Top habits of successful project managers

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Top Habits of Successful Project Managers
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Delivering IT Value
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Balanced
Scorecard
Capabilities
Based
Planning
Real Options
Based
Portfolio
Management
Enterprise
Program &
Project
Management
Business and Information Technology Governance
Enterprise Class Tools and Work Processes
Governance Transforms Strategy Into Continuous Improvement
Successful Project Execution Delivers Value To IT Organizations
Sustained
CompetitiveAdvantage

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Industry News….
n 40% of IT projects fail to deliver their intended results
n Estimated 58% of IT projects were not delivered on time or
on budget
n A little more than 50% of all companies do not have a criteria
to define project success, and nearly 70% do not track the
benefits of their projects
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Source: March 25, 2003 press release from The
Standish Group International

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Three Essential Tools for Project
Management?
“A crystal ball, a bottle of
whiskey, and a revolver.”
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Are all project managers equally
prepared for every project?

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Questions to be Considered….
n Why do project managers with great records of success
become ineffective on a project?
n Are certain project managers more effective in one stage of
the project life cycle than another?
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Source: March 25, 2003 press release from The
Standish Group International

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A Successful Project Manager
Knows…
Bottom Line?
n Urgent business needs must be
tackled first
n Successful projects require strong
leadership
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Core Concepts
§ Project management is what ties together all
activities on a project.
§ If the efforts of all the stakeholders are not
expertly coordinated and skillfully managed,
the project could overrun the budget, fail to
meet the schedule, or fall short in quality.
§ Even on-time and under budget projects can
still fail if the business criteria are not met.
§ The larger and more complex the project, the
more critical the overall project management
function.
§ Common pitfalls to project success are lack of
analysis, minimal input from business users,
and no effective method or tool to distribute
and capture project information.
§ Projects vary widely in their complexity due
to different business and technical
environments.
† Jack Gido, James P. Clements , Successful Project Management, 2003

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Habits of
Successful Project
Managers
Proven techniques to help you deliver value
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Project Managers are LEADERS
n Real-world roles of a Project Leader
n Leader
n Team Player
n Executive
n Marketer
n Quality Agent
n Public Speaker
n Mentor
n Counselor
n Laborer
n Decision Maker
n Negotiator
n Financial Analyst
n Project Evangelist
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Some …ilities of Successful Project
Managers
n Ability to create and nurture a
vision
n Ability & willingness to risk
failure
n Ability to expect and accept
criticism
n Ability to empower others and be
a role model
n Ability to be decisive, persistent,
and happy
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† Neal Whitten, Project Management Institute, PM Network 1996. June; 10(6): 29-35.

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It’s All About ATTITUDE!
n Maintaining a winning
attitude and believing in
one's self are contagious
qualities that leaders can
impart to the whole project
team.
n Superior project managers
think before acting, can
make and meet
commitments, and are able
to leave their egos behind.
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“You Must Be In It To
Win It”

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Finding Success in Project
Management
n The experienced and
successful project manager
knows that delivering a
project that has achieved its
objectives involves a great
deal more than the
masterly application of
technical skills.
n Such results require that the
project manager use savvy
and subtle techniques for
managing and leading the
project team.
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Project Managers
Need People Skills

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The Project Manager of the Future?
n Current view of the project manager's role:
n A producer of technical solutions who is immutably bound by the
triple constraints.
n That view will undoubtedly change dramatically within the next
few years.
n Organizations wishing to thrive (or even just survive) in the
turbulent, competitive, and rapidly changing environment of the
future will need to give their project managers the opportunity
and the latitude to act in a more entrepreneurial fashion…
n The project manager's entrepreneurial expertise will be evaluated by
their ability to demonstrate and apply sound business judgment.
n In short, mastering business skills is one of the biggest things on
the horizon for today's project manager.
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† Gary R. Heerkens, , Project Management Institute, PM Network 1996. June; 10(6): 29-
35.

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Successful Project Managers of the
Future
n Produce deliverables that
function as expected and
satisfy requirements…
n …but do so in a way that
ensures a positive contribution
to the bottom line.
n Metrics such as profitability,
cash flow, life cycle cost, and
strategic alignment will
gradually begin to eclipse
scope, cost, and schedule as
the essential measures of
project success.
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The business success of the project will soon be defined as a
Project Manager’s key areas of responsibility

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Roundtable Discussion
n Share stories of successful project management experiences
with the group…
n Describe the challenge(s) and how did you use successful project
manager behaviors overcome it?
n Apply Top Habits of Successful Project Managers to a current
project…
n Describe a current project challenge you are facing.
n Given what you’ve learned or what we’ve discussed today, how
would you now approach things differently?
14/17
“Six Qualities of Effective Leaders, Fortune Magazine, 2000

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Final Thoughts…
n It takes 27 days of repetition to form a habit
n Focus on developing your successful project manager
“Illities”
n Keep your eye on the future – start developing critical skills
now
n Ask for support!
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Successful project managers are part of value delivery

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