Chapter

3 

PERSONAL SKILLS

Project managers are in great demand, and we believe that will increasingly be the case as the need for effective technologists continues to soar. Good project managers are trained, not born. They are a very special breed of people who require a complete set of skills. In this chapter, we cover personal skills—those vital competencies so necessary when dealing with colleagues, team members, upper managers, clients, and others. The complete project manager possesses the aptitude, attitude, and networking skills to interact with people and achieve results.

We believe the right project managers are people who want to be in that position. They develop skills through experience, practice, and education. They become better project managers each time they successfully deliver a project. They learn new techniques and apply them on their projects. They learn lessons—sometimes the hard way—that make them better managers and leaders.

MOTIVATING AND SUSTAINING PEOPLE

Project managers need to be able to motivate and sustain people. Project team members look to the project manager to solve problems and help remove obstacles. Complete project managers need to be able to address and solve problems within the team, as well as those that occur outside the team. There are numerous ways, both subtle and direct, in which project managers can help team members stay motivated:

• Managing by example. Team members will be closely watching everything the project manager does. Therefore, project managers need to be honest, direct, straightforward, and knowledgeable in all dealings with people and with the project. A good manager knows how to work hard and have fun, and this approach is contagious. I (Bucero) have managed many projects outside my city of residence, staying away from Monday to Friday, far from home. I needed to be positive with my people, in spite of the strain on me personally. I always believe I should lead by example.

• Showing a positive attitude. Project managers need to always have a positive attitude, even when there are substantial difficulties, problems, or project obstacles. Negative attitudes erode confidence, and a downward spiral will follow.

• Defining clear expectations. Managers need to clearly define what is expected of team members. It is important to do this in writing and get agreement from individual team members. This avoids problems later, especially when someone says, “It’s not my job.” Define performance expectations at the start of each project.

• Being considerate. Project management is a demanding job with a need for multiple skills at many levels. Above all, be considerate and respectful, and give people and team members the time and consideration they deserve. Make people aware that their efforts are appreciated and the work that they do is important, because it is. A letter, personal word, or email of appreciation goes a long way.

• Being direct. People respect project managers who are direct, open, and willing to deal with all types of problems. Never conceal problems or avoid addressing them. If a problem is bigger than the project manager or the team can deal with, escalate it to senior management. Never make commitments that cannot be delivered. Our favorite rule is “Underpromise and overdeliver.”

The complete project manager gains experience dealing with individuals and teams over time. This is a step-by-step process and will not be a bed of roses, but proficiency in working with others is not impossible to achieve. A positive attitude makes a big difference.

SKILLS FOR DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS

Project managers need to deal with people. In very few organizations can the project manager choose his team members. Usually, available people are assigned to the project, and probably not all of them have the needed skills. So project managers need to develop skills that include:

• Networking: The ability to assess the quality of working relationships, to identify where better relationships are required in order to complete a project, and to develop a wider support network.

• Building trust and rapport: Working to develop positive feelings in those who might be called upon for support.

• Winning commitment to project goals: This is not just a matter of having project goals; it entails ensuring that everyone involved is sufficiently motivated to help the project manager deliver them.

• Listening: Listening is a vital skill at all times, particularly because good listening helps the project manager recognize emerging risks. For example, we have noticed that some project managers do not pay attention to their people when they come to talk about or explain a problem.

• Counseling skills: The project manager does not have to become a trained counselor, but these skills can be used to help team members overcome personal emergencies. In these situations, a project manager with counseling skills is like a sports trainer running onto the field in the middle of a game to help an injured player get back into the game as soon as possible. Some project managers believe that personal problems should be left at home, but this attitude is both unrealistic and detrimental to the delivery of the project.

• Appropriate use of power: Project managers’ relationships with power are often very complex. Power needs to be used appropriately; otherwise, the goodwill and productivity of people vital to project success will be lost.

• Delegation: This is a basic management skill and an essential one in a project environment. Some project managers, often those who come from a technical background, run into difficulties because they do not delegate sufficiently or appropriately.

• Conflict management and negotiation: Conflict can be a good thing. When it is managed well, project managers win respect and commitment and find better solutions to problems. If conflict is managed badly (or even ignored), people may resist or even oppose project goals.

SKILLS FOR DEALING WITH TEAMS

The skills required for managing a small core team include:

• Diagnosing a team’s stage of development (for example, using the Tuckman model to determine whether a team is in the forming, storming, norming, or performing stage)

• Planning interventions to improve collective performance and further development

• Building joint ownership for common objectives

• Managing differing personalities and the role they play on the team

• Developing and maintaining team processes

• Integrating new people into the team and managing team exits

• Ensuring continuity of communication flow and the sharing of experiences

• Improving relationships and encouraging bonding, where appropriate.z

MANAGING FROM THE HEART

Here is a touching example from one of my (Englund) online learning colleagues. Very early in her career, Brenda was a direct report to a manager whom she still admires as a leader to this day. “Although I no longer work for her, I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be coached and mentored by her. She helped to shape the leader that I am today,” Brenda says. “Margaret (I’ve changed her name slightly) is very skilled at the political games that the senior management team engages in. She has great vision for the organization, and she knows how to inspire her people to be their best. She is the type of leader that people do not want to disappoint by doing things halfheartedly, because she never gives less than 100 percent. But best of all, she is an all-around genuinely nice person.”

Brenda applied for a lateral transfer into a high-visibility position that would have put her in front of the senior management team on a regular basis. She explains:

Upon reading Brenda’s story, another colleague said, “Great example of a ‘learning conversation’ conducted by a skilled negotiator.” (See Chapter 9 for more on learning conversations.) “Your manager could have just as easily listened to you, and then let you go on with your business without sowing into your life those important words you needed to hear. I hope there are people in my life who care enough about me to tell me the truth when I need to hear it! Three cheers for Margaret! Hip hip hurray!”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTITUDE

Attitude can be defined as “a position of the body or manner of carrying oneself, a state of mind or a feeling; disposition, an arrogant or hostile state of mind or disposition” (Urban Dictionary). Attitude is the preference of an individual or organization toward or away from things, events, or people. It is the spirit and perspective from which an individual, group, or organization approaches community development. Attitude shapes all decisions and actions.

Early in our careers, we the authors demonstrated negative attitudes about our jobs and toward the projects we managed. That negative disposition generated problems. We created negative images of ourselves in the eyes of colleagues, team members, and managers. The results were not good—we transmitted negativity to managers and team members, tarnished our reputations, and limited our options.

Over time, the maturing process led us to change our thinking. We needed an attitude check! By changing our attitude, we changed our worlds. Our attitude change was such a fundamental, life-changing experience that we now feel compelled to share it with our readers.

Mike Schlappi helped change our thinking through his highly inspirational keynote address at the 2010 PMI North America Global Congress. Mike was accidently shot in the chest as a young man and became paralyzed from the waist down. He went on to win four Paralympic medals and other awards. His message is, “If you can’t stand up, stand out!”

In writing about his recovery process, Mike says that attitude is a position. “Having a good attitude means we tend to operate from the position that everything will work out. Having a bad attitude means we tend to operate from the position that nothing will work out.… A mental attitude is a mental position, not a mood. You can be in a bad mood but have a good attitude. You can be in a good mood but have a bad attitude” (2009, 15).

Mike compares our attitudes with attitude indicators in airplanes, which show the plane’s position in relation to the horizon or ground during flight. “According to every commercial airline pilot I’ve consulted, the attitude (not altitude) indicator is the most important instrument in the plane’s cockpit” (2009, 48). The attitude indicator serves as the primary reference indicator for safe flying, especially at night or in low-visibility situations—telling the pilot if the plane is flying straight and true, banking left or right… or making a spiral dive toward the ground. Mike writes, “It’s the same with us. Our position is everything. Regardless of our mood—happy or irritated, grumpy or enthusiastic—our position can remain stable and constructive.… Our moods are not typically a matter of choice, but our attitudes are. We can choose what position we will take toward our circumstance regardless of the mood we may be in” (2009, 51).

When we talk to project management audiences, we want to show we care about them and demonstrate how important it is to communicate with others. We use pictures, jokes, and video clips to help people understand and remember what we said. We demonstrate an attitude that we care about communicating effectively with the audience and use various means to make our message as clear as possible. We also spend extra effort in preparing slides or seminar materials to ensure the message we want to share comes across clearly and memorably.

Project Attitude

We are used to talking about the attitude of individuals, but it is important to recognize that project teams and organizations also have attitude. Usually, however, when we talk about an organization’s attitude, we use the term organizational culture. When we talk about a project’s attitude, we use the term project culture. The project manager’s attitude dramatically affects team attitude.

For instance, an important team attitude is confidence. The development of a project presents tremendous challenges to a project team. Sometimes it can even feel like an act of faith. An enormous amount of detail is collected, analyzed, organized, and assimilated into a functional whole. On very large efforts, only a few key individuals may understand the total big picture, and even this understanding may be at varying levels of completeness. This ambiguity can sometimes test the confidence of team members. Given these uncertainties, how can a team feel assured and confident of success throughout the process and have this reflected in individual team member attitudes?

Figure 3-1 shows key qualities and beliefs that, in our experience, determine whether or not an individual, team, or organization has the attitude needed to successfully lead or actively participate in a project.

FIGURE 3-1: Desired Project Attitude

William James said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind.” We strongly believe attitude is a choice. An average project manager waits for someone else to motivate him. He perceives that his circumstances are responsible for the way he thinks. But which comes first, the attitude or the circumstances? The truth is that it does not matter which comes first. No matter what happened to you yesterday in your project or in your organization, your attitude is your choice today. Your attitude determines your actions.

Your attitude is a secret power working 24 hours a day, for good or bad. Attitude is a filter through which you experience the world. Some people see the world with an optimistic filter, while others are pessimistic. Some people are in the middle—not very optimistic or very pessimistic.

Imagine a manager asking a project manager, “How is your project going?” The project manager answers, “It is going bad, as always.” If you take that approach, your enemies will be happy and your friends will be sad. What would be a better answer? The project manager might instead say, “We are progressing. I am aware that some project activities are delayed. We also have some project issues, but my team is taking corrective actions and everything will be back on track very soon. I’ll keep you informed about progress on the project.”

People with a positive attitude focus on project solutions. People with a negative attitude focus on problems and issues. Project managers with a negative attitude dramatically affect project success. It is the attitude of the project manager to the project and to the team that will determine the attitude of the project to the project manager. We shape our own projects. We have the choice of choosing the attitude that will make our projects successful.

Attitude is a great reflection of your spirit. Look at yourself. Are you happy as a project manager? Be honest. Professionals have a key desire to be respected and appreciated. How can you make that happen? Instead of thinking about what is missing, count your blessings. Do not see project limitations; identify risks and opportunities.

The environment you find yourself in is a mirror of your attitude. If you have a problem, then you should start asking why things are the way they are. Your team will change when you change for them. Our advice is to treat those around you as you would like them to treat you. Everyone needs recognition, gratitude, and a kind word. The attitude you start with often has a marked influence upon the final outcome of any venture. Good attitudes are often the introduction to an opportunity and also the final arbiter of success.

Adjusting Your Attitude to Improve as a Project Manager

The complete project manager has the option to engage in either negative or positive thinking. Unfortunately, negative thinking is instinctive. Positive thinking is a learned self-discipline that project managers need to study and practice every day. In order to achieve a positive attitude, make adjustments by taking physical, verbal, and mental actions.

Lorraine Mancuso, an IT professional of 28 years, who served as a programmer and Oracle database administrator before accepting a position as the director of a project management office for an educational institution in Scranton, Pennsylvania, offers a personal example of how a positive “attitude adjustment” was key to her project management success.

My next supervisor helped me realize I had a limited perspective. I did not always put myself in the other person’s shoes. A limited viewpoint was unacceptable to me, particularly one based on ignorance. As a result, I began picking my head up a little higher and seeing a bit further. I asked myself many times after that, “What is that person going through? What challenges do they face that I am not aware of?” Since I did not know the answers to those questions, I asked the individuals directly. This opened up a whole new world, as I learned just how little I did know and that some of the issues I was concerned about were really not important when considering the big picture.

When you work in a place for a long time and you don’t see much improvement, you tend to get quite critical and judgmental. I did not know it at the time, but I was too focused on the problem without offering any solution. As my current boss and I discussed a possible promotion from assistant director to director, he said one simple phrase: “Be helpful.” That was it! Everything came together. Stop and think. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and offer solutions. Be helpful!

Changes in attitude and the great advice and support of my supervisors have enhanced my leadership and management skills, making me successful today as the director of a newly established project management office. I attribute that success primarily to a willingness to change my perspective. I have achieved a much better performance level. I am no longer frustrated. I enjoy finding solutions and helping others achieve their goals at the task, project, or program level, ultimately achieving the goals of the business.

APTITUDE

Aptitude is an inherent capacity, talent, or ability to do something. Having a high aptitude for something means you are good at doing that something. When we talk about project manager aptitude, we are talking about a professional who has the talent or ability to manage projects correctly and achieve good results, according to stakeholder requirements.

Some characteristics we believe a complete project manager needs to have include:

• High tolerance for ambiguity

• Teamwork abilities

• Customer orientation

• Business orientation.

Project, program, and portfolio management is a distinct profession and needs to be staffed with people who have the aptitude for this work. That means they find it interesting, they have natural, improvable skills, and they do not need to exert an exorbitant amount of energy to do the work successfully.

DECISION-MAKING

Many experts on leadership point out that the worst decision is the decision not to make a decision. What many people do not realize is that avoiding a decision really is a decision in itself.

The lack of a real decision can be quite detrimental to any project. To be successful, projects need to continuously make forward progress. Since the project manager’s performance is measured by the success of her project(s), it is of utmost importance that project managers ensure that decisions are made effectively.

There are two categories of decisions to consider. The first is a decision that is out of the project manager’s control, and the second is a decision that is within the project manager’s control. Yes, there is a lot of gray area in between, and being able to decipher who has the authority to make decisions is not easy. For those decisions that are clearly outside the project manager’s authority, the project manager needs to document these decisions and the effect of the decisions on the project. Include how the timing of the decision will affect the project. Typically, the longer a decision takes, the more risk, cost, and time is added to the project. This all needs to be clearly documented and sent to the project sponsor(s) and decision-makers.

People tend to step back from making decisions that are within their realm of authority. When you are in a situation in which you do not know what to do, analyze the ramifications of avoiding or delaying a decision against actually making a decision. Over time, regularly retreating from making decisions will diminish a project manager’s authority. (This is not unique to project managers; people in general are concerned about making wrong decisions.) But by erring on the side of making more decisions rather than fewer, you will increase your authority level.

To gain authority, project managers need to continuously test their authority level, because no one will actually tell them where their authority level ends. In fact, if you ask, you will likely be told that you have much less authority than you can actually take. We find that people are typically happy if you make decisions beyond your control. If you go too far, you will be corrected, but that may not really be a problem. Organizations are in desperate need of decisionmakers. Stepping up to the plate will not only advance your degree of authority but will also improve progress in getting projects completed. You also gain respect for your courage to make the call. Making decisions thus improves your effectiveness as a project manager and makes you more valuable to the organization.

A student asked, “In one project management class, it was emphasized that the project manager cannot make certain decisions. Is that a general statement, or are there different scenarios in which the project manager cannot make decisions?” I (Englund) responded, “I would not accept a general statement that a project manager cannot make certain decisions, but I believe decision-making capability is situation- and organization-dependent as well as dependent on the ability, maturity, and personality of the project manager. It may be necessary to earn the right to make certain decisions based on building up credibility through on-the-job experiences.”

So be bold. Push the envelope and go beyond what you believe is your authority level to make decisions. In the end, you will reap the benefits of your hard work and dedication.

INFLUENCE

Most project managers face the challenge of influencing people over whom they have no direct managerial authority. Whether it is team members themselves, the line manager who assigned them, project stakeholders, or those at the executive level who control the project management process, the complete project manager’s ability to persuade and inform is critical to project success.

Perfect your written and oral presentation skills—through practice and solicited feedback—and gain the competency and confidence needed to influence stakeholders at multiple levels. Effectively negotiate with external subcontractors and internal service providers to attain win-win agreements.

A fundamental path to personal influence effectiveness includes applying tools of persuasion, including:

• Reciprocity. Give an unsolicited gift. People will feel the need to give something back—perhaps a big contract or maybe just another opportunity to continue building a strong relationship.

• Consistency. Draw people into public commitments, even very small ones. This can be very effective in directing future action. Ask for explicit commitments, and be consistent in enforcing them. Even the simple act of getting people to nod their heads in agreement is a powerful technique.

• Social validation. Let people know that others consider implementing a project management methodology to be the standard. People often determine what they should do by looking at what others are doing.

• Liking. Demonstrate to people that you like them and that you are likeable, too. People enjoy doing business with people they like. Elements that build liking include physical attractiveness, similarity, compliments, and cooperation. Avoid getting into a popularity contest, but do have a positive demeanor that people can respect.

• Authority. Be professional and personable. A suit and tie can do wonders. Experience, expertise, and scientific credentials all confer authority. Tap referential power by being publicly named as the project manager by someone high up in the organization; use that connection to get the attention of others.

• Scarcity. Take advantage of how rare good project, program, and portfolio management practices are, not to mention people who can transform a culture. Not everyone knows what it takes to make a project successful. Stand out as a person willing to do the right things in the right ways.

In essence, it usually makes great sense to repay favors, behave consistently, follow the lead of similar others, favor the requests of those we like, heed legitimate authorities, and value scarce resources (Cialdini 2000).

Influence Mapping

Many people can have influence over your projects. Some influencers are obvious and easy to spot. Others are less obvious but are no less significant. If you fail to recognize and manage these influencers, you will most likely experience unexpected resistance to your projects and sometimes bewildering failure. This is increasingly the case on large projects and as the number of people affected by the projects increases.

People within an organization, in theory, are supposed to work together openly and willingly. However, even within your organization, your boss, your teammates, your customers, your boss’s boss—even the CEO’s nephew, who works in the mail-room—can all affect you, given certain sets of circumstances.

On top of this, people outside your organization have all sorts of interests and motivations that you cannot control. Here, knowing who influences who can be critical if you want to get anything done at all.

So do you understand who has influence over your projects? Do you know the nature, direction, and strength of these influences? Going up the normal chain of command may not always be the best way to advance your objectives. Knowing who the real influencers are can help you determine where to put effort if you really want to succeed.

This is what influence mapping is all about—discovering your project’s true stakeholders (not just the obvious ones) and the influence relationships among them. Influence mapping helps target key influencers so that you can win the resources and support you need to reach your goals.

Influence maps are a natural extension of stakeholder analysis. A project’s success can depend on identifying its key stakeholders and then managing the various relationships among them. Stakeholders have the power to help or hurt any initiative, so stakeholder management is an important aspect of project management.

The Elements of an Influence Map

An influence map is a visual model showing the people who influence and make decisions about a project. The map depicts how stakeholders relate to one another so that you can quickly see the ways in which influence flows. Remember that even the most powerful people rarely act alone. Top executives and other people in authority rely on advisers. Find out who the advisers are and understand how they operate. This can be vital to project success.

Here is an example. You proposed a new organizational structure that will encourage people to work in business units with cross-functional teams. You know this is a huge change (in other words, it’s a change management project), and you want to make sure it is well supported within the company before you try to implement it.

The most obvious stakeholders are:

CEO	Rose Gil
CFO	Luis Bucero
Director of Marketing	Cristina Hans
Director of Product Development	Lewis Buch
Director of Human Resources	John Patches

But are there other stakeholders as well? And who holds influence over whom?

Upon further investigation, here is what you discover:

1. The entire human resources (HR) team will be important to the reorganization—not just the director of HR. Tom Beason, the newly hired change agent, will be especially important.

2. Rose Gil has worked with Lewis Buch for over 15 years, and she values Lewis’s input on strategic initiatives.

3. The board of directors is chaired by a longtime associate of Lewis Buch. Like Rose Gil, the board chair values Lewis’s opinions and has never objected to any initiative Lewis has ever backed.

4. John Patches and Luis Bucero have a history of conflict because Luis was very late to realize HR’s strategic value. Luis still has difficulty spending money on HR projects, which he considers to be “soft” expenses. Getting Luis’s buy-in is critical if you want the financial resources needed for the change.

So when you look more closely, you identify additional people who will have an impact on the reorganization plan. And not everyone has the same influence. The resulting influence map looks something like Figure 3-2.

FIGURE 3-2: Influence Map

This influence map shows how important Lewis Buch is to the success of the restructuring plan. It also indicates that you should spend energy on gaining support from John Patches and Luis Bucero before moving on to other executives.

Before you thought about stakeholder influences, you might have assumed that the CEO and CFO had the most influence on any organizationwide change. But the influence map shows that other influencers also exist in this situation.

Influence is not static. It changes over time, just like the circumstances surrounding each project or decision. By creating influence maps at regular intervals, you can chart these changes and gain a much greater appreciation for the way decisions are made. This will help smooth the decision-making process and allow you to be more effective in working with stakeholders.

Key Points

Influence maps are important visual models showing key people and relationships that impact a project or decision. Do not make the mistake of thinking that hierarchy or traditional lines of authority are always the routes by which decisions are made. Take the time to uncover the underlying relationships and influence key stakeholders have. With this insight, you can tap into the real sources of power and persuasion. While this is something that people do intuitively on small projects, it is something that you need to do actively for larger projects. This is particularly important for projects that involve people outside your organization.

Passion, Persistence, and Patience

Especially when working on an international project, the complete project manager needs to consider different team members’ cultures and values. Aside from geographical boundaries, people create their own personal borders, and every project manager needs a good set of people skills to cross them. Most importantly, the manager need to ground project practices in the three Ps: passion, persistence, and patience.

Many years ago I (Bucero) had my first experience managing a software development project for a bank called Banco Hispano Americano, with headquarters in Madrid, Spain. That project was implemented in 11 different offices in Spain, Portugal, and South America, and it involved 20 project team members. I spent two years leading the project, and it was not pleasant. These people were very different—they had distinctly different values, attitudes, and cultures.

While I had technical skills, it was difficult dealing with the people side of management. Trying to get things done through others made me feel frustrated. I was unable to manage these people, so they managed me.

Although I got off to a bad start, I was always persistent and patient when trying to understand the feelings of my team. I listened to them, asked for their opinions, and was a team member as much as I was its leader. Some months later, I realized the situation had changed. My co-workers respected me because I was truthful, and I respected them. The real benefit of project leadership was getting the team members to be more involved and accountable. Team members felt free to interact among themselves and with the customer because they felt supported by me as the project leader.

The complete project manager needs to be passionate about the project and the people. You need to reinforce best practices, often more than once, and explain why those methods make the most sense. To ensure project activities are getting done the right way, the project manager needs to be persistent. Spending the necessary time to talk with people and solve problems takes patience.

Managers need to spend some time with every project team member, dealing with misunderstandings, miscommunication, and different perceptions. Listen to team members, even when it is not easy. If you focus on people as human beings, language, culture, and unique behaviors do not matter. When people feel valued, they are more proactive and their performance improves.

Communication is the underlying problem in many international efforts. Language differences create difficulties, but the main issue is how different people filter your directives. Different cultures have different values, so international team members may misunderstand your approach to executing activities and tasks. Good managers clarify reasons for their priorities. For example, some multinational companies emphasize their mission in an initial meeting to gain agreement about the project’s mission, objective, and personal roles and responsibilities. They may also use teleconferences and video conferences to communicate and share information or hold regular face-to-face meetings. The project manager needs to travel to each country where team members are located to determine the status of activities, to gather feedback from team members, and to assess team members’ feelings about the project.

Human beings can adapt to the environment in which they work, but a lack of cultural sensitivity distracts them from the tasks at hand. All managers need to understand that, in a globalized world, they need to inspire their project managers to advance an understanding of other cultures and behaviors.

NETWORKING

If given the choice, wouldn’t you like to succeed sooner rather than later? Networking is a way to leverage your own efforts and accelerate the pace at which you get results. We strongly believe that the more solid relationships you build, the greater your opportunities for success. The sooner you start creating a network, the faster you will progress in your career.

Francisco wanted to build contacts within the electronics market, so he joined the Electronics Firms Association in Madrid in 1998. Francisco immediately began to attend the group’s meetings. When they asked for volunteers for various projects, Francisco raised his hand. He got actively involved.

Within six months of joining, somebody approached him and said, “We hear good things about you. You are a hard worker and very energetic. Would you like to join our board of directors?” As you might guess, Francisco gladly accepted. And within a few months, he began to see a significant increase in his business. In early 1999, Francisco realized that well over 50 percent of his current business could be traced to people he met through the Electronics Association, proving that people can get big results in a short time by networking effectively.

When I (Bucero) joined the Project Management Institute in March 1993, it set off an incredible chain reaction that would forever impact my professional life, and then my current business. Let me share with you what happened.

At the end of 1992, I attended project management training in France, organized by HP, the company where I was working for almost 14 years. In that training, the teacher distributed to the attendees some project management articles and alerted me to the existence of PMI, the Project Management Institute, as a professional association. I asked my manager if I could attend the PMI Global Congress in 1993 and, after some discussions, he accepted my request. A huge window opened to me when I went there.

The first day of the Congress, I was a little frustrated because I was the only Spanish professional attending that Congress, and I was conscious that we had many project management practitioners in Spain who were not there. I attended a session called Global Forum, organized by David Pells (who now operates the website PMForum.org). There I met many professionals whom I would have relationships with over a period of many years. I had the opportunity to distribute a lot of business cards, I collected many cards from colleagues from different countries and areas of expertise, and I had a good time talking to and connecting with people.

That first event was very powerful for me. It motivated me, and I understood the huge power of networking with people. Over the years I continued attending those annual PMI Congresses, and now I have a big network that increases year by year. I always take care of keeping my network alive.

The Great Benefits of Networking

Your success starts with you, but it can grow if you participate in professional associations and make an effort to build relationships with people. Simply put, you cannot succeed on a grand scale all by yourself. The power of networking is nothing short of awesome.

That is why networking is so important. Networking may be defined as the development of relationships with people for mutual benefit. Figure 3-3 shows various business benefits a project professional can reap from networking activities.

FIGURE 3-3: Benefits of Networking

But what can you do to enhance the effectiveness of your network?

Take Action

1. Project a winning attitude. Attitude is key to success in networking. If you are positive and enthusiastic, people will want to spend time with you. They will want to help you. If you are gloomy and negative, people will avoid you, and they will hesitate to refer you to their colleagues.

2. Be active in organizations and associations. Effective networking and relationship-building take more than paying dues, putting your name in a directory, and showing up for meetings. You need to demonstrate that you are willing to take the time and make the effort to contribute to the group. What kinds of things can you do? For starters, you can volunteer for committees or serve as an officer or member of the board of directors. The other members will respect you when they see you roll up your sleeves and do some work. They will also learn about your people skills, your character, your values, and last but not least, your attitude.

3. Serve others in your network. Serving others is crucial to building and benefiting from your network. Always be thinking, “How can I serve others?” instead of “What’s in it for me?” If you come across as desperate or as a “taker” rather than a “giver,” you will not find people willing to help you. Going the extra mile for others is the best way to get the flow of good things coming back to you. How can you serve others in your network? Start by referring business leads or potential customers. Also, whenever you see an article or other information that might be of interest to someone in your network, forward the material to that person.

When I (Bucero) think of effective networkers, the first name that comes to mind is Jim De Piante, a U.S. project professional. Jim works as a PM practitioner for a multinational company. He delivers creative, unique presentations on soft skills to project professionals at PMI Congresses and events, always transmitting his power, positivity, and energy. I have referred many people to Jim. Why? He is a talented, service-oriented person who has gone out of his way to encourage me and to help me to increase the power of my networking.

Jim has put me in touch with people in his own network who are in a position to help me. He distributes my materials at his presentations. Jim is one of those people who just keeps giving and giving and giving. That is why people want to help Jim, and that is one reason his image, visibility, and professionalism continue to grow internationally.

Another powerful example of a great networker is our colleague Michel Thiry, who is very active professionally in project management. He has a special charisma that attracts people, and he has grown his professional network very quickly over the last few years. How? By observing people at PMI Congresses and being proactive: inviting them to talk and to join his network, initiating dinners with them, exchanging experiences, and finding ways to do business with others. As a PMI Fellow, Michel also puts in the extra effort to nominate deserving people for recognition.

Every December, I (Bucero) pick up the phone and call certain clients I have not spoken with for a long time. Many of these people have not ordered anything from my company in years. My tone is upbeat, and my only agenda is to be friendly. I do not try to sell them anything. I appreciate the business they have given me in the past, and I just want to hear how they are doing, personally and professionally.

If business comes from these calls, that is great. Year after year, I do get business as a result of making the calls. Someone will say, “I do need to order more of these project management services,” or “Our company is having a sales meeting in six months, and they may want you to do a presentation.”

Please understand that this is not manipulation or a sales tactic on my part. I am not expecting these people to give me business. I really care about how they are doing. Business is simply a by-product of reconnecting with them.

Exchange References

If you refer someone, make sure that the person mentions your name as the source of the referral. Be explicit. Imagine that you are about to refer John Smith to your graphic designer, Jane Jones. You might say to John, “Give Jane a call, and please tell her that I referred you.” In some instances, you may even call Jane and let her know that John Smith will be contacting her. Then, the next time you see or speak to Jane, remember to ask if John called and how it turned out. You want to reinforce in Jane’s mind that you are looking out for her and helping her to grow her business.

Be selective. Do not refer every person you meet. Respect the time of those in your network. Referring unqualified leads will reflect poorly on you. Ask yourself whether or not a particular referral is really going to be of value to your network partner. Keep in mind that the key is the quality, not quantity, of the leads you supply.

Communicate

Be a good listener. Have you ever spoken to someone who goes on and on about himself and his business and never takes a moment to ask about you? We have all run into “me, me, me” types… and they are the last people you want to help. So, in your conversations, focus on drawing other people out. Let them talk about their careers and interests. In return, you will be perceived as caring, concerned, and intelligent. You will eventually get your turn to talk about yourself.

Call people from time to time just because you care. How do you feel when someone calls you on the phone and says, “Hey, I was just thinking about you and was wondering how you are doing.” You probably feel like a million bucks. If that is the case, why not make these calls more often? Every now and then, make it a point to call people in your network simply to ask how they are doing and to offer your support and encouragement. That’s right. Call just because you care and because that is the way you would like to be treated.

Take advantage of everyday opportunities to meet people. You can make excellent contacts just about anywhere. You never know from what seed your next valuable relationship will sprout. Review and practice the best practices depicted in Figure 3-4.

FIGURE 3-4: Best Practices for Communication

Treat every person as important, not just the “influential” ones. Do not be a snob. Any person you meet (whether or not she is the boss) may have a friend or relative who can benefit from your product or service. So, when speaking to someone at a meeting or party, give that person your undivided attention.

And please avoid being one of those people who gaze around looking for “more important” people to talk to. You know the situation: you are talking with someone, then he notices someone out of the corner of his eye, someone he deems more important than you. So he stops listening to you and abruptly breaks away to start a conversation with that other person. Don’t do that! Treat every person you encounter with dignity and respect.

In 1996, I (Bucero) was in Washington, D.C., to attend project management training. At lunch, instead of sitting with some friends from my company, I sat down at a table where I did not know anyone. Sitting at that table was a man named Frank, and we struck up a conversation. His organization conducts excellent training programs on soft skills for professionals.

It turned out that Frank also is a big believer that attitude is very important. Frank has become a good friend. I am sure glad I did not sit with my friends that day, as I would have missed out on a tremendous opportunity.

At meetings and seminars, make it a point to meet different people. Do not sit with the same group at every gathering. While it is great to talk with friends for part of the meeting, you will reap greater benefits if you make the extra effort to meet new faces.

Be willing to go beyond your comfort zone. For instance, if you have the urge to introduce yourself to someone, do it! You might hesitate, thinking that the person is too important or too busy to speak with you. Even if you are nervous, force yourself to move forward and make contact. You will get more comfortable as time goes on.

Ask for what you want. By helping others, you earn the right to request assistance yourself. Don’t be shy. As long as you have done your best to serve those in your network, they will be more than willing to return the favor.

Follow Up and Stay in Touch

Send a prompt note after meeting someone for the first time. Say you attend a dinner and make a new contact. Send a short note as soon as possible explaining how much you enjoyed meeting and talking with him. Enclose some of your own materials and perhaps include information that might be of interest to him. Ask if there is anything you can do to assist him. Be sure to send the note within 48 hours after your initial meeting so that your contact receives it while you are still fresh in his mind.

Acknowledge powerful presentations or articles. If you hear an interesting presentation or read a great article, send a note to the speaker or writer and tell her how much you enjoyed and learned from the message. One person in a hundred will take the time to do this be the one who does. Speakers and writers often have developed a huge network of people covering a variety of industries. This is a network you can tap into.

When you receive a reference or helpful written materials, always send a thank-you note or call to express your appreciation. Follow this suggestion only if you want to receive more references and more useful information. If you do not sufficiently acknowledge a person who has helped you, she will be much less likely to assist you in the future.

Send congratulatory cards and letters. If someone in your network gets a promotion or award or celebrates some other occasion, write a short note of congratulations. Everyone loves to be recognized, yet very few people take the time to recognize others. Being thoughtful in this manner can only make you stand out. It is also appropriate to send a card or memorial gift when a family member of someone in your network dies.

Build Your Network

The networking suggestions offered above are merely the tip of the iceberg. You should be able to come up with several ideas of your own. How? By going to your library or bookstore and seeking out the many excellent books on networking, and by noticing what other people are doing and adapting their ideas in a way that suits you.

Remember that networks are built over time and that significant results usually do not show up immediately. Cultivate passion, persistence, and patience if you want to increase your network. Build a solid foundation of relationships, then continue to expand and strengthen them. You will have to put in a lot before you begin reaping the big rewards.

Finally, great networking skills are not a substitute for being excellent in your field. You might be a terrific person, but if you are not talented at what you do—and constantly learning and improving—your efforts will yield disappointing results.

Now move forward. Select a few of these networking techniques and implement them right away. Get to work serving and improving your network. Then you will truly have an army of troops working to help you succeed.

I (Bucero) have attended international project management congresses every year since 1993. Thanks to my regular attendance, I know people from Malaysia, Japan, India, USA, Costa Rica, Panamá, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba, Brazil, Morocco, Malta, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Luxemburg, Italia, Greece, Portugal, the UK, Ireland, Arabia, Australia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia.

The first time I delivered a talk in English at a project management congress, it was a challenge for me, first because my English level was very poor. Second, it was a big responsibility; I represented my organization internationally, and I needed to do my best at all times. Third, preparing the talk was a special effort in addition to all my other work. However, the power of my enthusiasm encouraged me to move forward and improve my professional skills.

This has continued year after year. I met wonderful people who advised me very positively. I met people who understand the huge power of networking and the importance of the ability to connect with people to share experiences, failures, successes, great adventures, and great projects.

I learned that good networking also requires discipline. You can add professionals to your network, but you also need to sustain those relationships. It has not been easy for me to maintain my network, but it has not been impossible, either. I keep my contacts database as alive as possible. I have lunch with different colleagues every month, and I keep in touch periodically with most of my network colleagues.

Networking has been very helpful for me when managing international projects. I know people and have friends worldwide that I can connect with when necessary, especially if I regularly take care of my network. I am a member of project management networks such as PMForum.org, where I serve as the correspondent for Spain. These communities have the objective of facilitating the exchange of experiences related to areas of knowledge of project management, with the aim of promoting individuals’ personal and professional growth.

DEVELOP YOUR POTENTIAL AS A PROJECT MANAGER

Complete project managers want the satisfaction of knowing they are making the most of their potential. Successful project managers usually have a winning attitude and a passion for their work. Under stress, they have no doubt about themselves. They have pride and strong self-esteem, and they have both a desire for and an expectation of success.

Winners are single-minded in setting and pursuing goals. Your main goals should be five or ten years in the future—and should involve more than earning a good salary. You also need short-range goals for today, next week, and next month. Having goals increases your efficiency and effectiveness and makes it easier to make decisions.

Winners need to deal effectively with other people. Some do it intuitively; others learn it. They know what makes people tick. They really care about others. They are good listeners and are quick to show appreciation.

To advance your career, talk with a mentor, a senior executive who can guide you through the learning process and introduce you to associates. Another option is to meet with a good career counselor. Some achievers see relying on “professional help” as a weakness, but we consider it to be a great help in maintaining a winning attitude.

Focus on Your Strengths

At the beginning of my (Bucero) professional career as a project manager, I was responsible for three projects in Spain at the same time. They were not very complex projects, but they needed time, effort, and focus. As my executives’ maturity level in project management was not high, they thought I would be able to chase “three rabbits” at the same time—that is, effectively manage three projects at the same time.

That situation complicated my life, and it stressed me. However, I did it, and it was a great opportunity for me to realize that focus is a must. I had to prioritize and learn to speak the truth to my executives. Sometimes I had to say, “Not now.” Little by little, my executives became more conscious of the importance of focus.

Every project manager needs to be focused on his projects. However, customers and other project stakeholders tend to assume that you, as a project manager, are assigned 100 percent to their particular project. The problem is that people assume the same about the other projects you are managing at the same time. The level of concentration and focus we have at our disposal varies throughout our professional lives and may increase or decrease depending on circumstances such as organization, environment, management, and customers.

How, then, should you focus your time and energy as a project manager? Our suggestion is to focus 70 percent of your time and effort on strengths, 25 percent on new things, and 5 percent on your areas of weakness. Why focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses? Our answer is that you always will grow faster personally and professionally from your strengths. When you feel comfortable doing a task or activity, you believe in yourself, your self-esteem is higher, and the probability of extraordinary results is much higher. In those circumstances, you can improve your strengths even more, and perhaps put in a little effort to improve your weaknesses. But most professional education has focused on improving weaknesses. That effort is very difficult. It takes more energy, and the results are never really great.

With time and effort, you can improve your focus on your strengths.

• Shift to strengths. Make a list of four things you do well in your job. What percentage of your time do you spend doing these things? Measure it. Sometimes your perception is wrong. For instance, you might discover that you spend a lot of time doing things that you do well. If you do not, spend more time on your strengths, and you’ll find your productivity increasing dramatically.

• Staff your weaknesses. Ask other people to do the things you do not do well. Try to learn from them. If you delegate work you do not do well, it’s likely that people will surprise you in a very positive way.

• Create an edge. Ask yourself what it would take for you to go to the next level in your main area of strength. What new tools do you need? Rethink how you do things, and be willing to make sacrifices.

If you struggle to remain focused, here are suggestions to get back on track:

• Work on yourself. Spend time with yourself every day. Do not worry if you only start with 15 minutes each day. Try to better understand your feelings. Be aware of the things you do well, ask others for feedback, and ask others what you do that is helpful to them.

• Work on your priorities. Start each day by prioritizing daily tasks. Five minutes early in the morning helps a lot. Do it with a cup of coffee. Be focused on the importance of tasks first and urgency second.

• Work on your strengths. Spend time developing your strengths. If you are good at delegating, observe the process you follow in order to do it better and better. If you are good at motivating people, try to know your people even better.

• Work with your contemporaries. Join positive people and those who are committed to improvement; your attitude will improve, too.

Cindy Margules, PMP, the owner of PM Transformations, provides a stunning example of applying personal skills:

SUMMARY

The complete project manager possesses the aptitude, attitude, and networking skills to interact with people and achieve results. Your ability to motivate others starts with assessing and developing your personal skills, paying special attention to projecting a positive attitude. Leverage those areas where your aptitude is strong.

Because networking is so important, remember these best practices:

• The sooner you start creating a network, the faster you will progress in your career.

• Your success starts with you; however, your associations and relationships with people can help you become even more successful.

• Be a good listener.

• Call people from time to time just because you care.

• Treat every person as important, not just those in “influential” roles.

• Send a prompt note after meeting someone for the first time.

Being focused on your strengths, as opposed to your weaknesses, helps you grow personally and professionally. Make the effort to apply your personal abilities to opportunities. The time and money you spend to get to the next level of excellence as a project manager and as a professional are the best investments you can make in your professional career.