Project managers (PMs) think; research; plan. I appreciate some readers might not think so but we do.
Honest.
It is also true that projects always start with high hopes of success – the risks have been considered; and there’s contingency in the budget; and flexibility in the schedule; and we know who’s responsible for what.
Life seems good until someone drops a proverbial pebble causing the ripples that start to rock the project boat.
Often dropped with good intention, by people who want to help, there are times when these pebbles are more like large boulders dropped from a great height and often out of the blue.
Occasionally it may seem that they are dropped with spite; usually by someone with an unresolved grievance about the project. (PMs of all types will recognise this sort of rock.)
And yet while causing the biggest splash these boulders can also be the easiest to manage, simply by pouring the oil of talk over the now stormy waters.
While many project managers pride themselves in their communication skills – emails, reports, PowerPoint presentations, etc., – for me it is the ability to talk to people, whether face-to-face or on the phone, that is key to being a project manager and probably the most important and best way of resolving issues.
So to all PMs, remember to show a human face to your project. It’ll be smoother sailing all round for your project boat.