My manifesto to becoming a successful Project Manager

In my years of experience in the IT industry, I have worked in various capacities — software engineer, systems analyst, data/backend developer, project lead, project manager, software engineering manager, product manager, technical program manager, et al. Each of these roles has given me unique perspectives and experiences on what it takes and what really matters to manage and deliver successful projects and products. I have implemented projects using both traditional and agile project management methodologies. However there are a few fundamental principles that I have embraced across all these roles and methods that I have immensely benefited from.

An abridged list is below. And I am sure more can be added to this list. 😊

· People working on my projects are committed and enthusiastic about their work — and it matters because it brings the best in them

· Members who are not on the team or participating as a member from a different unit work well with me when I call for help — and it matters because many times I have needed to manage work without authority over those personnel

· People that work with me trust my judgement, and peers come to me for advice about their projects — and it matters because faith, trust, leadership, credibility and expertise are key attributes

· I make it a point to not only understand the project’s relationship with the organization goals but also the ability to deep-dive so that I can consistently identify critical issues and solutions — and it matters because project success hinges on the big picture as well the details

· I make sure that people working on my project understand what we are trying to accomplish and why — and it matters because communication is a critical success factor

· I am able to enroll sponsors and stakeholder’s stake in the project outcome, and present a compelling case on the financial and organizational benefits derived from the project — and it matters because you need to know what success looks like, as well as the ability to influence to get the job done

· I try to understand when possible stakeholder motivations particularly when they are not supportive of the project or certain aspects of the projects; and it could be due to varied reasons be it valid professional and technical opinions or job security concerns or culture or just banal tribal positions. And each type of stakeholder type requires appropriate governance strategies — and it matters because successful stakeholder management is essential to control project focus, manage risks and obstacles rationally and in the best interests of the project its sponsors and the customers it is expected to serve, and last but not the least even prevent projects from being derailed

· I pride in my ability to identify, understand and mitigate risks; the implications of constraints and assumptions for the project — and it matters when you want to run a predictable project and manage expectations

· I make it a priority that project management practices and technical architecture confirm with organizational standards — and it matters because projects and products delivered need to align with organizational standards

· It is important to me to have adequate and required documentation, version / change controls and artifact management — and it matters to ensure trace-ability of the project story line, the and products being produced

· My inclination to be detail oriented but not micro-manage helps ensure that the projects maintain a well-defined task / user story list, work breakdown structure, dependencies and task outputs — and it matters for clear estimation and provisioning of resources (personnel, fiscal, infrastructure), deliverable management and managing the project in terms of its manageable parts and optimal resource usage

· I believe in transparent communication of schedules, expectations and measurements including roles of project team members and stakeholders — and it matters because every project member needs to see the path to success, and accordingly contribute

· My projects emphasize team-work; standardized performance evals and incentives; an objective, compassionate, and logical approach to managing conflicts and disputes — and it all matters because project execution is stressful, and individuals and teams go through the forming, storming, norming, performing phases or as some would say the good, bad and ugly phases

· My project teams are encouraged to provide regular demos and walkthroughs on the progress of the project — and it matters to all stakeholders and team members because seeing is believing and feedback is crucial

· Last but not the least I find it extremely important and beneficial to conduct retrospectives at iteration close-outs; summarize project closures with clear and relevant results and metrics — and it matters because at the end of the game everyone needs to know the final score

Also, become a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and your local chapter. It takes consistency, reading and continuously learning from high quality material and world class practitioners to formalize, articulate and institutionalize those practices. I could not have eloquently expressed my experiences without the learnings and knowledge that i have gained through PMI. I have been a beneficiary since 2004 and currently hold both a PMP and PMI-ACP. Just like me, i am sure you will appreciate the access to a wealth of knowledge, best practices, webinars, and training sessions. Learn, Contribute, Volunteer, Network and become a better person at home and at work. :)

Cheers!