Managing projects effectively has become essential in every organisation large or small. The uncertainties of the world business economy, rapidly changing technology, and the intensifying focus on sustainability has driven many organisations to develop specific methods for managing projects and to seek highly qualified and competent people to manage those projects. These driving factors require today’s project managers to accept and adapt to change, lead diverse teams, act as ambassadors for their organisations and deal with a multitude of challenging project stakeholders.
It is clear that Project managers are placed in a unique position. They must balance their roles as leader and manager, interface with multiple types of stakeholders, are often the "face" of their organisation to its customers, and must deal with a seemingly unending stream of challenges to be successful. These challenges and the ability to address them require the project manager to maintain awareness of personal brand of and the impact it will have on project assignments, career opportunity, and the willingness of project teams to work for and support the project manager. As the profession of project management evolves and the demand for competent and value driven project managers increases, personal brand and reputation have become major factors in the criteria used to select and assign people to project leadership positions.
Indispensable Factors
The project manager must develop skills and competencies in several areas to be considered for an assign. In addition there are 4 major factors a project manager must address and continue to develop:
Accomplishability: your ability to achieve and deliver valued results.
Value/cost: the value delivered perception relative to the cost.
Supply/Demand: the market dynamics of your position, skills, etc.
Likeability: how others perceive you.
This presentation addresses the importance of the professional project manager in today’s business environment and the need for the project manager to continually enhance existing skills, adapt to a changing environment, and become a “go to” person in the organisation. Emphasis is placed on understanding the business needs of an organisation, clearly and visibly creating value from a client and supplier view point, and continually developing and managing personal brand.
2. Background
AT&T Long Lines, BCS and Corp.
ITS
Cisco Systems Professional
Services
Past President PMI® NYC
Chapter
Past Editor allPM.com
Past Chair PMI Ed SIG
Founder International PM Day
PMI Person of the year 2006
PMI Fellow 2013
PMI DistinguishedContribution
2015
3. “TheValue of Project Management can be seen in any
skyline”
International Project Management Day – 4 November 2021
4.
5. What has been the very best thing about the past
year for you?
What new skills or talents did you discover in
yourself?
What projects made you feel most alive and why?
What work contributions do you feel most proud
of?
What did you do that most contributes to your
personal mission and vision?
What's the most meaningful thing you did for
another person?
6. If you could write one news headline about you
and make it come true, what would it be?
What will be your number one focus during
these next six months?
What would you have to believe about yourself
to make the coming months your best ever?
What limiting beliefs would be useful to drop?
How will you help others to be more
successful?
What "Super Hero skills" would you like to
have to accelerate your success and others?
7. Now, with fresh insights bubbling in your
brain, identify some action items. Get
moving, so that the next 6 months will be
your most enjoyable, productive, and giving
season of your life.
9. What are your daily leadership activities?
How do you plan and utilize your leadership
time?
10. Behavior Percent of time spent Ideal Percent of time
you should devote
Informing
Directing
Clarifying
Persuading
Collaborating
Brainstorming/ envisioning
Reflecting (Quiet time)
Observing
Disciplining
Resolving interpersonal conflict
Praising / Recognizing
11. Is there a gap between what you actually do and
how you should spend your time and energy?
What behaviors are taking up too much of your
leadership time?
Where should you be spending your leadership
energy?
What strategies can be employed to move you
closer to your ideal distribution of behaviors?
12. 1. To do all aspects of my leadership duties well, I need
to improve _______
2. If I were better at _______, I would excel relative to
my peers
3. If I improved _______, I would resolve an ongoing
problem
4. Feedback from several sources indicate I should
improve _______
5. In the future, my organization will need more people
who are effective at _______
6. To advance to the next level of leadership within my
organization I should learn more about ______
7. The reasons why I should continue my personal
development include: ____________________
13. “I was going to buy a copy of The Power of
PositiveThinking, and then I thought:
What the hell good would that do?
Ronnie Shakes
14. How are project managers perceived by other
managers, peers, and associates?
Mudslinging –What are the perceived negatives
about project managers and project
management?
15. Brand “you” - One word that describes you
Honest
Authentic
Friendly
What do you value? (in your place of business, in
your personal life)
Know who you are
Define your values
Consistency is vital
Know your customers
16. What are the characteristics of the successful
project manager?
17. The Key Competencies of a Project Manager
1. Communications Skills-verbal, written
2. Leadership Skills
3. Organizing Skills-planning, time management
4. Interpersonal Skills
5. Negotiating Skills-Diplomacy and mediating
6. Team Building Skills
7. Technical Skills
Emphasis on
professionalism in
planning and execution
18.
19. Accomplishability: your ability to achieve and
deliver valued results.
Value/cost: the value delivered perception
relative to the cost.
Supply/Demand: the market dynamics of
your position, skills, etc.
Likeability: how others perceive you.
20. If you don’t focus on becoming indispensable,
your value will be limited and your worth in
society decreases every day
You become less relevant!
21. A positive attitude and an awareness of how to
build brand 'you' are as crucial as your team
making skills.
AnnaTims
23. Some possibilities:
Instill doubt that you can be replaced
Create a sense of the risk your departure would
have on customer relations or profit
Exploit gaps in the system – be the only one who
fully understands a process
(Caution - these actions may limit your ability
to grow)
24. Our work must create value and bring a “gift”
to others each day
In other words, what you do is appreciated and
people look forward to working with you
We must overcome our “Voice of Judgment”
(The excuses that keep us playing small)
We must “think indispensable”
25. Inventory your value traits
How are you different?
What key skills, knowledge, or other factors
do you bring to your organization?
What new skills should you pursue?
How do you know you are valuable?
The management of value
26. Critical
Vital
Central
Essential
Necessary
Required
Crucial
Obligatory
Fundamental
Key
Must Have
A Keeper YOU
27. What is one thing that people associate with
you in service to your organization’s mission?
Be excellent at it
Make it a habit, not just a goal, to collaborate
with others and exchange knowledge
Carry a spirit of generosity into your work
without undue worry that you will be taken
advantage of
28. Never underestimate the importance of the
way you look (image, dress)
Smile, be up beat, supportive, and positive
Create a CV and update it with the things that
make you valuable
Ask questions and learn from people in other
departments
Create and sustain an active social media
presence (Linked in,Twitter)
29. CreateValue and bring a “gift” to others
Become an artist – a positive deviant, a
linchpin
Refuse to be limited by business as usual
Create a professional impression online
Never allow anyone to tag inappropriate
pictures of you online
30. That “extra” something you contribute each
day
Smile
Thoughtful gesture
Kind action
Teaching or mentoring
ForgetWIIFM
Find something that differentiates you from
others, something people will remember
31. The Professional – Truthful, Ethical, Fair, Principles
The Financial – Managing Cost, FinancialValue
The Aesthetic – Quality and Customer Satisfaction
The Social – Team building, relationships
The Political – Influencing, managing conflict
The Leader – Sets an example, create confidence,
motivates, builds loyalty
32. Indispensable
Delivering massive impact
A mindset wrapped with skills and attributes
Indispensable people are the types that you can
hand any project, put in nearly any role, issue a
challenge to, and they simply make things happen
by understanding what must get done and
adapting their skills accordingly.
33. Irreplaceable
Locked in a role
Harboring a finite set of skills and knowledge mindset
wrapped with skills and attributes
Keeping information from others
A false sense that if you protect your area you will
have job security for life
If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.You
can’t grow your company or your profile, because it
can’t move forward without you.You can’t grow,
move on, do different things, expand your horizons
34. Do more than your job description
Don’t wait for the “pat on the back”
Anticipate needs
Make yourself essential
Display optimism, no whining or complaining
Stay connected
“befriend” your boss and associates
Serve others, not yourself
Strengthen your weak links
35. Build your team to sail the ship without you.
Teach them everything you know, and hire
people smarter than you.
Equip yourself to always bring something
powerful, unique, and pivotal to your work,
but make it a methodology, not a checklist
that’s unique to any one discipline.
36. They are the ultimate in adaptability
Thrive on whatever gets thrown at them
Their skills and techniques are unique, and
ever-evolving.
Which means that few businesses can thrive for
the long term without them.
37. They areAuthentic Leaders
To lead is to measurably help others succeed –Tom
Peters
No matter what the situation, the “great”
manager’s first response is to always think about
the individual concerned and how things can be
arranged to help that individual experience success
– Marcus Buckingham
38. Over deliver!
1. Be there first
2. Attitude – I’m here to win
3. Go to the next level – go for the championship
4. Play against someone better than you
5. Do a personal SWOT
6. Network
7. Understand your customer
8. Put your ego aside
9. Uplift your Brand – Don’t be “satisfied”
10. Give back
11. Be demanding but fair – no clock watchers
12. Know your team
39. Network as much as possible
Be excellent at something
Create something useful
Innovate – look for different ways to solve a
problem
Make others feel good
Share and teach, mentor and coach
Commit to make a difference
40. Final thoughts:
No one is actually totally indispensable
The real goal is to become a “go to” person
Project managers should be sought after for their
wide range of skills and experience
Become
Invaluable
41. P - Professionalism at all times
R - Respect for all stakeholders
O - Ownership of each assignment
J - Judicial decision maker
E - Excellence in execution
C – Communicator
T –Team player and team builder
42. M - Motivator
A - Action oriented
N - Negotiator
A - Always available
G - Genuine commitment
E - Energetic and empowering
R - Responsible for success
43. Frank P. Saladis PMP, PMI Fellow
saladispmp@msn.com
Check out my book “ Positive Leadership in
Project Management”
44. Linchpin:AreYou Indispensable? Seth Goodin
BrassTackThinking – IndispensableVs.
Irreplaceable
Becoming Indispensable,Adele Scheele
Becoming Indispensable – Lessons From
NASA and Oprah, Robin Sparks
Dustin M.Wax, lifehack.org