A lot of leadership training conducted within organizations today often revolves around generic subjects like leadership principles. However, for project managers and program managers, it proves more beneficial to discuss leadership in the context of specific projects or programs for the best practice.
A lot of leadership training provided in contemporary organizations predominantly focuses on generic topics such as leadership principles. However, for project managers and program managers, discussing leadership within the framework of a specific project or program is particularly advantageous. For instance, it prompts considerations regarding how to effectively manage issues like conflict, change, resilience, and fatigue within a project environment.
When organizations invest in enhancing their project and program capabilities, the emphasis often tends to be on the technical skills required for effective project planning and delivery. While technical skills form the foundation, they alone do not suffice. It is crucial for organizations to also consider the essential people skills necessary to foster high performance within their project teams, enabling the establishment of a clear vision and the definition of a distinct purpose for a particular initiative.
This focus on people skills becomes increasingly critical when project managers are tasked with overseeing larger projects involving expanded teams or when confronted with personnel changes in long-term projects. Maintaining a steadfast focus on outcomes while comprehending how to shape team behavior and motivation in such scenarios is imperative.
When organizations invest in enhancing their project and program capabilities, the emphasis often tends to be on the technical skills required for effective project planning and delivery. While technical skills form the foundation, they alone do not suffice. It is crucial for organizations to also consider the essential people skills necessary to foster high performance within their project teams, enabling the establishment of a clear vision and the definition of a distinct purpose for a particular initiative.
This focus on people skills becomes increasingly critical when project managers are tasked with overseeing larger projects involving expanded teams or when confronted with personnel changes in long-term projects. Maintaining a steadfast focus on outcomes while comprehending how to shape team behavior and motivation in such scenarios is imperative.
Certainly, a project manager may possess the most intricately detailed plan, yet unless their team is united, dedicated, empowered, and motivated, the realization of that plan remains incomplete. In essence, no matter how proficient they are technically, the inability to effectively engage with their team and foster a shared vision impedes the achievement of the intended outcome.
Conversely, the reverse is also true. While an individual may exhibit inspirational, people-centric leadership, the absence of a comprehensive plan and a meticulously devised delivery strategy, supported by best practice standards such as PRINCE2 or MSP, can result in a well-motivated team that may not necessarily produce tangible outputs, outcomes, and benefits.
During the upgrade of its facilities and car park, one of Australia’s prominent zoos experienced a phase in the project review where it was collectively perceived that the progress wasn’t meeting the expected standards. However, the atmosphere swiftly shifted during a conversation, altering the prevailing mood.
The team initially characterized the project as a simple upgrade of the car park and certain facilities. However, upon probing further, they elucidated that the objective was to facilitate increased zoo visitation, allowing more people to engage with the zoo’s offerings. They further acknowledged that this amplified engagement would contribute to a heightened awareness of animal conservation, aligning with the zoo’s overarching vision. Shifting the focus from the project’s immediate outcome to the underlying purpose instantaneously revitalized the team’s enthusiasm. They recognized that their efforts were not solely about enhancing the zoo’s infrastructure, but about fostering widespread awareness of animal conservation, sharing their passion for wildlife with the public, and instigating transformative change.
Under the guidance of leadership possessing both technical expertise and strong interpersonal skills, this realization, accompanied by a shift in perspective, notably heightened the energy within the project environment, leading to a substantially improved outcome for the zoo and its conservation mission. This collective understanding served to unite the project team under a shared objective.
Project management training typically commences with establishing a fundamental grasp of the essential technical knowledge, akin to a foundational course in planning and executing a project, before delving into its practical application. Crucially, rather than simply imparting a prescribed process, this approach should involve equipping individuals with the tools to engage in meaningful conversations with key stakeholders when assembling their project team, thus elucidating the underlying reasons behind their actions.
This methodology represents a significant departure from the practice of individuals mechanically completing a template for the sake of compliance, emphasizing the importance of comprehending the motivations driving their actions. Leveraging their technical expertise to pose pertinent questions and their leadership skills to conduct these discussions in an engaging manner, these two facets are inherently intertwined. Operating solely with one aspect, without due consideration of the other, may not always yield the desired outcomes at the project level and certainly falls short at the program or portfolio level.
Therefore, organizations should adopt a comprehensive approach to development, one that encompasses not only a certification pathway but also integrates behaviors, attitudes, and leadership skills. Moreover, this approach must be contextual, emphasizing the significance of specific actions within a project and the anticipated outcomes. As illustrated by the zoo example, comprehending the rationale behind initiatives, in addition to the actions themselves, has the potential to invigorate a project and yield significantly improved results for all stakeholders.
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