What I Gained From Mentoring New Project Managers

I spent my 30s managing enterprise IT projects. Here’s what I wish I knew at 29. 1/ Getting teams to simply talk is most of the battle. 2/ Getting sign-off (actual sign-off) on scope will save your bacon. 3/ The right time to think about risks is before you notice problems. 4/ No one is thinking about your project as much as you are. (/should be) 5/ When you have to ask ‘whose job is that?’, it’s probably your job. 6/ If someone asks you if you can do something ‘just this once’ it’s probably their job. 7/ If you do something once, it will be expected for every project in perpetuity. 8/ Understanding *why* someone is making an unusual request will give you insights. 9/ Seeing into the future is a superpower developed through experience. 10/ Senior PMs have good stories. Ask them to share. 11/ Every exec has (at least) two tones. The one they use among piers, and the one they’ll use 1:1. Don’t be startled. 12/ The first step in planning should be to define what you’ll do when things don’t go to plan. 13/ Planning is useful only if that plan quickly evolves into actual work. 14/ Repetition in meetings helps define expectations. Expectations help with accountability. Accountability is how you influence without authority. 15/ Holding people accountable—without being a jerk—is how you preserve relationships. 16/ Don’t ask if something is ‘in progress’. Ask ‘how much work is left’. Use percentages. 17/ Budget more time than you need. Then push hard to use less time than budgeted. 18/ Expect things to go sideways so you’re never surprised--and so you're always ready to act. 19/ Don’t burn bridges. Assume you’ll have another project with them. 20/ Trust is the single most valuable currency in project management. What are your lessons learned?  ____ 👋 Follow me Timothy Morgan for more about enterprise project management.

3 unexpected lessons I have learned since becoming Daniel Ryan 🐨's manager. (And how you can apply them to your work): 1. 1:1s are not dissimilar from sales demos. I should talk less than him. 1:1s are his time and space to support his work, and his goals, solve his problems, and drive his success- not mine. Do I do this perfectly? NO. Is the goal to improve with every call? Yes. 2. If you have to teach it, document it. Odds are good this will not be the last time you need to show someone a process or workflow. The first time you teach it, you should document it in some way for quick reference. My current flow is Notion (for wiki-style documentation) >>> Google Sheets + Docs (for external shareability and anything that needs a table or dashboard format) >>> Tango for any visual walk thrust so someone can watch or be guided thru a step-by-step process. This is the newest add to my process and by far my fav <3 Really good for complex processes that are done 1-2x per year or just to streamline onboarding in new tools etc. 3. You win by helping others win. In a team environment, I am much more likely to be successful via collaboration than in silo. The same goes for having a direct report. His success is my success. I should be just as concerned with his wins (if not more) than my own. This also applies to peers, crossfunctional collabs, partners + customers. :) But the bonus? I feel like I am learning a lot about myself and how I like to be managed by managing someone else. I am seeing more of my shortcomings, more of my gaps and figuring out ways to level myself up so I can be a better leader, teammate and employee. So grateful for you Dan and all the ways you are teaching me. Hope you're having a lovely Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Does anyone have some good tips for this first-time people manager??? ♻️ Repost if you have a new leader in your network who you think could learn, relate or give me some advice 😂

I've trained 600+ project managers over the last 3 years. From budding teams in start-ups to large-scale projects in multinational corporations. Hre are 9 challenges and recommendations frequently shared. 1) Scope Creep Management It's daunting when project deliverables keep changing. Without clear boundaries and pushback, projects will derail. Highly recommend reading "Scope and Requirements Management" and "Effective PM and BA Role Collaboration" to solidify your scope management strategies. 2) Time Management Effective PMs understand that every minute counts. Design an “Ideal Project Week” and schedule critical tasks. Risk assessment? Schedule it. Stakeholder meeting? Schedule it. Documentation review? Schedule it. 3) Stakeholder Engagement Project Managers need to skillfully manage stakeholder expectations. Instead of just updating on progress, send out agendas ahead of stakeholder meetings. Focus on critical discussion points, and be prepared to address the top concerns. 4) Resource Allocation It's tempting to bring in the best talents, but ensure they align with the project's current needs. Don’t bring in a high-level consultant when you need hands-on expertise on the ground. 5) Driving Team Accountability Inconsistent team updates and feedback loops can hurt a project's momentum. As the PM authority, establish regular checkpoints. Embrace the mantra: “Consistency is the heartbeat of projects.” 6) Clear Project Objectives If stakeholders or team members can't quickly summarize the project's goal and outcomes, there’s a clarity issue. Consider methodologies like SMART goals to crystallize your objectives. 7) Handling Conflicts Project disputes, if not addressed promptly, can escalate and impact delivery. Address conflicts head-on. Familiarize yourself with techniques from "Crucial Conversations" for effective resolution. 8) Budgeting Managing finances is critical. A well-told narrative about your project’s ROI and value proposition is invaluable. Understand your budget's narrative, including how resources are allocated, potential ROI, and long-term project benefits. This narrative informs future budgeting decisions. 9) Project Strategy Many project managers grapple with succinctly defining their approach. A clearly articulated strategy not only provides direction but aids in stakeholder buy-in. I highly recommend diving into the "Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)" to sharpen your strategic skills. How do you prioritize and balance stakeholder engagement with ensuring timely project delivery, especially when faced with conflicting interests?

Lessons I’ve learned after 3 years of coaching managers: 1. Ownership is a verb. 2. Every bad manager has one thing in common: they avoid accountability. 3. If you’re constantly putting out fires, you’re ignoring the smoke. 4. Stop saying “I don’t have time.” Start saying “That’s not a priority.” 5. The best managers are invisible when things go right, present when they go wrong. 6. Assume your team has ideas better than yours. Then actually listen to them. 7. Also, assume people want to do good work. Your job is to remove the obstacles. 8. If people aren't speaking up, you have a trust problem—not a “quiet” team. 9. Don’t mistake compliance for commitment. 10. Listen twice as much as you speak. The answers are usually there. 11. Your team will do what you do, not what you say. 12. Your job isn’t to fix people. It’s to create an environment where they thrive. 13. If you’re not a little uncomfortable, you’re not growing. 14. If you’re not willing to have hard conversations, don’t expect good results. 15. Know when to step back. Micromanagement is insecurity with a clipboard. 16. If your team doesn’t trust you, nothing else matters. 17. Avoid “motivation hacks.” Build systems your team can rely on. 18. Stop solving everyone’s problems. Coach them to solve their own. 19. Busy doesn’t mean effective. In fact, it usually means confused. 20. Recognition isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s fuel. 21. Stop managing tasks. Start managing outcomes. Your team will surprise you. 22. Lead by example, especially when no one’s watching. 23. The “right” decision doesn’t exist. Just make the best one you can. 24. If you’re not learning from your team, you’re not paying attention. 25. Stop trying to be everyone’s friend. Earn their respect instead. 26. Start every project with a clear “why.” If you can’t explain it, neither can they. 27. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. 28. Praise in public, criticize in private—but do both. 29. Every good manager is still learning how to be a better one. 30. Every team problem is ultimately a leadership problem. 31. Performance reviews should never be a surprise. If they are, that’s on you. 32. Don’t delegate tasks. Delegate decision-making. 33. No one cares how stressed you are. They care how well you lead under stress. 34. Every meeting should have a purpose. If it doesn’t, it’s a waste. 35. Never ask for feedback if you don’t intend to act on it. 36. Don’t waste time on things you can’t control. Double down on what you can. 37. Being “liked” is nice. Being trusted is essential. 38. A clear decision is better than a perfect one that never happens. 39. Nobody owes you loyalty. You earn it, one action at a time. My favorites are 1, 16, and 39. What about you?