What It Takes to be a Top Performer: In Project Management

EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE OCT.2009

STAYING ON TOP ALWAYS

What It Takes to be a Top Performer: In Project Management

-- Dr Stephanie Jones and Paddy Duffy

In project management, you are definitely only as good as your most recent project, and this defines your reputation – and your legacy. So, when you complete a really good project, you need to know when to stop! If you stop when you're ahead, people will remember you for your last great project. But the big problem for many high performing project managers is the knowing of when to stop…

Many executives want to stay on the top of their chosen profession, consistently over their entire career. They want to be seen as top performers for the long term. Basically, this depends on two things—you and your job. You have to be motivated and empowered enough to give it your best shot time and time again, and it must be a job you know how to do really well. You must have the will and the skill. You won't be a top performer if you have reached a plateau, become bored, and lost your drive to succeed. Nor will you be on top unless you are totally competent. You must know what the job takes, and you must be able to solve the problems which the job brings – time and again.

Here, we are focusing on the task of being a top performer in project management, but many of the insights we provide and the advice we give could relate to other specialized managerial roles, and even to general management positions.

Project management is a particularly challenging and difficult field to be a top performer in. Again, it's a question of will and skill. On the will side, projects tend to be short, so you have to keep motivating yourself time and time again. Just as you get to know your team and enjoy working with them, you have to start again. Just as you feel you've done a good job and are enjoying the accolades, you're back to square one. You might not even have a job for a while, but have to keep looking, and keep upbeat.

On the other hand, on the skill side, the job of being a project manager is far from easy to do well. It requires working to tight deadlines, within a specific budget, having to meet the quality definitions and expectations of the client or principal stakeholder, and to manage the relationships involved in the project as a whole. And every project is entirely different from the last, so there are unique challenges here, and a constant learning curve.

And sometimes being a top performer is a thankless task. One of the drawbacks of being on the top of your game in project management is that you make the work look easy. So when the client wants another job doing, he feels that he doesn't need to bring you back, because it will be easy enough for him and his staff to do it themselves. Of course, what happens then is that it's not easy, they can't do it themselves, they do have to ask you to come back, but that's another story…

As we suggested above, there are at least four aspects to successful project manager – without these, you can't be a top performer in this field, or many related fields. We are taking as a given that you are motivated and have the will to succeed…

Time Management

Firstly, how do you stay on time and achieve this crucial first aspect of being a top performer in project management? You need to get the right information to your suppliers to ensure that there wouldn't be any delay in producing the materials and components you need. If any relevant information is missing, it can take time trying to find out the details. All "to-ing" and "fro-ing" take times and lead to delays. Everything must be specified to an exact standard, otherwise the suppliers will keep coming back to you asking more questions: What color? What size? Which material? To keep everyone involved in the project on time, you will need to keep monitoring the main contractor, the sub-contractor – all of them – and making inspections to sites to see how the work is progressing. You will need to know how to quickly wander around a factory and judge for yourself the progress of your order. You will have to spot potential delays before they happen. Anticipating problems is half the battle. You will need to do the same with your staff – who is happily getting on with the job and can be left with minimal supervision? Who is lagging behind and getting stuck? How can you manage these different people? Time management is one of the hardest jobs of being a successful project manager. Most projects are highly perishable. High performers are never late, but they don't cut corners to save time – they don't need to.

Cost management

Secondly, how can you keep costs under control? You can't be a top performer in project management if you can't stick to the budget. Anyone can spend a lot of money. Only high performers make the most of what they've got, in order to achieve the goals set. Careful project managers build in contingency funds, but there is rather more to it than that. They know that clearly defining the scope of work at the beginning is crucial. As a project manager, you will have to work closely with the finance director, the design team, the client. Any new ideas which cost money may have to be nipped in the bud, unless they come with additional budgets. The project manager may end up saying "no" more than "yes" and won't be very popular in the process. Yet top performing project managers are able to work within time and cost constraints, expecting these as always a given for all projects, and are forthright and clear in defending their position and championing their project. They are also transparent, honest and ethical when it comes to money matters – they know that control of time and cost means being in control of suppliers at all times. Control can be lost if relationships with suppliers become too close. What if a special deal is struck with a supplier and then he doesn't perform? The project manager is in no position to exert control, and things start getting out of hand.

Managing expectations

Thirdly, how can you achieve client satisfaction in terms of his or her quality expectations? You can be on time and on budget, but if the client doesn't like the project, you won't be seen as a top performer any more. Again, here you need a clear definition of scope from the outset. What do the principal stakeholders want? This is especially difficult if they don't know what they want. But a high performer helps them to know, in such a way that they don't feel pressurized. The project manager can't always prevent disappointment, and some clients are never happy, but a top performer champions each project in a highly-committed way, gaining approval for each step. The high performer will not tolerate negativity and doom-saying, but will turn these people around, so that everyone expects the project outcome to be great – and great it will indeed be.

Managing Relationships

Fourthly, managing all the different stakeholders in a project is one of the biggest challenges for an ambitious project manager, especially because it has so many unknowns. Managing lots of different people is always difficult, as they all have different likes and dislikes. Getting them all signed off on the project from the beginning is one of the most challenging tasks of the project manager. There will be a need for a high level of exact specifications, according to the requirements of all. Stakeholders are all biased, and support their own needs at the cost of those of others. They only care about themselves, of course! The stakeholders will include the people who will have to live and work with the project long after the designers and builders have left – will they be happy too? High performers don't think of just the here and now, but of the successful outcome of their projects in the years to come. Everyone must remember them as a top performer and give them rave reviews. Consulting everyone and taking everything into account is difficult and time-consuming but must be done to ensure the successful management of all these different relationships. High perfor-mers carry others with them, and don't leave anyone behind. Gaining the support of all the stakeholders early on wins allies against potential critics as the project progresses.

Making the grade

So, if these four elements can help lead to top performance in project management in a sustained way, what might lead to lower than high perfor-mance? Why can a potentially top performer not make it? Obviously, if there are problems regarding time, budget, quality and the relationships involved in the project – then the project manager could be distinctly low-performing. But there is more to successful and memorable project achievement. Much of this has to do with the competencies of being a project manager.

The high performing project manager has to be diligent, adaptable and able enough to handle project variances all the time. He or she has to foresee potential risks, making careful risk analysis, but not allowing this to prevent the important task of seeing and taking advantage of opportunities. The people working on the project must be encouraged to carry through the necessary changes. It won't work if the team can see the problems but lack the initiative to do anything about them, and waiting to be told to do something. As the project progresses, the project manager will get more and more busy – and if the project management team can anticipate and deal with problems, all the better. A successful project manager is not a "super-doer" but a team leader.

The less-than-high-performing project manager may be paying attention to certain aspects of the project but not to all. He or she must look at everything. The need for health and safety requirements is often seen as boring and far from glamorous, but cannot be ignored. The project manager has to juggle all these different balls in the air. He or she has to keep seeing the big picture. It's no good not being able to see the wood for the trees. The project manager also has to get out and get a first-hand view of the progress of the project – it's not a good idea to stay in the office all day. That's why Blackberries and mobiles were invented.

If the project manager puts in a lot of time and effort, works very hard and does all the paperwork needed, he or she can do everything right – but need not be a high performer. So, what does it take to be a consistently high performer, especially in the challenging field of project management? Could you be on top, always? What is the magic ingredient? You might have a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge, even a lot of qualifications, and a lot of enthusiasm – but they don't guarantee success in being a top performer in a sustained way.

So here are eight important questions to ask yourself…

1. Why do I want to be a top performer?

Because I don't want to let myself down, or anyone else, and I know I can do it, and I want to keep getting better. I've been a top performer in junior roles, and I want to keep moving up, and take on more challenging tasks. Being achieve-ment-oriented is one of the first prerequisites for being a top performer.

To be on top all the time, you have to be very clear about your long-term career plans. You will have to have a long-term commitment, to be persistent and determined – and always positive and upbeat, whatever happens. In project management, you also have to like the variety and the constant change, and the need to keep starting again. Being a top performer in project management – or probably in any other area – means that you never get the chance to get comfortable. Top performers are always pushing themselves too hard to get comfortable.

2. Do I need to be an expert in my field to be a top performer in my field?

Maybe not, because I can't be good at everything, and to be a top performer I have to be willing to take on all kinds of difficult projects. But I will need to become an expert, quickly, on everything necessary to get on top of my work at any particular moment. If I take too long to learn expertise, I might not be a high performer anymore. Some jobs are so specialized I can't learn them, but I have to understand the risks of these jobs and the impact on the project as a whole. I'll have to see how the work of the person specialized in this job fits in, and will have to manage this person effectively.

The job of project management needs expertise – general manage-ment ability, flexibility and the need to learn new things – and perhaps to unlearn some things, too. Yet top performers can grasp any number of challenges, and learn to trust the people who help them.

3. Do I need to be seen managing from the front to be a top performer, to be constantly there on the job, or could I be a top performer from behind the scenes?

Probably I need to be seen – not only by the bosses and the project client – but by the workers, and the rest of the team who will make it happen. I will need to build a reputation for being in the middle of the action to be seen as a top performer. There will come a time when I need to push people forward, to be a champion of others, in which case I might have to sometimes be behind the scenes, but I'm keeping an eye on what's happening, to make sure there are no very big mistakes.

In project management you may need to be very much at the front, especially as a project nears completion and the pressure is mounting, and you may need others to go the extra mile as well as you. It can be much more effective if you are on the spot too.

4. Can I have work/life balance as a top performer?

It's difficult, because I think I need to be seen to be working all the time – but I have to keep myself motivated – not to get stale, exhausted and stressed out. I also have to realize that other people working with me – even if they want to be top performers too – have to think about their lives outside work too. I have to appreciate the sacrifices they may be making too. Managing my public life and private life is a challenge for me as a high performer – people know me, I'm quite obvious, so I have to walk the talk. If I say there's to be no fun on a Saturday night as everyone needs to work, then I can't go out and have fun too.

Project management is never a nine-to-five job, especially when the pressure is mounting towards the end of the project, where work/life balance may have to be tempor-arily abandoned. But the top performing project manager will learn how to make up for this, managing relationships in times of pressure and also when they can be more easy-going.

5. Do I need to be a team-player to be a top performer?

Probably, as I need to empower others to get their commitment and buy-in, by involving them in decisions, by asking their opinion on different strategies. I can't be a top performer by myself. I need to achieve top performance through people and winning their trust and helping them to be top performers too, instilling pride in their attitudes to the work. This will often mean that I have to stand up for them myself. But then I won't have to lead them because they will be so motivated! I will have to get over the idea that working with other people as part of a team might detract from my high performing reputation.

In project management, becoming a top performer on your own will be probable only in a very small project. Teamwork is an essential element in successful project management, although as the Project Manager you will find that you have ultimate authority and certainly the responsibility. The team will help you, but ultimately the buck stops at the project manager's door.

6. Do I need to be both a leader and a manager to be a top performer?

Do I need to see the big picture and present a vision of the future, as well as getting involved in all the day-to-day implementation work? Definitely I need to keep in my mind my overall goal, but I also have to keep thinking as to how I'm going to get there, and make sure it happens. I can't just have all the ideas without the necessary details. But I can't just think of the here and now, instead of the overall objective. Being a top performer involves both the conceptualization of the plan and the execution, the dream and the reality.

In project management you really have to be both a leader and a manager, with an understanding of the overall strategy balanced with the need for detail, especially as these details keep changing all the time, and a lot can go wrong. This balance between the big picture and the daily jobs can help the project manager to keep making decisions to fit the ever-changing scene, bearing in mind the overall success of the project.

Dr Stephanie Jones is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Maastricht School of Manage-ment, having graduated with a PhD from University College London and gaining her Bachelor's degree from the London School of Economics. Dr Jones managed management consulting and training businesses in the UK, Hong Kong, PRC, India, Australia and Dubai, from 1988 to 2001. She taught at business schools in Kuwait and Dubai from 2001-2005. She has also taught for the Universities of Exeter, Cranfield and Leicester of the UK. She has authored over 25 full-length internationally-published books on business and management, and has recently pub-lished articles on doing business in emerging markets, knowledge mana-gement, implementing HR systems in culturally-challenging environ-ments, and the impact of the current economic downturn on HR and CSR. Project Management is a new field of interest for her, but it reflects many of her current areas of teaching, research and writing. Paddy Duffy is a member of the US-based Project Management Institute and is specialized in projects in the hospitality industry. With project management experience in Ireland, the US, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Middle East, Paddy has accumulated tried-and-tested project manage-ment insights in many varied conte-xts. Originally trained in metal working, he set up his own steel-making supplies company, before moving into project management and supervision in the leisure industry. Often managing several projects simultaneously, Paddy has developed a strong reputation for handling challenging, fast-track scenarios, and rescuing doomed projects from near-disaster.

7. Why should people follow me?

They will have to be inspired, convinced and committed to following me, for me to make it as a top performer. Being a team player is part of it, but there is much more here – how can I really achieve buy-in to my cause and objectives from all involved in the work as a whole? I need to win the hearts and minds of not just the members of the team I work with – who may be on the same sort of management level as myself – but the junior people, the laborers. When I'm working in a different cultural context and environment – these people might not even speak my language, so I might have to work with them through supervisors. There may be quite a lot of them, so I can't talk to them all individually very often. They like to be led by example, I will have to show commitment and care for them. To be a high performer, I must have everyone on my side.

In project management, this task of building support and willing followership can mean consulting the most junior people, seeking their support and help, winning them over from the very beginning.

8. How can I leave behind a legacy of being a top-performer?

How can I make sure that people will remember me for being always on top? I will clearly have to do my best at all times. I will only be as good as my last achievement. This means I should not take on projects which I can never successfully complete, so I should never become arrogant and assume I will always be successful. I must always go to the trouble of doing all jobs as well as I possibly can, and finish them completely. I must rise above petty squabbles and champion the project above everything.

In project management, you are definitely only as good as your most recent project, and this defines your reputation – and your legacy. So, when you complete a really good project, you need to know when to stop! If you stop when you're ahead, people will remember you for your last great project. But the big problem for many high performing project managers is the knowing of when to stop…

Depending on your answers to these eight questions, you may find yourself being a top performer, especially in the challenging area of project management. But the real issue is the extent to which you can keep it up, and be on top always. Anyone can be a one-hit wonder, but it is the matter of consistency which is the most challenging objective of them all…