Don Cole

Challenges for Challenges for Project LeadershipProject Leadership

Project Management for ARA Engineers and Scientists

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Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

If you are going through hell, keep going.”If you are going through hell, keep going.”

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Typical Leadership ChallengesTypical Leadership Challenges Obtaining and maintaining commitment

• “Matrixed” staff▪ Obtaining, motivating, monitoring and rewarding the team

• Division/Company policies and priorities ▪ Constantly evolving

Managing customer expectations/satisfactions• Expecting a “Mercedes” for a “Yugo” price

• Unwritten expectations

Leading by example• Making “walking the walk” a priority

What characteristics of a leader in your experience:What characteristics of a leader in your experience:- Resulted in the most admiration?Resulted in the most admiration?- Made you most uncomfortable?Made you most uncomfortable?- Taught you the most?Taught you the most?

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Obtaining and Maintaining CommitmentObtaining and Maintaining Commitment Be clear about requirements Negotiate where possible to obtain a win-win situation

• Expect to lead future projects and develop a positive relationship with that in mind

Obtain a clear commitment to agreed “contract” Communicate regularly with team staff and affected

managers• Status• Praise• Concerns

Be proactive• Recognize changes in priorities that can

effect commitments• Develop alternative solutions

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Managing Customer ExpectationManaging Customer Expectation UNDERSTAND what your customer expects

• Not always explicit in SOW• How does this effort support the customer’s client?• Work to meet expectations within budget

▪ Help customer understand if cost constraints prevent meeting expectations

▪ Develop alternatives (how can I do this?)

• Be proactive:▪ Adapt to changing

requirements, situation

▪ Look for added value option

Communicate frequently to

assure satisfaction

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Leading by ExampleLeading by Example Show commitment and enthusiasm for project Expect timeliness, quality Provide your input on schedule and of high quality Praise success openly

• Celebrate achievements

• Assure credit goes to those making the major contributions

Be honest about concerns• Mentor through difficulties

• Importance of patients, experience, management reserve

““The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”we were at when we created them.”

Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein