So, you’ve established the initial PM training, set up coaching and mentoring as well as a basic methodology for them to follow, including review bodies, etc. Now what?
First, you must continue supporting the PMs. While coaching and mentoring will help them with some of the day-to-day feedback, “what gets measured gets done” is a classic saying. The organization must recognize what a) good project management is and b) the efforts that PMs take to improve their skill.
Good projects are those that meet scope, budget, and time. But, does the organization recognize the fire fighter or the good PM that smoothly sails his/her project to completion? This is a key question the organization must address. If fire fighters are recognized, there’s incentive for crisis to bubble up so that the PM can be the hero that saves the day (by the way, this is not just a behavior exhibited by PMs. Other team members may do the same.) Such an organization may not properly recognize the smooth-sailing PM, encouraging behaviors that may not be the best for the organization’s intentions. A phrase that alludes to this situation is “being under the gun”. This is viewed by many as taking a heroic action to save the day. Yes, but… Some time ago I read the real story about this phrase. From what I remember, it was about a young officer in the British Navy who threw himself under a cannon that was rolling on the deck and would have smashed the walls of the ship, causing a disaster. When the commanding officer saw this young officer’s action, the young officer expected to be rewarded. Instead, the captain punished him since the young officer had failed to tie down the cannon, which was his responsibility! The captain recognized that the young officer had created a crisis that need not have happened due to his lack of attention to his duties. Does your organization recognize these situations or do they reward the fire fighters who may be also the fire starters?
We’ll talk next time about recognizing PMs who improve their skills. Till then.
