More Love, Less War: The Value of L.O.V.E. in Project Management

1. More L.O.V.E., Less W.A.R. Ralph L. Kliem, PMP Puget Sound PMI Presentation May 14, 2007

2. Objectives • Purpose • Some Statistics • More about (using a scenario): • Listening • Observing • Verifying • Executing • Final Thoughts

3. Purpose • Explain the value of L.O.V.E. over W.A.R. • Provide insights on L.O.V.E. from a project manager’s perspective

4. BULL Study • Study of Information Technology (IT) managers • Bad communications between relevant parties accounted for 57% of project failures Source: PM Network, September 2005

5. Study by Vital Smarts • Global study of 10,000 projects at Fortune 500 firms by Vital Smarts • 70% of failed projects were unsuccessful because people did not say anything when something went wrong Source: Speak Up, PM Network, October 2006

6. Study by Vital Smarts, continued Source: Speak Up, PM Network, October 2006

7. According to PMI… • Source: PM Network, September 2006

8. The Great Irony… • Project managers spend 90% of their time communicating • Yet, projects are beset with communications problems. • They often fall into W.A.R. (Whining, Agonizing, Reacting). • What is the solution?

9. L.O.V.E. • Listen • Observe • Verify • Execute

10. The L.O.V.E. Formula Listen + Observe + Verify + Execute = Good Communication

11. Program Project Team Person L.O.V.E. Works on All Levels W.A.R. W.A.R. L.O.V.E.

12. Typical Project Manager Scenario • You have been assigned a project. • Up to now, no schedule has been developed, not even a milestone chart. • Previous attempts have failed for all sorts of reasons. • Management wants you to develop an integrated schedule, ASAP. Lucky Project Manager

13. Listen When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. - Ernest Hemingway • Paying attention to what others are saying • Requires: • Using good listening, not just hearing, skills • Understanding different perspectives and ascertaining what is said

14. Listen – Challenges Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. - Winston Churchill • Do all the talking • Have all the answers • Have selective hearing • Being influenced by prior comments • Become distracted

15. Listen – Key Points Leadership to me means duty, honor, country. It means character, and it means listening from time to time. - George W. Bush • Listen with your eyes as well as your ears • Recognize that listening is a science and an art • Show genuine attention • Use effective and active listening as a learning experience • Empathize, not sympathize

16. Observe The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. - George Bernard Shaw • Looking at an activity that is actually occurring, not relying on what was said • Observing actions of people and seeing what is exhibited • Perception vs. Reality

17. Observe – Significant Challenges I couldn't tell if the streaker was a man or a woman because it had a bag on it's head. – Yogi Berra • Lack of Preparation • Selective Observation • Myopia • Superficiality • Jumping to Conclusions

18. Observe – Key Points In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur • Do your research - first • Balance big and little pictures • Take a systemic perspective • Recognize the existence of the visible and the invisible • Keep an open mind by setting aside preferences and prejudices

19. Verify Trust but verify. - Ronald Reagan • Testing what you observed • Requires: • Asking additional questions of others to ensure that the distinction between assumptions and facts and data • A willingness to change your perceptions and conclusions based upon what you now know

20. Verify – Significant Challenges Reporters no longer ask for verification, thus they print charges no matter how outlandish they may seem, and once having done that, when the truth comes out, it's buried in the back page or never makes it on the air at all. - Dixie Lee Ray • Influencing the results • Lack of self-awareness • Lack of objectivity • No forethought • Insufficient sampling

21. Verify – Key Points The ability to admit ignorance or mistaken assumptions is indeed a sign of wisdom, and most individuals in the midst of complex situations are not, or not yet, wise. – Dietrich Dorner • Prepare in advance • Maintain independence and objectivity • Use whole brain thinking • Be persistent • Be willing to start over

22. Execute I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true. - Walt Disney • Taking action by employing the most appropriate actions • Becoming proactive

23. Execute – Significant Challenges The man who gets the most satisfactory results is not always the man with the most brilliant single mind, but rather the man who can best coordinate the brains and talents of his associates.- W. Alton Jones • No structure • No focus on goals & objectives • No participation • No follow up on results • Perfection

24. Execute – Key Points Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. - Salvador Dali • Focus on goals and objectives • Set priorities • Be adept at adaptation • Consider the heart as well as the head • Communicate with the ears as well as the mouth

25. Final Thoughts I want to thank all those who made this night necessary.– Yogi Berra L.O.V.E. E=MC2