The Project Manager : a leader or a servant ?
When I was a student in Business Administration, I took a Philosophy class that aimed at analyzing the intrinsic functioning of several Business fields. This course was part of our compulsory credits and had the reputation for being difficult. As a consequence, I was – I thought – very well prepared for the oral examination. I was doing quite well, but suddenly the Philosophy teacher asked me: “what matters most: the intention of the process?” The question came out of the blue and I was totally caught off guard. I had no idea what to answer. It was my last exam of the session, so I was very tired and lacked inspiration. I finally replied: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” (meaning : meaning well is not good enough).
If the question was asked to me today, my answer would be different. When you think about it, the question seems very basic, but it goes very deep. What is most important: the aim you are trying to achieve (the “intention” or “intention”) or the action chain you undertake to achieve it (the “process”)? One perspective is extrinsic, the other one is intrinsic. Well, this question has followed me ever since and often comes back in my head as I experience new situations and processes.
We probably all remember a colleague or a manager who was considered as very efficient and productive, but had appalling people skills. In some cases, it gets to the point where none wants to be around them. In the same way, some managers can be extremely nice and sympathetic, but very disorganized in their daily tasks and unable to make a (difficult) decision. Now, if we were given the choice, what is worse? Well, in the long run, both are just as hard to bear, trust me.
I often realize that people have inaccurate representations about Project Management methodologies. Most people are scared of them, as they seem to believe it is all about heavy, fluffy processes offering limited added value. They react like all that matters is the final result. I have to strongly disagree.
As a certified Project Manager myself, I’d like to contribute clearing those misleading representations.
A quality Project Management is NOT about processes, nor about good intentions that are never fulfilled. It is an integrated system that combines several proceedings:
- Determining and describing the results you want to achieve (“the intention”) in observable, measurable standards;
- Selecting the most efficient tools, processes or the actual action chain that is likely to take you there (“the process”), as well as documenting the whole journey;
- Assessing the final products the project (“the outcome”), as it may differ from what you initially intended.
- The most obvious structure for a digital organisation is the network structure, where flexible, cross-functional teams gather as needed. It suits volatile environment perfectly whenever necessary, and is the best option for fostering innovative strategy. Accountability may be challenging to set and track and functional expertise can lack depth, but agile organisations love this structure.
Those three processes are equally important. Let me give you an example.
Many projects start with the belief that something is needed, e.g. : “we need to introduce competency management”.
Many project sponsors or project managers don’t question this belief, and don’t wonder which objectives this new project is supposed to achieve (e.g. “we want to increase our employees’ employability” or “we want to induce a performance-driven culture”). I think it is the primary added value of each Project Manager to match Aim and End Product. If the Project Manager does not ensure that, then who will?
Many Project Managers start their journey with this question : what are the most efficient options to achieve the project goal ? It may sound legitimate, but I have often observed discrepancies between the project content (“the process”) and the project objective. Again, if the objectives have not been carefully described and strategically defined, the company selects the wrong tools or processes to achieve its goal, and finally end up with a product that is unable to meet the initial expectations. As a result, the company has been wasting resources.
Don’t be afraid to get back to basics and identify the objectives. What do you want to achieve, and why? What are the priorities? Once these questions are answered, don’t neglect the processes; the journey is just as important as the destination. Project Managers MUST dare questioning the purpose of the project ; isn’t their goal to deliver the highest possible quality to their Client?
