook, that sell for 2X what competitors like Dell are able to charge.  Without Jobs, Apple’s products (and stock value) are on par with Dell’s.

If the analysts are correct about the reasons for the drop in stock value, the market has placed the cost of the lack of viable succession plan for Steve Job’s in the range of $5B to $8B.  Forks, that is a lot of iPhones and iPods.

The articles I read reminded me of the value of succession planning for project managers and other leaders.  Do you have a viable succession plan?  Do you recognize the cost to you and your team if you don’t?  If you are the one indispensable part of your team, then you limit the team’s ability to take on new challenges.  You have also limited your ability to take on new challenges. 

For those of you who do not have a succession plan, my guess is that you are scared.  I know for me, I like to be perceived as the guy who gets it done.  My dark secret is that I fantasize about being so important and valuable to the team that they cannot live without me.  I want nothing more than to hear, “we couldn’t do it without you Anthony”, or, “you are the key to our success”.  This line of thinking believes that if someone else could step into my shoes, then I must not be very valuable. 

Of course, that is really just my ego talking and that would be a very foolhardy approach.  I probably acted that way when I was in the early part of my career, but now I know better.  I don’t want to be the critical linchpin of the team.  What I want is to create the most effective team possible and turn them loose to achieve the goals of my customers.  In the process, I want them to grow in their abilities and I want to continue to grow as a project manager and leader.

I think I am doing a pretty good job of succession planning.  For example, I have been leading a large IT program since June of this year.  Two weeks ago, I offered to take on a leadership role for two troubled projects and I transitioned the IT program to my deputy.  We made the transition in a week with very little formal communication. 

I think the reason for the smooth transition was that we had prepared for this.  I had delegated a large share of the project management and leadership responsibilities to him.  I let him lead; rather, I expected him to lead and supported him to step up to leadership in various areas.  He ran the daily standup calls.  He ran the overall program schedule.  And he was my backup when I was not in the office.  Even though he was my subordinate, he was able to quickly step up to overall leadership for the program because we had shared the leadership and program management roles.

I challenge you to pause and to evaluate your own succession planning.  Are you grooming the team under you so that one or more of them can take over for you?  Are you delegating work, giving them assignments, and assessing their strengths and weaknesses on a regular basis?

If you are not, evaluate what it is that you fear.  Do you fear being replaceable or being replaced?  Do you fear not being perceived as valuable?  The cost to you and your team may not be in the billions of dollars, but I guarantee you that it is pretty high.

Cheers!

Anthony

Thanksgiving is not a Project Manager's Holiday

Thanksgiving is a great holiday.  I love all the wonderful food and the enjoyment of family and friends without the obligation of gift giving.  (As Seth Godin wrote, no gifts, no guilt, no doctrine.)  Most of us get a 4-day weekend away from work.  But it is not a holiday for project managers.  In fact, it may be the most stressful holiday a PM can experience.

First of all, you need some planning and organizational skills to pull off a good Thanksgiving event.  Thanksgiving is the superbowl of holidays in that it demands that you work in advance to make the day a success.  You have to plan out the attendees, the menu, the agenda, and even the seating chart.  You have to create a menu and then use that to create a master bill of materials for shopping and a cooking schedule.  You have to shop ahead of time and prepare some dishes days in advance.  How many of us have a story about waking up to a frozen turkey on Thanksgiving morning and doing everything short of microwaving it to make sure dinner was not delayed for hours?  We've learned to develop contingency plans for major risks like this.

Project managers also tend to be control freaks.  We want to make sure we control the event to get just the perfect outcome.  So we are challenged when we rely on others to make the day a success or when we have to give up control to others.  For the most controlling of control freaks, we choose to take on the entire event ourselves.  We want perfect and we don't want to put the fate of our event in the hands of others.  So we do it all ourselves.  We may wind up cooking all day and not really enjoying either the meal or being in relationship with others.  

Our desired to control can also play out when we visit others for Thanksgiving.  In fact, showing up for Thanksgiving dinner at someone else's house can be more stressful than hosting Thanksgiving at our own.  Should I eat beforehand because I never know when they are going to serve dinner and I fear starving to death?  What is the appropriate dish to add to the many that will already be there?  How will I make my dish stand out from the others, so that I can look good?  Are they going to burn the dinner rolls again this year or have the football game blaring so loud that nobody can talk?

The worst part for project manager is seeing others do project management so poorly.  Like not properly planning for the finish-finish dependency on the various cooked items with the turkey.  Or not planning for enough chairs around the table.  Or forgetting to plan out the menu to avoid the last minute trips to the store.  Good project managers are so accustomed to structure and organization that we erroneously believe we need to apply this thinking to Thanksgiving.  Bringing in Thanksgiving dinner on schedule and budget may not be necessary or even desirable. 

Take for example the argument my wife and I nearly always have about how to accomplish a group of tasks.  As a project manager, I recognize that the most efficient use of time and resources is to divide up the tasks and assign them individually so that many tasks can be done in parallel.  This runs me afoul of my wife's approach which is to do things as a group, which of course, is just not very efficient.  When she proposes that we all work together as a team to do this or that, I just want to scream at her about how dumb that is and how much better it would be to divide and conquer. 

Which brings me back to the reason I wrote this post.  Thanksgiving is not a holiday that you need to project manage.  Yes the day could benefit from some basic planning and organization concepts, but, for the most part it doesn't require any of that.  You don't need to labor over a plan and a task list worthy of a D-day invasion, you don't need to have bi-weekly conference calls with your family members and other stakeholders, you don't need to have the day scripted and timed.  Instead, you could ad lib, be spontaneous, and invite others to pitch in and help when and where it is needed. 

I am actually at my best at Thanksgiving when I take a break from those key PM skills to be a human, to engage with those around me, and to be in relationship.  With plenty of therapy and some coaching from my wife, I have come to appreciate that even as a project manager, I can let go a little bit and just enjoy Thanksgiving for what it is.  I have come to expect that I will be sent out on the last minute shopping trip on Thursday afternoon but I will do it in community with my brother-in-law.  In fact, this excursion has become a part of our holiday ritual and we joke around with the other men that we see out at the supermarket on that trip. 

I relax now and don't try to control the food as it is cooking or worry about whether they started the green beans too early or if the dinner rolls are going to burn.  I strive to be a good team player; supportive without being controlling.  And I enjoy doing the unglamorous work of cleaning up the dishes afterwards. 

I recognized how far I had come this year when I was able to laugh when my two-year neice smashed her plate of food on the floor right behind me during dinner.  Life is too short to freak out over that type of thing.  Instead, I am reminded of how grateful I am to have my health, my family, and a bounty of resources. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Anthony

Sad Times; The Untimely Death of Galba Bright

On Monday I was shocked to learn that fellow blogger and emotional intelligence enthusiast, Galba Bright, passed away of natural causes.

Galba and I were both featured in an article in the PMI Network called, Beyond the Hype.  We had been corresponding back and forth for the prior year and were delighted to be featured together in that article.  He has been a frequent commenter here on this blog and has always been supportive of my work. 

I will miss you Galba!  Thanks for all the inspiration and support!

Anthony

Update - The BETA Online EQ Assessment For Project Managers

I have recently closed the BETA testing of the on-line EQ assessment for project managers.  If you participated in the beta test of the assessment, thank you again!  You should have received instructions for accessing the feedback.  Email me if you did not receive those instructions.

If you did not test drive the on-line assessment but would like to get the results, please feel free to email me at EQ4PM@ProjectAdvisorsGroup.com and I will send those to you.

The next steps for this assessment include:

• Revise the assessment based on your feedback.
• Conduct cognitive interviews of the items in the assessment.  (If you'd like
  to get involved, please let me know!)
• Revise assessment based on the interviews.
• Pilot again (likely)
• Launch assessment.

Cheers!

Anthony

Nobody Really Manages Projects - Not Even You

That's right, I said it, nobody really manages projects.  Not even project managers.  Not even you.  In fact, the term project manager is a misnomer. 

• Project managers do not manage scope
• Project managers do not manage time
• Project managers do not manage costs
• Project managers do not manage projects

They also don't manage integration, risk, quality, communications, procurement or any of the other nine knowledge areas of the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) save one.  There is really only one of the nine knowledge areas that the PM actually does manage.

So what is that one thing that project managers do manage?  Project managers manage only one thing; people.  It is through people that all of those other things are managed.

Consider time management as an example.  How does a PM manage time?  What exactly do they manage when they manage a schedule?  You might argue that they manage the tasks on the schedule (they certainly don't manage the speed of time passing).  What exactly about those tasks do they manage?  The estimated or actual duration?  How would they "manage" that?  The sequence?  Perhaps.  But that is simply the sequence of when the tasks are performed, that is, when persons will work on them.  What else can they manage about a task?  Susan de la Vergne, a fellow fan of emotional intelligence, had it right when she said "You Can't Manage Time".

What about cost management?  The PMBOK® Guide breaks cost management down into the following three areas:  cost estimating, cost budgeting, and cost control.  What does the PM "manage" when they manage costs?

• Cost Estimating - estimating the costs of the resources needed for the project.  That is, the human resources (people) who will work on the project and the other resources that the people will install, use, or consume on the project.
• Cost Budgeting - Adding up the cost estimates to create a baseline.  How is that simple tabulation a "management" activity?  Answer- it isn't.
• Cost Control - influencing the factors (i.e. people) that cause cost variances and controlling changes (caused by people) to the project budget.  This is true management, however, the PM is managing the people, not the costs.

My point?  The PMBOK® Guide is long on managing all the wrong things, the things that cannot be managed, and short on managing people.  This is the inverse of what it needs to be.  Projects are completed by people first and foremost.  I dare you to show me a project that has no people on it - it doesn't exist.  Project managers manage people! 

Even the one section of the PMBOK® Guide that is reportedly about people (Human Resource Management) is weak on managing people.  The four parts of the HR Management section are:

• Human Resource Planning - Planning for the people we need on the project.
• Acquire Project Team - Get the people we need on the project.
• Develop Project Team - Invest in the people on the project.
• Manage Project Team - AHA!  Eureka!  I think I finally found what it is that PMs need to do on the project.

The HR Management chapter of the PMBOK® Guide is 21 pages long, representing just 6% of the PMBOK content (less back matter).  That is ridiculous!  HR or people management should be the largest section of the PMBOK and it should be first!

I know there are many of you out there who have drank the PMI Kool-Aid who I have completed offended.  Even now you are preparing to unscubscribe from this blog.  Before you do, I challenge you to show me where I am wrong.  I dare you to step up and point out how project managers manage anything but people, or how project management can be performed or separated from managing people. 

Show me and I will recant.  I promise.

Anthony

Twenty Emotional Intelligence Tips from AllPM

This month I was one of the guest contributors over at ALLPM.com where the theme was emotional intelligence for project managers.  I contributed the following list of daily tips for project managers and after looking at them, I realized they are pretty good!  So here are the 20 tips of the day from ALLPM.com, grouped according to the emotional intelligence framework for project managers shown below.  Enjoy!

1. SELF-AWARENESS

Tip of the Day #1 - David Caruso and Peter Salovey said that "emotions are information". Are you able to fully experience your emotions at work and use them as information? Or do you try to "leave emotions at the door" when you arrive at work? Try logging every emotion you feel throughout the day today. Later tonight, spend some time reflecting on those emotions and see if you can understand the information that each emotion provides.

Tip of the Day #5 - Do you recognize when you are experiencing feelings during the day? A simple technique for increasing emotional self-awareness is to track emotions during the day using SASHET, an acronym for Sad, Angry, Scared, Happy, Excited and Tender. Keep a SASHET tally sheet today and see if there are patterns in the emotions you feel and those you don't feel.

Tip of the Day #6 - Sarcasm is usually an indication that someone is both angry and scared. When you hear sarcasm, you should ask yourself what that person is angry and scared about. This is doubly important if you are the one using sarcasm. I challenge you to make note of the times today that you hear sarcasm being used and looked behind the sarcasm to the emotions of the individual.

Tip of the Day #7 - Most of us cringe when we hear negative feedback or criticism. Feedback is a gift. Even critical feedback usually contains some kernel of truth that helps us grow if we are open to it. When we hear critical feedback, we need to get over our own defensiveness, listen carefully, and ask probing questions that lead us to that kernel of truth. Our greatest growth opportunities will come from those ‘gifts’ from others.

Tip of the Day #10 - Self-confidence is when we are grounded, secure, and self-assured. It’s easy to be rattled or thrown off our game by a recent setback or failure. One technique for overcoming a lack of self-confidence is to reflect on our past successes. Create a timeline on a piece of paper and mark on it the successes, small and large, that you have experienced over your career. By reviewing our past successes, we can put our current setbacks into perspective and see them as temporary.

2. SELF-MANAGMENT

Tip of the Day #3 - There are times when we remain unruffled by others and times when we react strongly. Pay attention to those times when you let other people push your buttons. What are the specific conditions where you are likely to let your guard down? Is it when you are tired, stressed, sick, feeling unappreciated or criticized, or not taking care of yourself? Try to avoid putting yourself in those situations where you aren’t able to choose a graceful response.

Tip of the Day #9 - Many of us work in environments that are stressful. We can remain graceful and unruffled when we learn to reduce our own stress level. I have found that laughing out loud, going for a walk, spending time with people I like, breathing techniques, and prayer or meditation help me to unwind. Select one of these techniques and practice it today, even if you don’t really need it.

Tip of the Day #11 - Perfectionists find that people never quite measure up to their expectations. They can be just as hard on themselves as well. Instead of going for perfection, strive for excellence which can be defined as doing your very best in every situation. Celebrate excellence and don’t get sucked into thinking that everything needs to be perfect.

Tip of the Day #15 - Some of us set ourselves up for stressful situations or negative outcomes by arriving late or unprepared for early morning meetings with team members or other project stakeholders. This can cause us to lose momentum or feel lousy for the rest of the day. Next time you have an important meeting, try getting to bed early, getting up early, and getting in to work before everyone else. Allow yourself some quiet time to review your notes and objectives for the meeting as well as to think about the emotions of each person that will be attending. Your calmness and quiet confidence will show clearly and even be contagious.

3. Social Awareness

Tip of the Day #8 - If you want to boost your standings with your project team, learn to listen with empathy. This includes giving others your full attention when they are speaking and letting them speak instead of interrupting or finishing their sentences. When they have expressed themselves, respond with empathy and emotions (e.g. that sounds tough, you sound sad). Finally, ask them what you can do to help. Don’t assume that you have to solve their problems or tell them what to do.

4. RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Tip of the Day #2 - Project management is about getting work done through others. Rarely is anything of significance done by one person working alone. It is the relationships we build with our team members and other stakeholders that determine how effective we will be as project managers. Take an honest assessment of the most important stakeholder relationships for your current project. Make it a point today to meet with those individuals with the objective of improving your relationship with them.

Tip of the Day #4 - Mom always said “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”. Unfortunately that approach can lead to a dangerous buildup of hurts over minor and major issues. A better approach is to keep short accounts with people by saying, “I don’t like it when you do/say X”. This frees us up from holding on to resentments and avoids a major explosion down the road.

Tip of the Day #12 - Picnicking is a term for people who eat their lunches alone at their desk, ostensibly because of their workload. This is isolating and keeps us out of relationship. Instead of eating alone, make it a point to go to lunch with a co-worker, team member, or a project stakeholder. The relationship you will build will produce benefits far greater than what you would gain by working through lunch at your desk.

Tip of the Day #13 - While we all strive to do our best to build relationships, we will invariably find that we don’t always get along with others. If you find yourself consistently having relationship problems, look for patterns of those problems. Since we are the common denominator in our relationships, we may be the cause of the pattern of breakdowns. Some of us unknowingly carry emotional baggage with us. By becoming aware of the pattern, we empower ourselves to do something about it.

Tip of the Day #14 - People tend to thrive on positive recognition and acknowledgment and wither on criticism. Since it was always easier for me to point out what was wrong than to recognize what was right, I had to push myself and build routines into my day and week to be more encouraging. One technique I found helpful was to keep a log of when I recognized various team member’s positive contributions. Try keeping a tally sheet of your team and mark down whenever you are able to recognize one of your team members. Strive for at least one positive or encouraging comment per person each day.

Tip of the Day #18 - Relationship-building is a task you will rarely find on a project plan or in a WBS. However, as a project manager, building relationships with project stakeholders is a major success factor. Don’t leave stakeholder relationships to chance; give this activity the same importance as other project management tasks. Add relationship building tasks to your ‘to do’ and ‘action item’ lists, block out time on your calendar for relationships, and track your progress in this important area.

5. TEAM LEADERSHIP

Tip of the Day #16 - The project manager has the opportunity to establish ground rules, values, or expectations for the behavior of the team. If you don’t set those up at the start of the project, you may be surprised to find that people behave badly and team members don’t respect you as the leader. Try working with your team to create a contract for behavior early in the project lifecycle. This will make everyone a part of the process and accountable for enforcing whatever rules are agreed.

Tip of the Day #17 - My mentor Robb used to say that you live or die by your project team. Getting the best resources is critical to your success; this shouldn’t be left up to chance or to the resource managers in your company. You will attract and retain great project resources when you develop your interpersonal skills (like emotional intelligence), lead with integrity, and create a positive project environment.

Tip of the Day #19 - Holding others accountable is a key part of the project manager’s job; if you are not doing it you are not leading. I sometimes find it challenging to hold senior managers, clients, or project sponsors accountable because I fear confrontation with them. It has helped me to pinpoint the source of my fear, challenge whether it is valid or not, and then move forward through the fear. It also helps to have a tool like a Responsibility Matrix to clearly communicate who is accountable for project activities.

Tip of the Day #20 - As the leader of the team, the project manager sets the emotional tone for the group. Do you emote positive feelings and create what Daniel Goleman calls “resonance”? Or do you tend to give off negative vibes and create “dissonance”? Take time today to ask one or two of your current team members if they experience you as positive and encouraging. Listen as quietly as you can, without defending, and try to note at least one or two things you can do differently to boost your resonance level.

Emotional Boundaries Paper posted on www.ALLPM.com

The theme of the month over at the ALLPM.com newsletter is "Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers".  I was delighted to be invited to submit an article on the topic and to get to know Judy Umlas, co-Editor of ALLPM.com, publisher at IIL, and executive director of learning innovations at IIL.  If you are reading this blog, this topic is probably of interest to you and I want to encourage you to check out ALLPM.com.

Though I didn't meet him, Dr. Al Zeitoun submitted his paper for the current ALLPM.com newsletter titled, Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers.  Dr. Zeitoun is a senior executive of IIL and frequent speaker at PMI events worldwide.

The article I submitted was about emotional boundaries for project managers.  The paper discusses what emotional boundaries are and then shows how they can cause conflict in the project environment.  It provides some indicators or warning signs of when there are boundary issues and concludes with six tips that project managers can use to improve their emotional boundaries.

I have also been supplying ALLPM.com with a steady stream of project management "Tips of the Day" related to emotional intelligence.  You can check out the current emotional intelligence tip of the day here or see all of the tips that were provided this month by going to the emotional intelligence tip archives.

Finally, I wanted to share the current results of the mini-poll that ALLPM is running on their site.  The question was, "How Important is emotional intelligence to your success as a PM"?  Here is a snapshot of the results after 13 days and 77 votes.  Not surprising, the majority of project managers felt it was either critically important or very important (68 of 77 votes).   If you have not already voted, please visit ALLPM.com and place your vote.

 

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

Do You Have What it Takes to Manage Your Projects?

Do you have the personal characteristics that are relevant to successfully manage the types of projects you manage?  What's that, you say you didn't know that personal characteristics mattered to the success of specific types of projects?  Recent research in this area reveals that the personal characteristics of the PM, in particular their leadership style, is directly related to the success of the project.  Further, the important competencies vary by the type of project being managed.

Research on Project Success

Early this year I wrote about an article by J. Rodney Turner and Ralf Mueller about what made projects successful.  I was thrilled to receive an email from Ralf Mueller and to receive their book on the topic called Choosing Appropriate Project Managers.  I have had the book for a couple of months now and have been digesting it slowly.  It is rich reading for those interested in what makes projects successful, for those who are interested in excelling at particular types of projects, and for those whose job it is to assign project managers to projects.  (FYI this post isn't meant to be a review of the book.  For an excellent review of the book, see Ken Rose's Cover to Cover article in the March 2007 Project Management Journal.)

In the book, the authors set out to dispel two myths:

1. That PM competence is not a project success factor.
2. That any PM can manage any type of project

The research model is shown below in a diagram taken from Turner and Mueller's presentation at the Project Management Challenge 2007.  They tested 15 independent variables representing intellectual competence (IQ), managerial competence (MQ), and emotional competence (EQ).  They measured the contribution of those independent variables to project sucess as measured by 10 dependent variables.  They also had a series of 19 moderating variables based on different types of projects (application, strategic importance, lifecycle stage, complexity, and culture).

By conducting 14 personal interviews and a web survey of 400 project managers, the mythbusters were able to handily dispel the two myths.  It turns out that the project manager's personal competence is indeed very much linked to the success of the project.  In particular, emotional intelligence is a key competency. 

"Project managers must be emotionally intelligent."
     - J. Rodney Turner and Ralf Mueller

What They Found

Here is a summary of the findings of the study:

1. The personal characteristics of the project manager do matter. 
2. Of those personal characteristics, emotional competency (EQ) dominates over IQ and managerial competence.
3. Different personal characteristics are important for different types of projects and even different phases of the same project.
4. Organizations need to understand and build the capabilities of the PMs for the types of projects they perform.

What does all of this mean to you as a project manager?  Well, it seems that it would pay to understand the competencies you have, compare that to the competencies for the types of projects you manage, and close any gaps that exist.

For all project types, the PM competencies that correlated with success were conscientiousness, sensitivity, and communication.  Strategic perspective was negatively correlated, that is, PMs with strategic perspective would be more likely to fail.

For three common types of projects, here are the competencies that were statistically correlated with successful projects:

• Information Technology Projects - Important competencies for successful IT projects include:  self-awareness, engaging communication, and developing.  Having vision was negatively correlated with success (that is, PMs with vision failed).
• Engineering Projects - Important competencies for successful Engineering Projects include conscientiousness and sensitivity.  Again, having vision was a negative.
• Organizational Change Projects - Important competencies for successful Organizational Change Projects include motivation and engaging communications.  Again vision was negative.

What You Need to do Next

What do you need to do with this information as a project manager?  I think the relevant question is how do you stack up as a PM?  Do you have emotional intelligence?  If you lead IT projects, do you have self-awareness, communications and developing as competencies?  (Note:  developing is defined as "Encouraging others to take on ever more-demanding tasks, roles, and accountabilities.  Develops others's competencies and invests time and effort in coaching them.")

If you don't know what your personal competencies are, there are many ways to find out.  The fastet would be to take an online emotional intelligence self-assessment like the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal Me edition from TalentSmart.  If you don't have the $35, you can download a simple and free mini self-assessment from my website to use as a starting point (my simple tool only looks at self-awareness and control).   

It seems clear to me that if 1) PMs need to be emotionally intelligent and 2) Specific project types require specific emotional competencies, THEN PMs should determine their own EQ strengths and weaknesses relative to the job and address any gaps.

What do you think?