Anyone
who tells you, with complete certainty, what 2019 will provide at the
commencement of the year is only speculating. The best anyone can do is to
understand that the process to working out what is going to happen in the New
Year only commenced from the lessons learnt in the previous year.
To
fully understand your priorities for 2019, examine the way your world was at
the end of the previous year and how it has commenced this year. The one trend
that seems to be completely reliable coming into the New Year is disruption.
The world has seen some challenges for the last couple of years and looks
certain to remain through 2019.
There seems to be less outright conflict, however
there are still internal stresses and strains within countries and regions, and
add to those geopolitical threats. These then translate into the everyday
concerns of our employers, clients and sponsoring organizations. So, we must be
mindful of them, as we establish our seven priorities for project managers in
2019.
1. Courageous Leadership
When disruption is normal, then the first priority should always be exemplary leadership. There aren't likely to be many countries today where there is a consensus that national leadership fits this description. There would also be challenges in believing that leaders are prioritising the needs of stakeholders when managing projects, nor are the required hard decisions being made.
As project managers, we must stand out by building the future for our sponsors. To get it right, we must put ourselves on the front line and act with absolute integrity. We can do nothing else if we don't get this step correct, for what is to follow will simply not work.
2. Personal Resilience
Remember
to always look after yourself, for if you are unable to function and provide
accurate direction in a complex and demanding environment, coupled with a
determination to do what is right, despite the cost, will make for high levels
of stress.
The
following four items should be a priority in your life, having a robust
physical, mental and emotional aspect will assist in looking after your team
and stakeholders.
1.
Fuel: What you put into your body makes a huge difference to
your well-being. Be sure to take a lunch break each day.
2.
Rest: Nobody can perform well when they are tired. A couple of
poor nights’ sleep in a row can damage your judgement and emotional stability
just as much as an excess of alcohol. Fix your sleep schedule to
improve your productivity.
3.
Energy: Regular exercise does not just build up your physical
stamina, but affords an opportunity to shift mental gears and detach from the
stressful concerns of your workplace.
4.
Relationships: These indicate both our mental health and the source of protection
for it. Invest time and effort in maintaining the relationships that matter to
you. A work-life balance is essential in today’s digital social culture.
3. Make Time for Yourself
The
need to carve out time just for yourself, remember to have some “Me” time
whether that is through a hobby or a “passion project” will assist in
re-energising your focus. Do what it takes to create balance in your life.
4. Exceptional Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholder
engagement does not change from year to year; it should be a priority in
2020—and also in 2121. As a project manager, make sure you are serving your
client, your sponsor and your organization, but the people who will truly judge
your work are your stakeholders.
Exceptional stakeholder
engagement is the one lever to successful project management that will
always dominate the others. If you place your stakeholders at the heart of
every scrap of planning and delivery, you will be most likely to get things
right. Make the commitment to engage them actively. Ask questions, listen,
respect their views and open a dialogue. Keep your stakeholders fully informed,
and work hard to balance the needs of each against those of the others.
5. Agility and Certainty
There
are plenty of project management commentators to remind you of the rise of
agile. And certainly, if you are not aware of its strengths, shortcomings and
methodologies, you’ll need to make learning about it a priority for 2019. Use
traditional project management methodologies as the foundation to any project, there
are centuries of completed projects to suggest success in the foundations.
The
real priority here is to recognize that you always have three principle options
when determining your broad approach to a project:
1.
A largely planned, predictive approach that borrows shamelessly
from the agile toolset, when you need to
2.
A fundamentally agile approach that selects a suitable
methodology, but also incorporates useful elements from traditional project
management
3.
A truly blended approach that draws generously from the full
breadth of traditional and agile thinking
6. Learn to Work Virtually
The
rise of small, compact, agile teams, who use scrum or scrum-like methodologies,
has its place in modern project management. This is the rise of large, global
teams who rarely or never meet in the real world. Large organizations have
always had to organize globally. But more of us are working with virtual teams,
in different offices, in different organizations, and in no office at all, but
a converted bedroom in a private home.
These
are virtual teams, made of people who work together, but may never meet. Project
Management software tools oil the bearings of virtual collaboration. But,
regardless of location, the values that drive good teamwork doesn’t change.
And, as a project manager, you need to understand them and put them into
practice.
7. Keep Learning
This
last priority is also an evergreen priority, like priority 4. It’s built into most
professional qualifications. As a professional, your skills need to grow, or
they will wither. There is no middle ground.
A
failure to invest in your knowledge and skills will mean they don’t just stop
growing: they will die. Continual professional development is not just a set of
points to keep a qualification: it’s a duty…and a pleasure.
Whatever route you choose for professionalism, the PMI’s guideline of 35
education hours per three years must be an absolute minimum. That is, after
all, just an hour a month. And you cannot even read a decent professional
magazine in that time. It’s just three articles like this, per week.
So, whether it’s learning more about virtual teams, doing an agile
course, reading a book on stakeholder engagement, or attending a cookery
workshop, do make 2019 another year when you keep learning.
Another priority for project managers in 2019
is making sure they’re equipped with the best tools to take advantage of new
trends. The tools located here are cloud-based project management software
that gives users real-time dashboards and a collaborative online Gantt chart
for better scheduling. Try one today, free witha 30-day trial.
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