PROJECT MANAGERS FROM HELL! TRUE TALES FROM TROUBLED TEAMS Photo by Walid Mahfoudh - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/38020543@N06 Project  managers  take  on  massive  pressures:     staying  on  top  of  a  million  details,  while     motivating  a  group  of  people  to  deliver     on  a  tough  deadline     Photo by net_efekt - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/60364452@N00 You  do  enough  of  that,  and  it  could  mess  with  your   brain  You  might  easily  end  up  becoming  a…     Photo by illuminaut - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611336@N00 PROJECT MANAGER FROM HELL !!! Photo by Walid Mahfoudh - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/38020543@N06   e f i l   l a e r   ic f i r r o h   e   n h o   t   d t e c s e t a o b r e   p r   a o   t   s e d i e r v o o t s   m g e r n   i n w e o e l  b e v a h   The  fol s e m a N   s e c   n d e g a m experie a d   e h t   d n  a innocent Photo by Ondablv - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/13549634@N06 Story #1: The Status Addict “Is It DONE, YET?” Photo by x-ray delta one - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40143737@N02 There  was  a  project   manager  on  the  East  Coast   who  insisted  on  2  daily   status  meetings  with  the   team:     • One  in  the  AM  to  dictate  to-­‐  items  to  everyone   • One  in  the  PM  to  berate   people  for  unfinished   tasks   Photo by x-ray delta one - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40143737@N02 Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Stop  Micromanaging!   Allow  people  to  pick  their  own  to-­‐dos   Hold  them  accountable  for  these  tasks   Don’t  berate  them  for  missed  deadlines…   Instead,  help  them  overcome  roadblocks     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Story #2: PAPERCLIP INSPECTOR “IT LOOKS MESSY REDO IT.” Photo by onkel_wart (thomas lieser) - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/26405526@N00 A  PM  was  tasked  to  prepare   massive  info  packets  for  the   press  After  several   sleepless  nights,  the  small   team  was  done  preparing   printouts  &  assembling   packets     At  which  point  the  PM  tells   them  to  redo  every  last  one   because  the  paperclip   indentions  made  the   papers  look  messy     Photo by onkel_wart (thomas lieser) - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/26405526@N00 Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Overlook  Inessential  Details!   Abide  by  the  project  brief  How  does  it  outline  the     completed  project?   Deliver  a  product  that  meets  your  commitments  
 and  which  the  customer  wants   Don’t  sweat  the  small  stuff  Even  if  this  means   paperclip  indentions     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Story #3: The CODE COUNTER “How many lines did you code?” Photo by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/61787893@N00 And  then  there  was  the  PM     who  didn't  have  a   background  in  software,  but   managed  software   developers  He  judged  the   productivity  of  his   engineers  by  counting  the   lines  of  code  they   produced  (Wrong!)     Though  he  didn't  stay  long,   his  exploits  became  —  wait   for  it  —legendary Photo by Earl - What I Saw 2.0 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/61787893@N00 Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Know  Your  Industry!   You  can’t  manage  what  you  don’t  understand   LEARN:  Take  classes  Ask  questions   Don’t  pretend  you  know  Your  team  will  smell  it  
 a  mile  away     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Story #4: The BOTTLENECK “Only I will talk with stakeholders.” At  a  project  for  a  tech  giant,   the  PM  was  the  only  one   communicating  with  the   client,  then  passing  info  to   the  team  Directions  were   vague   When  they  were  90%  done,   the  client  decided  the   current  work  was  not  what   they  wanted  The  team  had   to  scramble  through  all-­‐ nighters  to  meet  the  client's   needs  and  deliver  on  time Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Encourage  Collaboration!   Allow  the  team  to  speak  with  stakeholders  directly   Check  with  stakeholders  early  and  often   Provide  a  minimum  viable  product  in  the  first  20%  
 of  the  timeline  so  no  one’s  time  is  wasted     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Story #5: MIRACLE DEMANDER “I expect the impossible.” Photo by smileham - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/58472333@N00 And  then  there  was  the   demanding  PM  in  charge  of   a  corporate  video  project   who  kept  telling  the  video   crew  to  "make  the  CEO   look  good."     They  tried  soft  focus,  special   lighting,  and  every  other   camera  trick  available  They   spent  countless  days  trying   to  make  magic   Unfortunately,  the  CEO  just   wasn't  that  telegenic         Photo by smileham - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/58472333@N00 Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Set  Realistic  Expectations!   Don’t  expect  the  Sistine  Chapel  ceiling  from  a  guy   with  crayons   Know  your  project  (and  team’s)  limitations   Work  toward  an  end  goal  with  realistic  parameters     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Remember:   Being  a  Project  Manager  isn’t  about  being  the  “boss”  or   acting  like  a  monster  It’s  about  leading  a  team  to  create  a   product  that  comes  in  on  time,  under  budget,  and  pleases   customers   Photo by practicalowl - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/55046645@N00! Created with Haiku Deck! Level  up  your  management  skills  so  you  don’t     become  a  project  manager  from  hell!   Learn  how  on  our  blog!   Award-­‐winning  Project  Management  &  Collaboration  Software   Wrike.com 22 [...]... Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/55046645@N00! Created with Haiku Deck! Level  up  your  management  skills  so  you  don’t     become  a project  manager from hell!   Learn  how  on  our  blog!   Award-­‐winning Project  Management  &  Collaboration  Software   Wrike.com 22 ...  Expectations!   1 Don’t  expect  the  Sistine  Chapel  ceiling from  a  guy   with  crayons   2 Know  your project  (and  team’s)  limitations   3 Work  toward  an  end  goal  with  realistic  parameters     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Remember:   Being  a Project  Manager  isn’t  about  being  the  “boss”  or...Don’t  Be  Like  Them:    Overlook  Inessential  Details!   1 Abide  by  the project  brief  How  does  it  outline  the     completed project?   2 Deliver  a  product  that  meets  your  commitments  
 and  which  the  customer  wants   3 Don’t  sweat  the  small  stuff  Even  if  this  means   paperclip...     Photo by SLR Jester - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/16549191@N00! Created with Haiku Deck Story #4: The BOTTLENECK “Only I will talk with stakeholders.” At  a project  for  a  tech  giant,   the  PM  was  the  only  one   communicating  with  the   client,  then  passing  info  to   the  team  Directions  were   vague   When  they  were  90%  done,   the  client... impossible.” Photo by smileham - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/58472333@N00 And  then  there  was  the   demanding  PM  in  charge  of   a  corporate  video project   who  kept  telling  the  video   crew  to  "make  the  CEO   look  good."     They  tried  soft  focus,  special   lighting,  and  every  other   camera  trick  available  They   spent  countless ...  your  management  skills  so  you  don’t     become  a project  manager from hell!   Learn  how  on  our  blog!   Award-­‐winning Project  Management  &  Collaboration  Software   Wrike.com... Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611336@N00 PROJECT MANAGER FROM HELL !!! Photo by Walid Mahfoudh - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License...  Like  Them:    Overlook  Inessential  Details!   Abide  by  the project  brief  How  does  it  outline  the     completed project?   Deliver  a  product  that  meets  your  commitments