PMcrunch

Software project outsourcing and managing virtual teams are very hot topics today. They present new opportunities as well as new challenges for project and program managers. Below is a collection of recent articles and posts around the internet on this timely topic.

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As leaders and project managers or program managers, we are subject to the ups and downs of what we could call the “project or program work cycle”. While sometimes things seems to be flowing forward and progressing well, like a well-oiled machine, at other times it seems that no matter what we do, progress is slow and difficult. I leadership positions, this experience is inevitable, as everything is not “black and white”. How can we handle these situations?

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As Project Managers, it is our charge to maintain high ethical standards. Strong ethical standards are a key ingredient of great leadership. The responsibility of ethics leads me to think about 2 immediate dilemmas or challenges:

Do we ask ourselves whether or not we are doing the right thing?
Do our team members and stakeholders ask themselves that same eithical question?
These 2 questions cover the basics of ethics, but there is a broader organization challenge we must consider to ensure these ethical questions are being handled.

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Talent management is a huge challenge for corporations and organizations of all types and sizes. I many cases, success at talent management within the organization can be the key differentiating factor between success and failure for the organization. Likewise, success at project management, program management, and portfolio management also largely hinges on strong talent management. Part of this challenge lies at the relationship between the organization’s talent management capabilities and those of the projects and programs.

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Professional Project Management is becoming more pervasive. Like “Electrification” occurred during the era of proliferation of electricity, “projectization” is occuring throughout the workforce and organizations. Most of the emphasis I have seen is on professional project management. However, most people will not be professional project managers, but rather will be team members, support personnel, subject matter experts, department managers, C-level executives, and the like. This post explores what is being said about this broader workforce in a projectized world.

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Time off is not just a luxury. It’s a responsibility of leadership for project managers and program managers. Especially in summer, where schedules tend to be a little lighter, it is easier to take some time off and connect with others who also are taking time off. Taking time off helps us personally, as well as our families and social relationships, but it is also a big gain for members of our project team, as everyone appreciates an organization that acknowledges and values time outside of work.

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A CEO said, “I’d hate to lose you—you’re one of the few people around here who actually cares.” While highly dedicated people can be rare. Deliberate effort to find and retain such people is a worthwhile performance enhancement initiative. Here are 5 key ideas to implement to have more project team members who care!

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As leaders and professionals, we are called upon to be at our best all of the time! Not only to we need to maintain and improve personal performance, but we as project managers and program managers are frequently responsible for the performance of others. One challenge is how we manage the plethora of positive and negative feelings that inevitably come our way in the course of our professional endeavors. I have been thinking about how we can be more aware of what happens inside of us emotionally that needs to be managed in order to achieve top performance consistently.

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A moderately lighthearted approach to project management and leadership can be very beneficial. To get the most out of ourselves, we need to strike a balance between hard work and fun. As leaders, we need to be assured that we are facilitating the right balance work and fun for individuals on our team and for the team as a whole. On project teams, where project leaders expect the absolute best from their people, fun on the job isn’t a frivolity, but rather a necessity.

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Uncertainty is part of the territory for effective leaders. Certainty simply does not exist for effective leadership, since if it did, leadership would not be needed! Whether in executive leadership or project leadership, it is the ability of the leader to manage uncertainties that most defines success.

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