It’s Not Easy, and It’s Not Scary Either
CHAPTER 11 Facilitation for PMs
People Make Projects Difficult
Brush Up Your Facilitation Skills
FOREWORD
After more than 20 years of creating and making things for the internet, I’ve learned a thing or two. And when it comes to project management, I’ve found the following to be true:
• Project management is hard. Variables like virtual teams, absentee stakeholders, unknown technology, and scope creep can turn seemingly simple projects into mission impossible. Sometimes, it takes every ounce of your energy, patience, discipline, and all the soft skills you can muster to even complete a project, much less make it great or timely.
• Project managers are routinely underappreciated. Let’s face it—if you’re good at your job, your contributions often go unnoticed. And typically, the spotlight is given to other disciplines, like design and development.
I am a designer by trade, but I’ve often been put into a leadership position. Which means that I’ve had to practice project management out of necessity, not by choice. Until now, there have been very few resources available to help practitioners like me understand how to manage people and projects. So when Brett told me that he was writing this book, I said, “Take my money!” because Project Management for Humans is sorely needed.
Having worked with Brett for the past seven years, I knew firsthand that he’d earned his knowledge the hard way. There’s nothing in this book that Brett has not lived through, dealt with, and, at the end of the day, delivered as a project manager.
There are two audiences for this book: the dedicated project manager and everyone else who finds himself or herself tasked with leading projects and teams (designers, developers, strategists, and executives, for example).
For all you project managers out there—whether you’re hoping to learn new ideas, change career paths, or validate the hard work that you’re already doing—this book provides the advice and ideas you’ll need to handle any project situation, no matter how complex.
For the designers and developers who are taking their first steps into project management, you’re in good hands. The road ahead will not be easy; pay heed to Brett’s advice in the following chapters, and it will help you form great teams and launch successful projects and products.
Finally, a word to the wise: if you are leading projects or teams, seek out the fellowship of your peers. This book is just a start, and it will certainly help you take giant leaps in your career. However, collaborating with your peers will give you even more confidence and enable you to achieve victory often.
Go forth and be great!
—Greg Storey
Austin, Texas
@brilliantcrank
INTRODUCTION
What do you want to be when you grow up?
It’s a question we’re asked from a very young age. I knew the answer as soon as the question was posed: pediatrician.
I spent the earliest years of my school career preparing myself for medical school, without ever actually thinking about why I wanted that job. When I finally enrolled in college as a pre-med student, I decided to go on rounds with my family doctor just to see what it was all about from the physician’s point of view.
Best idea I ever had, hands down.
I won’t speak of the things I saw, but I will say that I left the office before lunch and went home to tell my parents it was not the job for me. When they asked, “What is the right job for you?” I had no real response. So, after a year of trying (forcing) biology as a focus, I changed my major to English. I liked writing and thought that would be a good place to start.
When I graduated, I went to the career services office at my university and they handed me a giant book of jobs that English majors might take. That wasn’t helpful, so I found my own opportunity at a start-up as an editor. It was a unique role, because I was able to test my strengths: writing copy, managing video shoots, learning HTML and Flash, creating site maps and wireframes, using Photoshop . . . managing projects. It was an experience I’d never give back, even if I did have to go through the highs and lows of working for a startup that eventually fizzled out, dashing my dreams of becoming a 22-year-old millionaire.
When I left that job by way of a layoff, I found myself looking for focus. I reflected on what I did best so that I could find the right fit for me. In the end, I recognized that I was:
• Organized
• Curious to learn more
• Willing to help others
• Comfortable asking uncomfortable questions or addressing tricky situations with people and projects
• Courageous
• Detail oriented
• A connector
• A communicator
It took me a few years to find the right fit, but I finally found my calling: project management. For the reasons above, and others to be discussed in this book, I’ve found that it takes a certain something to be a project manager, and it’s partly ingrained in you and partly learned.
NOTE KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS
I’ve always kept that list of my characteristics in my back pocket, because I knew that it would help me to zero in on what my strengths are as an individual. It has also helped me to assess the “fit” on any potential job and project opportunities. If you’re having a hard time figuring out the right role for you, try doing the same and making some connections in your community to help you land in the right role. It’ll make