1. Surprise! You’re The Project Manager!!! IPMA Professional Development April 19, 2006 Diane Vasarkovy, Wolf Consulting

2. Learning the Hard Way  It’s always hard  You aren’t alone  All projects are different  All projects are the same  Good news = there ARE common ingredients for success

3. A Typical Story  Innocent Line Worker  Take a Little Initiative  Boom! The project reward.  Growth Potential  Seasoning Opportunity

4. PM is Just Another Duty….  NOT!  A Whole ‘Other Discipline  Lots of Training  Years of Experience  But, you start tomorrow…..

5. My Seven Best Mistakes  How We Learn  Every Pain is a Gift  Embarrassment, the Real Motivator  Experience is the Best Teacher

6. 1. Where’s The Sponsor?  Mistake: absent or uninvolved sponsor  Success = refuse to start without one  Success = get role straight  Success = plan communications  Success = obtain commitment

7. 2. Where’s The Team?  Mistake: non-dedicated project team  Success = 100% dedicated core team  Success = report only to PM  Success = they want to be there  Success = team includes business folks

8. 3. We Started Last Month?  Mistake: not having a REAL start  Success = clarity of assignment  Success = clarity of scope & risk  Success = buy-in all around  Success = excellent expectations set  Success = exercising leadership

9. 4. I Didn’t Study Law  Mistake: fixing all project variables (time, money, quantity, quality)  Success = one must remain unfixed  Success = don’t get cornered  Success = fall on sword if needed

10. 5. He Said He Was Done  Mistake: believing what I’m told  Success = “show me”  Success = “why”  Success = “what are we missing?”  Success = cross-checking  Success = trust, but verify

11. 6. Why Did They Do That?  Mistake: not setting expectations about behavior  Success = set behavior expectations  Success = talk about expectations  Success = call bad, reward good  Success = walk that talk

12. 7. Can’t We All Get Along?  Mistake: professionals leave their emotions at home  Success = be open about feelings  Success = talk about feelings  Success = dig deeper  Success = don’t fake sincerity

13. Ingredients for Success  Insist on what you need to succeed  Be specific about it  Use clear language about behavior  Ask for commitment  Use partnership model  Escalate swiftly…together  Model openness, honesty & integrity  When you’re in trouble…ask for help!

14. Questions?