Partnerships are a crucial part of a company’s success. In today’s competitive environment partnerships can play a crucial role in the way the public perceive a company or organisation. Indeed, Charity and Corporate partnerships are very popular, not only in raising money for good causes, but for the caring image they portray in the mind of the corporate partner.
Partnerships are also not just restricted to corporate partners, there are other business partnerships with customers and the community. That said, partnerships are not like single projects, they involve teams form different organisations that must work together to meet an end goal.
The only problem is these teams have different internal drivers and business objectives. So to be successful, it is important that both partners develop the same objectives from the outset and commit to them if the partnership is to succeed. It must also be clear to both parties that a successful partnership must have a defined vision for existence beyond simply being a vehicle to make money.
In that endeavour, partnerships must also develop clear decision-making process if they are to be a success. As well as a culture of openness and transparency. If not one partner may end up doing what they want to do because they didn’t understand, agree with or buy-into the decisions and directions that they believed were made.
So, what are the 7 most important steps a project manager should know when managing a project partnerships? Below I have listed what I believe these 7 steps are if the project partnership is to be a success.
Let me know if you agree?
Quick Win Action.
Before the partnerships starts as Project Manager arrange a meeting to ensure that both partners core values are aligned, and that there is clear agreement with the decision making process. Getting this right from the start will avoid the possibilities any disputes which could impact the project later.
Want to know more?
With over 20 years Project Management Experience, I provide Coaching & Mentoring to both new and experienced Project Managers who are looking to further develop and enhance their Project Management Skills. If you’re ready to level up your skills and achieve your full potential as a Project Manager in your industry, then I can help you.
DM me direct or visit my website: thinkitplanitdoitnow.com or email anthony@anthonyffrancis.com for more information.
The one thing I take away from my career in Project Management, is that it’s not Project Management that’s important it’s People Management.
Project Management methodologies don’t implement projects, people do. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re a senior Project Director managing a £100M project, or someone managing their first project with a small team, the principle is the same, it’s the people not the process that implements the project.
That’s why as a Project Manager more than ever before, it’s vital to learn how to win over people’s cooperation, especially within your own project team.
So how can you do this? The answer is with motivation and inspiration. By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll know 5 ways to motivate and inspire your project team to work with and support you to achieve the goals of your project.
In today’s fast and digital world, we now live in it’s easy to send messages here and there or allocate a task in a Gantt Chart and think it will be done. With project management tools like Trello, Wrike and Asana to name but a few, at the click of a mouse you can assign and communicate assignments without having to talk with anybody. However, If you want people to go the extra mile and sacrifice their time and effort, then you should also be prepared to lead from the front by sharing in that sacrifice by leading from the front and doing so yourself.
The term the carrot and stick are commonly used when trying to get people to do things and can be effective. However, people are also motivated by-positive emotions like excitement, pride, a sense of belonging, and the thrill of achievement. So, it’s important to demonstrate and communicate the benefits and the bigger picture ‘why’, that you’re all in this together, and make it a real team effort, and to celebrate each milestone goals as the project progresses.
Yes, when in employment we are paid to work 9-5 five days per week. However, we all know that in the ‘real’ world ‘life’ things happen, so as a Project Manager recognise that and if requiring staff to work late be flexible and ask team members to work late work one night or even every night for a week than to expect them to work late indefinitely. It’s important in such circumstances to be realistic with your requests.
Another example of why Project Management is People Management comes when you’re having to explain reasons for wanting team members to do something. We often hare reasons like “If we don’t get this project completed on schedule, then we’ll lose the contract.” But the best reason of all is always personal. So, if possible, give your team extra days of or even a small token of appreciation like a team meal out, or even talks about something as intangible as the camaraderie that comes from having achieved something important together. Either way it’s important to make it personal.
A well-used cliché is ‘you should always lead from the front’. That maybe easier said than done. However, what’s more important in inspiring others in your team is your reputation, your character, and your behaviour more than anything else. Inspiration involves changing the way people think and feel about themselves so that they want to take positive actions.
It’s not about saying but doing, so if you really want to get the best out of others you must also be able to demonstrate and be the change you want to inspire.
Quick Win Action.
Praise and recognition go a long way, so take time out now make your team feel valued especially in front of their peers by introducing either a weekly or monthly ‘initiative award’ for the individual who suggest the best idea that benefits the project. The award could be vouchers for a meal out, it doesn’t have to cost a lot, as it’s the thought that counts.
What to do next ?
If you are ready to level up your skills and achieve your full potential as a Project Manager in your industry, then I can help you. Simply email or DM me and we’ll start mapping out the next steps in your progression.
If you have any questions or like to know more, please visit my website at: thinkitplanitdoitnow.com or email me on anthony@anthonyffrancis.com
Did you know according to a 2016 Bain & Company survey of 250 large companies, only 12% of change projects achieve or exceed their outcomes. A further 38% produce less than half their expected outcomes. The final 50% settle for a significant dilution of results. In other words, seven out of eight change initiatives FAIL!
So what can be done about it? I have listed below 5 reasons why projects fail, and more importantly what you can do as Project Manager to make sure it doesn’t happen to you, so your project is a success.
It may sound obvious, and it is but there is no way in knowing whether a project has been a success when you aren’t completely sure what you’re trying to accomplish in the first place and why? Before the project starts there are three questions that must be asked: 1. What is the project trying to achieve and why? 2. For whom is it for? and 3. How will you measure its success? Without establishing these fundamentals your project is already on a path to fail.
It was Benjamin Franklin who said “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Without a proper plan of execution, then achieving project goals can be both overwhelming and challenging even for the most experienced project manager and team. The planning phase not only helps to secure buy-in from stakeholders but also from the project team itself. In addition, Before commencing a project, it is important to look at all angles including uncertainties and eventualities that are unforeseen. As giving thought to the fact that things could go wrong allows you to create contingency plans for dealing with and mitigating for unexpected risks.
The purpose of a project communication plan is to provide the blueprint for communication processes during your project. The plan is more than just providing a status of work, it helps provide the right information to the right person at the right time in a format that works for everyone. Without such a communication plan, it is very likely your team will struggle to understand the objectives of the project and their roles in achieving its success. A lack of poor communication can have a domino effect that ultimately results in project failure.
Imagine paying millions of pounds to implement a new finance system in your organisation, only to find out that the people who will be using it either don’t like it, find it too complicated, or wasn’t consulted in the first place therefore leaving the project in limbo. This may sound far-fetched, but is sadly all too common when ‘user engagement’ is either underestimated or completely forgotten. It should not be forgotten that if the success of a project is directly linked to those who are going to use and benefit from it, that they are the ones who form part of your initial discussions, testing, and user experience before it goes ‘live’.
It all starts with a simple customer request to add an item here, a brilliant idea to expand and improve the service there, and before you know it you have moved into what is commonly known as Scope Creep. An area in which you have added additional project activity that was not originally agreed, costed or approved. This may also be as a result of the parameters of the project not being well-defined from the outset. Either way, this is why it’s so important to have a clear responsibility over the scope and control as Project Manager, despite how innocent at first it may seems to add additional activities.
What to do next ?
If you’re ready to level up your skills and achieve your full potential as a Project Manager in your industry then I can help you. Simply email or DM me and we’ll start mapping out the next steps in your progression.
If you have any questions or like to know more, please visit my website at www.thinkitplanitdoitnow.com or email me on anthony@anthonyffrancis.com
Managing a project as a Project Manager is a challenging undertaking. It requires several skills that don’t fit all people. To help provide an insight into this I have listed below the 5 skills I believe a Project Manager needs for success.
1. Strategic Planning Skills. A strategic plan defines a project’s goals, visions, and missions. As a project manager you need to understand the long-term objectives of the project, aligning and scheduling present and future work as well and mitigating for risks.
2. Decision-Making Skills. For a project manager decision making skills can be the difference in making a choice that improves your project or causes it to fail. It is therefore vital that you have the aptitude to make decisions which portrays your ability to think objectively and relates concepts to the goals you’re trying to reach.
3. Negotiation Skills. A project manager is that person in a project who negotiates with all different stakeholders daily to bring the best possible result for the business. This will typically involve negotiation agreements with the stakeholders, team members and project partners. Therefore it’s vital that you are able to analyse, strategise, persuade, and communicate effectively.
4. Communication Skills. For a Project Manager communication is another key to ensuring the project becomes a success. Whether it concerns delivering business goals to team members or having a one-on-one conversation. Being a good listener, speaking clearly, and concisely, asking relevant questions are all essential for project management success.
5. People Management Skills. People management skills also known as soft skills, are the skills that can determine how your team, your management and project partners will interact with you. They will help to manage conflict, motivate your team, improve morale and increase productivity. You are going to work closely with many individuals who have completely different personalities, so it’s important to find an approach to each one of them without losing the bigger picture of the project.
Want To Know More?
With over 20 years Project Management Experience, I provide Coaching & Mentoring to both new and experienced Project Managers who are looking to further develop and enhance their Project Management Skills. If you would like to know more contact me via my website www.thinkitplanitdoitnow.com.
Building A Project Team
It is fair to say that one on the most important tasks for a Project Manager is to build and maintain a dynamic team. It is likely that if you can put together a solid team environment in which you have established a positive identity, based on relevant skills, knowledge, contacts and personality, then this would help to reduce the amount of effort and time it takes to manage them.
To help in this I have created a simple Project Manager Check List, which will allow 5 Key Questions to be answered, to help in building a project team.
Project Manager Checklist
The above will be the start in 1. Putting the team together, 2. Getting the project started, and 3. Developing a team identity.
Want To Know More?
With over 20 years Project Management Experience, I provide Coaching & Mentoring to both new and experienced Project Managers who are looking to further develop and enhance their Project Management Skills. If you would like to know more contact me via my website www.thinkitplanitdoitnow.com.