How to Successfully Kickstart a New Project
BY BOB NATHE – ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
In the project management world, we spend a lot of time tracking and monitoring performance over time. From my experience, how you start a project can often influence its ongoing success. Here are five tips that I’ve found to be paramount in successfully kicking off a new project.
1. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
In theory, communication should be a no-brainer in the types of environments we work in. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Take the time to invest in your project team to learn what matters to them. If you can prioritize open and clear communication with your project team from the first interaction, it will set you up for success in your work with them.
2. LEARN THE TEAM CULTURE
All too often project managers (regardless of whether or not they are consultants) can be treated as outsiders when working with a project team. New ideas or different ways of doing things may push cultural norms and change the status quo; that can make current project team employees nervous. A key priority that you need to focus on very early is how this team operates. Are they a “fire, ready, aim” culture or one that prefers to “crawl, walk, and run?” By understanding how they approach running their business, you adapt your style accordingly. Ultimately, this makes pushing cultural norms or changing the status quo not so scary.
3. ARTICULATE THE BUSINESS VALUE OF THE WORK CLEARLY AND CONSISTENTLY
Knowing the business value of the work we bring to the project teams is crucial to a successful kick off. Every team member that interacts with the project team needs to have that understanding. Sometimes we are challenged by an existing regime to show the value of what we are doing. Sometimes we are challenged by a new regime to explain why things work certain ways. By knowing the work that we are doing, inside and out, we can bring that level of comfort to the project team to show the value and what’s in it for them.
4. UNDERSTAND THEIR HESITATION, EVALUATE POTENTIAL CAUSES AND RELIEVE THEIR CONCERNS
Often times a project sponsor brings us in and carries the entire decision of starting a project on their shoulders. With that type of responsibility, additional scrutiny can be placed on our shoulders. Communicating with the project team to be able to get in front of their concerns will help alleviate those types of situations. We cannot anticipate every concern, but falling back on items 1-3 above will certainly help in building that rapport with the project team. They need to feel that you hear them, understand their point of view and are there to help them.
5. BE ADAPTABLE IN YOUR STYLE AND IN MEETING THE BUSINESS NEEDS
While working on a project, don’t force a specific style of communication or prescribed methodology to get your point across. A key piece to understanding your project team is knowing the team you bring to help the business. Sometimes you may need to pull from your bench to help approach a data study or analysis from another angle. If you can clearly communicate with your project team, know their culture, articulate your business value and help understand any hesitation they bring, you can easily adapt to their changing priorities, desires for more insight and information and customize what they get back. Being adaptable is crucial in any engagement. Prescribing a specific method to complete the project may work in some cases, but it won’t help you build a long-term relationship with your project team.
How to Successfully Kickstart a New Project
BY BOB NATHE – ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
In the project management world, we spend a lot of time tracking and monitoring performance over time. From my experience, how you start a project can often influence its ongoing success. Here are five tips that I’ve found to be paramount in successfully kicking off a new project.
1. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
In theory, communication should be a no-brainer in the types of environments we work in. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Take the time to invest in your project team to learn what matters to them. If you can prioritize open and clear communication with your project team from the first interaction, it will set you up for success in your work with them.
2. LEARN THE TEAM CULTURE
All too often project managers (regardless of whether or not they are consultants) can be treated as outsiders when working with a project team. New ideas or different ways of doing things may push cultural norms and change the status quo; that can make current project team employees nervous. A key priority that you need to focus on very early is how this team operates. Are they a “fire, ready, aim” culture or one that prefers to “crawl, walk, and run?” By understanding how they approach running their business, you adapt your style accordingly. Ultimately, this makes pushing cultural norms or changing the status quo not so scary.
3. ARTICULATE THE BUSINESS VALUE OF THE WORK CLEARLY AND CONSISTENTLY
Knowing the business value of the work we bring to the project teams is crucial to a successful kick off. Every team member that interacts with the project team needs to have that understanding. Sometimes we are challenged by an existing regime to show the value of what we are doing. Sometimes we are challenged by a new regime to explain why things work certain ways. By knowing the work that we are doing, inside and out, we can bring that level of comfort to the project team to show the value and what’s in it for them.
4. UNDERSTAND THEIR HESITATION, EVALUATE POTENTIAL CAUSES AND RELIEVE THEIR CONCERNS
Often times a project sponsor brings us in and carries the entire decision of starting a project on their shoulders. With that type of responsibility, additional scrutiny can be placed on our shoulders. Communicating with the project team to be able to get in front of their concerns will help alleviate those types of situations. We cannot anticipate every concern, but falling back on items 1-3 above will certainly help in building that rapport with the project team. They need to feel that you hear them, understand their point of view and are there to help them.
5. BE ADAPTABLE IN YOUR STYLE AND IN MEETING THE BUSINESS NEEDS
While working on a project, don’t force a specific style of communication or prescribed methodology to get your point across. A key piece to understanding your project team is knowing the team you bring to help the business. Sometimes you may need to pull from your bench to help approach a data study or analysis from another angle. If you can clearly communicate with your project team, know their culture, articulate your business value and help understand any hesitation they bring, you can easily adapt to their changing priorities, desires for more insight and information and customize what they get back. Being adaptable is crucial in any engagement. Prescribing a specific method to complete the project may work in some cases, but it won’t help you build a long-term relationship with your project team.
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