The PM Cafe

Happy New Year!

Okay, so it’s a bit late to pass on New Year salutations but it has been a while since I have posted anything here. We all know how everyone’s work/life balance has ebbs and flows. It’s been more flow than ebb for me over the past 6+ months and hence my priorities shifted away from spending time on this blog. So as the balance begins to return, I return to this blog. I don’t have a lot to contribute today but I wanted to pop my head up out of the water, relax a little on the waves, and scout things out for a bit before deciding what direction to steer the boat. Stay tuned!

No matter what your profession is, or how well educated and skilled you are in the aspects of your job, there always seems to be a few tasks that we all tend to find difficult or shy away from (or skip completely) for various reasons. Sometimes we intentionally skip over things in the “interest of time” or do it because it’s just one of those things we don’t like doing or we put off doing it until someone comes looking for the output of that task and then scramble to get it done.

The project management discipline deals in what can seem like an enormous list of tasks that need to be accomplished with each and every project. I can assure you that every project manager has at least one or two tasks that they find difficult to perform at times. To a new project manager this can be very daunting. Learning how to deal with the tasks that are difficult for you is a very good skill to attain. You may not use the same tactics for every type of task you find difficult but it is important to learn what works best for you and the success of the project. For example my last posting discussed delegation of work, which for some things is a viable option, given the right circumstances.  (I don’t advocate or recommend delegation to simply offload a difficult task).

Sometimes we are tempted to avoid tasks because we don’t see the value or the reason for the task is not always apparent. Regardless of the situation in most cases there is very real rationale as to why those tasks have been defined and put in place. If you are in a situation like this I recommend you talk to someone who can explain why the task (or process) is in place. Two things are likely to come out of that conversation. You will either gain a better understanding of why the work needs to be done (and possibly find the task easier to accomplish with this information) or you may uncover an opportunity for improvement.

I find some tasks difficult not because I dislike them but because I know I need a good uninterrupted block of time to do a good job and be efficient with the task. The trouble is that is often hard to do. One of the tactics I’ve developed for myself is to block set times in my calendar to work on those tasks (or portions of them) and I try to adhere to those time slots as much as possible. It’s not a perfect system but it does help me more often than not. Another tactic is working from home some days or part of a day. This is not always doable and sometimes going to the office is much more productive. Either way I have options and a set of tools at my disposal to help me in these situations.

The trick of it all is to not avoid the tasks that need to be done,  but to find better ways to handle these difficult task whether it be through delegation, better understanding, breaking down the task into smaller pieces, or simplifying the task for yourself. Continual learning and improving on your tactical skills is a something that is always a good choice.

Whether you are a project manager or a manager of a different flavour, inevitably you will need to use the fine art of delegation at some point. For some people it seems to come quite naturally but I think for the majority of the workforce, including myself, it is definitely a skill that takes practice.

From personal experience I have found that I have an easier time delegating certain types of tasks than others. I think it’s human nature to want to hold onto the work that you find fun or challenging or even invigorating to do. But alas, as a project manager you have many duties and sometimes they cannot all be done by yourself. Sometimes you have to delegate the “fun” stuff because those are the things that might be the easiest to hand off to someone to do.

One strategy I have found useful over the years is to talk to the project team from time to time and see what kinds of things they enjoy doing. You may have someone in your midst who is interested in accounting who could help keep your budget records in check or someone who prefers repetitive tasks and taking notes who would make a great scribe for the meeting minutes you never seem to get to. The point is, if you can find someone on your project that enjoys doing a particular type of task (timelines permitting of course) they will probably not only do a great job of it but they may be able to do it more efficiently too. Not only does the work get done but the team member will probably feel really good about contributing something they are good at and the morale boost it gives could be infectious.

Another strategy is to delegate some project management tasks to a team member who is interested in pursuing project management as a career path. Just keep in mind that this may take some extra effort up front. However, if your project is of a decent duration you will reap the benefits of having someone else on the team who can help with critical project management tasks when it is needed.

Bottom line… Don’t be afraid to delegate. It’s not always easy. It’s not always doable. But doing so helps free up some of your time to focus on other important areas of project management and contribute to overall project success.

On a side topic: I want to send out congratulations to a project manager here at Innovatia who recently passed his PMP exam. Congratulations to Alan Hudson on a job well done. Way to go!!

Karen