Leadership for Programme and Project Managers

UK (SANEPR.com) August 6, 2008 -- With a backdrop of the Houses of Parliament, Melanie asked delegates attending her ‘Birds of a Feather’ sessions to think about the emotional and technical competencies that project leaders need.

“Effective management is not just about being able to apply budgetary constraints or running projects to time,” she said. “In fact, 70% of businesses fail to achieve their desired goals and the causes for failure are usually lack of strong leadership, lack of team skills, and lack of stakeholder engagement. These more subtle skills can have a huge effect on successful outcomes.”

Melanie asked delegates to share their thoughts on what makes a good leader. They offered a wide range of responses including “Setting a good example”, “Conviction” and “Commitment”.

Melanie replied that while there was plenty of advice available on leadership in an organisational context, programme and project managers face a unique set of issues.

“Within a project environment, leadership means influencing, persuading and controlling resources that have multiple reporting lines and varying levels of commitment to the projects,” she said.

Because projects operate in a short term management structure which introduces change, the leaders of those projects face a unique set of circumstances because they introduce the unknown quantity, she said.

“This can create fear and reluctance to change among both their team members and the wider organisation.”

In addition to this, project managers don’t have the structural controls of line managers, so they face further challenges. Melanie said: “Project managers often have limited control over resources and don’t have formal line management reporting roles. They need to motivate staff working in their teams in a creative way because they probably won’t be able to offer formal rewards such as a wage rise or promotions. They will need to think of alternative ways to motivate their staff.”

It’s also vital that project managers are competent to lead others by managing themselves effectively, she said. This means they need to keep their emotions under control.

“Some people think this kind of control is at odds with being genuine and authentic, which are important leadership qualities. However self management doesn’t have to be a straight jacket,” she said.

She then went on to discuss the four technical competencies needed to manage projects.
She said these were:

• Delivering on objectives set
• Taking a long range perspective and understanding what the organisation will be like as a result of the successful delivery of the project
• Bringing together the right people
• Innovating and developing new approaches

When starting up projects, Melanie said it was especially important for leaders to establish their presence and their credibility. “To do this, it’s vital to create the impression that we are competent to lead others, by ensuring we manage ourselves effectively” she said.

When projects are up and running, product delivery is the key focus for project managers. She said: “For product delivery to happen, the leader must be consistent, be able to communicate, plan, delegate and recognise the effort put in by staff. It’s also important that they recognise and understand their accountability.”

Melanie summed up the session by explaining that leadership is an intangible human quality that inspires us to follow the direction set by someone else. It entails moving people towards a vision of the future, trying to make sure that everyone is moving towards the same vision at roughly the same time. This involves encouragement, motivation of others, resolving disagreements and overcoming resistance.
“Ultimately,” she said, “leadership is good manners and trust.”

Further information

Melanie’s new book ‘Leadership Skills for Project and Programme Managers,’ which she authored with Maven Training’s Lead Trainer Susan Tuttle, describes situations where the need for leadership manifests itself within a project or programme, and uses examples to illustrate effective leadership within this environment.

The book has been written for managers who wish to enhance their skill set and develop confidence to effectively deal with the increasing interpersonal and communication demands that arise through the organisation of work into projects and programmes.

It’s useful for those responsible for persuading, motivating and energising their colleagues to get started on a piece of work, convince them they are heading in the right direction, or encourage them to see how their work fits into the bigger picture.

The book is one of a series of three:

• Leadership skills for project and programme managers
• Communication skills for project and programme managers
• Team management skills for project and programme managers

Each one provides practical advice and real world examples, highlighting the more subtle skills programme and project managers need in order to be effective.

The Focus series costs £60. Buy online at www.mavenbookshop.co.uk