Made To Stick
It delights me every time I discover a way that the world of knowledge available to human kind is applicable across disciplines.
Granted, the book Made to Stick which I am reading right now is intended to apply as a guideline without any particular discipline in mind, only communication and retention of ideas in general.
While driving to work one day, I realized how the ideas can and should apply to project status meetings. There are usually specific points that you want to highlight with those in the room, be they the sponsor, project team, customer, etc. You may want different ideas to stick with different groups of people, too. This book is all about how to craft and present ideas to make them stick.
Let’s say you have a particular risk on your project that is looking like it may be a big issue, and you are asking for your sponsor’s help in mitigating or preparing for it. If that is the biggest issue for your sponsor to help with, you want the risk and what they can do to help to stick with them, and make it a dominant thought when they leave the meeting. Whenever they think of your project, they should associate it with that risk they need to help with.
OK, so now you are holding a status meeting with your team. You want to review progress over the last period, talk about what is happening now and coming up, and make sure everyone is away of risks that could impact their work. This is an opportunity to recognize people for their accomplishments, and it would be very helpful if the idea that “this project manager appreciates our effort, and recognizes us for it” sticks with them. You also may want to pick out a few key milestones that everyone is working towards, and major risks they should look out for so you can be notified as early as possible if something comes up.
With every example you care to come up with, it is important how you craft and present the message. There are many techniques described in the book, relating to the content of the message itself, associations, and many other helpful principles.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Josh,
Nice post. I have added a link to it in the Book Review section of LouisvillePM here:
I too appreciate when information passes into the realm of project management across disciplines. I personally think that a key to making things stick is to have a clear message that is easy to understand.
-chris
Josh,
Nice post. I have added a link to it in the Book Review section of LouisvillePM here:
I too appreciate when information passes into the realm of project management across disciplines. I personally think that a key to making things stick is to have a clear message that is easy to understand.
-chris
If your sponsor is any good, heorshe will make sure that the work to be done on your risk sticks with you. Check out your local library and read Bill Oncken’s “Managing Management Time” (out of print for several years; you might still be able to find a used copy on Amazon) where he talks about “management monkeys” and whose back they should be on.
On the other hand, it would be nice if your praise stuck to your staff.
Duncan
If your sponsor is any good, heorshe will make sure that the work to be done on your risk sticks with you. Check out your local library and read Bill Oncken’s “Managing Management Time” (out of print for several years; you might still be able to find a used copy on Amazon) where he talks about “management monkeys” and whose back they should be on.
On the other hand, it would be nice if your praise stuck to your staff.
Duncan
You’re right Bill, usually the responsibility for handling the risk lies with the project manager. My example was a specific risk where the sponsor can provide significant help, and you really want to sell them on the idea that their involvement will benefit the project.
I was thinking specifically of a political risk that you as the project manager may not have much ability to influence, but your sponsor does. Perhaps a competing project coming down the pike that may steal away some of your funding in the out-years, etc. If there’s no mature portfolio management in place, that risk can potentially take funding away from a higher value-added project if the other sponsor plays the politics better.
Josh
You’re right Bill, usually the responsibility for handling the risk lies with the project manager. My example was a specific risk where the sponsor can provide significant help, and you really want to sell them on the idea that their involvement will benefit the project.
I was thinking specifically of a political risk that you as the project manager may not have much ability to influence, but your sponsor does. Perhaps a competing project coming down the pike that may steal away some of your funding in the out-years, etc. If there’s no mature portfolio management in place, that risk can potentially take funding away from a higher value-added project if the other sponsor plays the politics better.
Josh