I spend a lot of time working in project teams creating a sense of urgency and ownership but if things start going really badly, that is when I need to make sure there is controlled reflection - avoiding panic in a crisis is vital. Even with the best plans and risk management in place, the “unknown unknowns” or low probability high impact risks occasionally happen.

I admit my first reaction is sometimes to “get going” but with years of practice, I have come to recognise this as the need to “do something!”.  Even if that is only to express my frustration or ask for more information. I’m told I tend to talk faster in these moments – a pointer to it being a reaction and not a response (everyone has their own clue; get to know your own warning signs.).

I rarely send emails at this point – except quick notes like “things aren’t going to plan with X. We may have an issue. I’m investigating. Can we schedule a conference call at 3pm for a 15 minute update? There is an appointment in your diary.” instead of voicemail if that senior stakeholder prefers email.  My senior stakeholders need to know the project may need their action or experience.

It is worth remembering that senior stakeholders may also have the urge to “do something” or to argue that something be done now. What must be done is an analysis of the next best steps and a plan to make those things happen.

Soon experience takes over and then I really start to act. The first action is to get the team together and make everyone take a slow deep breath. Rushing to conclusions now will not help. So get their brains working with some extra oxygen and team work.

Look at the real situation: not where the first reports suggest. It feels like a disaster in the first few minutes but that is rarely the case. In the project there will be somethings that are a success: what is salvageable and must we need to fix? This context makes the problem look smaller and will give clues about how define what you need to do.

Look closely at what happened. Define the problem in a way that shows the causes and allows a solution (or at least things we can do) to emerge.  Think about the resource available and what do they need to make that solution happen? Often you’ll have all you need if you look past the assumptions made about the team when the project started – they have other talents too. Is there anything in the risk management contingency planning that will help? Who do we need to engage and motivate? What barriers need removing so we can make progress?

Pause and ask: is it worth doing? Or should we salvage what we can, close the project and regroup for the next opportunity?

Now for action. What else do we need to get done at the same time to keep the project on track? What can be left for another time? How do we define these priorities? What impacts will these decisions have and who should we talk with? Make a plan for what, who, how and how to communicate.

With the plans for work, resources and communications for the actions you need to take, decide what adds most value or prevents most loss. Plan how you will work on that plan in small chunks of time that reflects the urgency and the size of the tasks. Get agreement for this plan from the senior stakeholders and act together with determination.

Now do what can be achieved hour by hour,  day by day. It won’t always be a smooth ride. At the end of each chunk of time, check your progress and act to adjust your plan for the next chunk of time. Keep the senior stakeholders updated and everyone who is affected by the changes informed.

Hopefully,  the surprise will have opened opportunities for the team to have an unexpected success.  When they have that success, celebrate it!

Finally, make sure that you hold a retrospective review and learn about the good things the surprise made you do and things that could be done better in the future.

The future is by definition uncertain. However we can often follow what “normal” means. However we must state what we mean by “normal” because that can change. The plot of  Downton Abbey shows how “normal” can change dramatically for one organisation (a fictional family and their extended household) over the period of a  some months. “Normal” for business and civil service organisations can change just as quickly and how people adjust can be almost as entertaining: especially if, unlike those at Downton, they seem completely unaware that their world has changed.

What isn’t entertaining is to discover that the assumptions your project used as a planning base have stopped being “normal”. Especially, if “normal” is held with the quality of certainty.  This could be true from big assumptions (there will not be a war that conscripts our young managers) to more detailed assumptions made about the requirements or products.

How big is a metre? In Europe, there is some considerable certainty about what that measurement means but look at how often it has changed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Prototype_Meter  If you and I were working on a project without a standard metre ruler but we assumed a meter was a metre would it matter? I can almost guarantee that my wooden metre ruler changes a little between winter and summer or dry and damp conditions. Your metre ruler from a different manufacturer or made from a differnt material (metal) will behave differently. Sometimes those fractions will make a real difference and sometimes they won’t. Do our assumptions have some associated checks (a common calibration method) and balances (risk management actions to cope with  or tolerances)

A yard is even more complicated a matter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yard Now for most things, a yard that I talk about is the yard you are talking about. But if we state the assumption we can re-examine it later: it pays to know where the sources of unclear plans or requirements could float to the service like sea-mines. Even assumptions about the meaning of terms can cause confusion and delay. If the requirement is for a “yard stick” do we mean a long ruler to measure a yard’s distance or a stick that is placed in the back yard (rear garden)? If we assume one but the requirement is for another, we will cause rework and delays.

What else have we assumed? All the team have a valid passport and the right to work were we plan to send them? Is the customer’s green is the same colour as the green paint we bought?  Assumptions can hide ambiguity and the discipline of being able to state your assumptions can show where more effort is needed to resolve ambiguity or uncertainty,  where risks may be hiding or is specific assumptions need to be monitored closely.

Project teams that fail often blame “unclear this or that” after the event - so clarity about assumptions may increase your chances of success.

I spend a lot of time in London and the pre-Olympic theme in many places has lulled me into a dream-like state of it already being 2012. Now it really is 2012. That got my attention: something has changed and yet nothing has changed.

Christmas was also a reminder of the truth behind “culture shock”. I hear change specialist worrying about culture shock for big changes in organisations or moving teams to new locations. However, the biggest shocks I see are when people arrive somewhere after being away. How many of us expected our parents to be the same with other children as they were with us or return “home” after a long trip  expecting to be treated to the same reception as we used to get only to find things have changed? We may have changed but so has own old home and the people in it. The behaviour is not what they expect it to be. That can grab our attention too.

That grabbing of attention makes me stand still for a moment to work out where I am,  what I expected and how to reset my expectations to deal with the reality.  That is fine if I have that time to spare.  If my project doesn’t have that time, I need to be better prepared.

In projects, you can prepare people and help them be ready for a change but if that change doesn’t meet their expectation then there will be a shock. Managing stakeholder expectations of the changes your project plans to make needs to include two-way communication to discover what they think it will be like and correct any misunderstandings. It is an area of change that, with a little more understanding of the people concerned, can show lasting results.  A little research will uncover assumptions and associated risks.

My new year wish for project managers is that your people are healthy in terms of change, your projects are wealthy or at least appropriately resourced, and you grow wise in terms of risk management.

Happy New Year

The first event was a gathering of about 40 people. The discussion was wide ranging and through 2 hours we discussed the issues around a big topic in short sessions in 2s or 3s, groups of 8 or 10, or leader facilitated plenary. It had a consistent theme of “what can you do about this intractable and complex problem, how will that benefit everyone round you and how will it help you?” no one session was long enough to solve anything but we all understood the situation a little better. At the end we were asked to scribble down a list of 2 or 3 small specific and immediate actions we committed to do with the understanding that we’d get email reminders from the facilitator. The potential progress before we meet again in a few months could be incredible – lots of small solutions motivated by the individual’s own needs which when combined would make the problem a considerably smaller issue. We won’t solve it but the interaction of all those small changes could be significant.

The second was an event with an expert speaker at a comfortable venue with no projection equipment. I found I was watching the speaker and that helped me to listen more effectively. While I had heard the information before, I was hearing shades of meaning that I missed last time round. As a presenter, recognise that your visual aids should help your audience,not distract them.

Finally, I had a Friday evening speaking engagement at Southampton Solent University for BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) at a local branch and Quality specialist group combined meeting. I usually have a lecture hall for these meetings and deliver from a stage but this was a smaller group and we sat down to a large round table discussion. We recognised how things had changed, how everyone round the table had different insights, and that we could learn from each other. I had the agenda I would have used for PowerPoints beside me and yes, as presenter, I did more talking than anyone else. Fascinatingly, I noticed how energised my audience was as they left the room. There was something in allowing them to participate beyond the question and answer session that changed how they felt. There are times when that engagement can change the nature of stakeholder support.

So next time you have a presentation to make, check with yourself: do I really need PowerPoint?

The debate about introducing a new qualification before completing a review of the system (http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news/ebac-report-substantive/) is beginning to look like someone with power was making a big decision based on opinion and a perceived need to act quickly and not a more objective view - and after a few weeks the situation looks starkly different.

Sometimes, a manager must make a fast decision based on the information available because there is no time left to contemplate. However, often waiting for your team to give more information or think of alternative can mean a better decision. Action is vital when a project hits a problem but panic reactions and instinctive firefighting can lead to more trouble.  Unfortunately, that a problem has been found can build a desire to take decisive action fast.

I was in the meeting when Joe (the project manager) realised that his team had discovered something that was going to put him wildly over schedule and put a huge hole in his project budget. We talked about how he could calmly take this forward and rescue best value from the project for the stakeholders. He had some ideas but realised he needed more information from the team and had to test out some potential solutions.

He had a real sense of urgency about him when I left that meeting: he was telling his team that they must get all the work they had in hand to a sensible point to leave for a few days. The project team would need time to work on what to do about this issue. They agreed a good place to start was a workshop about the facts of the problem before they left that evening.

I knew Joe had a regular lunch meeting booked with the Mark (the senior manager responsible for the project) the next day. That seemed like a good opportunity to talk about the issue, bring some early information and ideas, and ask for support and guidance from Mark. It all sounded like a plan to get to a new plan.

I went on a business trip for a few days. When I got back, I could only wonder at what had happened.

The project team were running in various directions with panic written across their faces, Joe looked downtrodden and Mark appeared to be the new project manager issuing instructions to everyone but there was no sign of a plan.  Everyone was in firefighting mode but without the calm disciplined approach I know trained firefighters have. That didn’t seem to be an improvement.

I had a quiet coffee with the very stressed Rob (PMO consultant assigned to the project) and got the story. Joe had done all the things he and I had discussed. The team had defined the problem sensibly and had some ideas that might work but these were not complete before lunch with Mark.  Once Mark had heard the details of the problem he quickly knew how important it was.

However, just as Joe was about to discuss his ideas and plan, Mark got a phone call from his boss who demanded why he hadn’t taken change of the problem as 24 hours had already passed.  How the boss knew about the problem we never found out but Mark’s expression changed as he was berated and he was heard to say “I am already on it … I’m meeting with Joe now … I am confident we can find a way to satisfy this customer …of course I’ll take charge myself”. Now Joe and Mark are both trapped in a senior manager’s “Just Get On With It” pronouncement from afar.

Mark saw Rob and I return from our meeting and called us into his office. That at least gave the project team some respite. Sometimes, I just say the wrong things: “I see the solution to the issue isn’t progressing well - what does your plan look like?” After Mark described his frustrations for about 10 minutes, Rob started to relax and there was silence. What now? The only thing I could say was, “why don’t we call Joe in and see how far we’ve really progressed and what ideas his team has now?”

By the end of the day, we concluded that

•  all the activity had made some progress but not as much as we could have done,
• we had learnt some lessons and gained some valuable insights into the solution,
• we could see a logical plan to solve the issue by the end of the next day,
•  Mark was paying for the team dinner that night as they agreed to work late to make up the time he’d lost.

That dinner was considerably more elegant than the pizza the project budget might normally have yielded. The team was as good as their word and produced the solution the next day. They also had some other ideas which improved the project as a whole, made money for the organisation and delighted the customer.

Will the education debate end so happily? I do hope so. When I think of that team, they were all very intelligent and able – partly thanks to their education.

Today’s show tells me that all the thinks the geeks were chatting about over lunch in 2000 (like Bill Gates home or the latest Phillips lab demo) are now mass market. You can have a house build to the best eco standards and have integrated home cinema projection units, TV’s wider than the wall in my first flat, wireless sound, video and security. All with the wires and switches hidden in single remote or wall switches. You can even have a flatscreen TV in the hall that shows you your security cameras view but switches when the doorbell rings to display a high quality film of a fish tank nicely framed into the wall. Some members of my family have wanted to watch TV in the bath – I won’t show them the one with a glass mosaic surround.

A friend’s husband has just built himself a shed. The way to keep him happy there would be to get him the so very realistic indoor golf kit – just like the simulators in the amusement parks. He could play with family across the internet or just try out a new course anywhere in the world.

To keep me happy, I want more variety. 3D TV still needs me to wear glasses but it is improving each year. I could get myself a new docking station and have a flush wall mounted IPad in my office or a wall mount, a custom coded house control app and flat wireless speakers.

For me the highlight of the launches was a simple iPad mounting gadget – a music stand that will safely hold my iPad. Why didn’t I think of that? Of course, not all iPad users are musician but they do use the technology they have in as many ways as they are individuals. Music stand becomes recipe book holder, iPad baby mobile stand, or speakers’ lectern. For those of us who are developing an iPad-lifter-arm, there is now an app for that too! (www.ratstands.com

Back to the office for a conference call in a meeting room with a phone line but no phone and poor mobile cell reception. Frustration! As a project manager often finds, making do with the equipment in the temporary office isn’t always fun and the budget doesn’t always stretch to a refurbishment. The Revolabs FLX teleconferencing system (www.revolabs.com) I saw at the show would be ok in a large brief case as a portable meeting room conference phone kit. Encrypted and wireless it only needs power and a phone line: no more trailing cables. Time to start a new equipment wish list.

Those interminable team meetings with senior managers where all the project managers are gathered and one by one are subjected to an inquisition about the state of their project is likely to waste a huge amount of time. This time costs money and wastes opportunities. They are demotivating because they take the project manager away from the project she is responsible for delivering.

At the other end of the scale, some project managers avoid meetings entirely. This risks stakeholders becoming ill-informed or uninvolved. It makes it difficult for the team to understand what is happening around them. Relationships are not built with senior management that could move the project forward. There is little visibility of the project in the wider organisation. The meetings that could help the project manager be informed about other projects or initiatives and opportunities for cooperation are missed.

Is there a cure for both of these ills?

Well the best I can come up with is a checklist:

• What is the purpose of the meeting and does the agenda reflect that?
• What do we want to get out of this meeting and how will that take the project forward?
• Do we really need all these people here: why is each person there and is that a complete list of everyone we need for that purpose?
• Are the people representing each group sufficiently senior or technical enough to make any decisions we are asking of them (to avoid repeating the meeting with the decision maker)?
• If people are there so they can be informed, is there another way to inform them without them losing the detail they need?
• Who will not be involved or informed if we don’t run the meeting and why does that matter?
• Who is making the arrangements to make the meeting happen on time?
• If we can’t get everyone we need to the meeting, do we cancel (or postpone) and what will be the consequences?
• Who is chairing to keep the meeting to the agenda and to get the results in the time available?
• Who is doing the followup work and recording the results?
• Is that the right person to get it done quickly, accurately, efficiently and to the correct audience in such a way that they can act on the information?
• How much is it going to cost the organisation to run this meeting (travel, facilities and everyone’s time; preparation, meeting and followup tasks) and is that value for money?
• What is the cost to the project if we don’t run this meeting?
• What will be the impact on the organisation if we don’t run this meeting?

Usually, I don’t like checklists because there is a tendency for people to stop thinking and follow a bureaucratic pathway when we need people to be mindful of what they are doing. I hope this one does help people think about the things they need and if they need the meeting at all.

Please add your ideas and comments if you are a #pmot (project manager on Twitter). What works for you?

Before you start tweeting about your project, double check your organisation’s computer use and media policies. Some organisations have very good reasons why the information that goes outside is controlled. Posting on Twitter is as effective at reaching the press as telephoning your local reporter. The press use Twitter heavily. If your organisation has a reason to centralise communication, don’t use Twitter for business specific news, keep your tweets to personal opinion and skills and be careful that what you post cannot be directly linked to an event in your project.

My client organisations know that I will write about some things happening in their projects in my blogs. I won’t write a blog or tweet about an poor performance in any way that could be traced back to them. I can share the experience. However, if I am working with one organisation for a longer period, the likelihood is that the association between event and client can be made – like an employee, sometimes can’t post something that would be useful or insightful because the organisation’s best interest must come first.

It might make sense to have a team Twitter account that only the team can follow but be aware of what you post: like having a team meeting in a coffee shop, you can’t always be 100% open because you don’t know who else is listening.

If your project has an open account, remember that you are telling the world: you may need to think a little about the long term stakeholder impact of pressing send. While you want your account to help you communicate, you need that communication to be a positive for you and your project especially if it is bad news. The impression the project gives is what you post.

One great example of a tweet about a bad day on a project came from Kent Beck about an Agile project he is working on: “After 5 errors in one file I’m reverting it & starting over tomorrow. I was clearly not smart enough to do it today.” That says so much about that project: It might be a tough challenge but quality of the work is important and they strive for it. The next day, Kent posted an update about his success with the problem, recognising that some of his followers would be deeply interested in his success.

That example is also good for the biggest lesson of Twitter: be you, as you are on a good (or at least OK) day. Every tweet should reflect your personality but must also consider your audience.

Whining, moaning and bad mouthing might feel like a release at the time but on Twitter, a word typed in anger is there for the world to see. Many celebrities posted about their disappointment at not being able to attend the royal wedding, the ones with messages like “good luck to the happy couple, sorry I can’t celebrate with you on the day” were not scorned but those who tweeted “how can they invite the Beckhams but not me?” were pounced upon by the press as self serving and got a much rougher ride. A similar reaction might happen if a project manager complained that another project got resources before his.

Deleting tweets does not remove them from history: while you can’t see them on Twitter.com, other tools and apps that can be used to tweet will still display them. Think before you press send. One project manager posted that users and other stakeholders were giving him a bad time about the project. The tweets in reply were summarised by one: “you got it wrong. we relied on you. why are you so special we should treat you different? Grow up and fix it. FAST!” ideally, that conversation should have been held privately if it had to be had at all. Having it on Twitter compounded the problem.

Announce progress, get more participation in an event or call for feedback using hash tags. This will allow those associated with it to add more comments and you to track them. Use Twitter as a communication channel with those stakeholders who are there with you. You may find that you want to include Twitter as an interactive channel in your communication plan.

Try searching for answers to things you want to know about. More than once I have been lucky enough to stumble across a tweet by a leading expert on a topic that gave me an answer I needed.

Enjoy tweeting – you never know who you might exchange ideas with or be inspired by at this noisy party.

Hash tags are seen as a mystery but are really simple ways of finding those people who are interested in them same thing. They start with a hash symbol # followed by a word or a group of words without any spaces between them. This is then included in the 140 character messages. Anyone can create a hashtag, encourage the world to use it and then search to see the results.

TV programme fans tweet their comments about what is happening on screen while it is happening using hash tags. Organisations will also tweet about their involvement in a programme before and while it is on. Live concerts and events will have similar tweets and can have live reviews from those people there.

People at conferences can share information, record useful quotes or insights. #pmosig is the hash tag used at a series of conferences (usually twice a year) by the PMO special interest group. If you search that tag while it is on, you will get a stream of reviews an quotes from keynote speakers.

Product launches have been accompanied by tweeted previews, reviews, experiences and opinions #iPad2 was used from the start of the rumours about a new product by industry insiders, press and fans. Early reviews could be found within minutes of the press embargo being lifted because of tweet announcements that contained URL links. After the launch, fans made comments about the queues to buy the iPad 2 and their first impressions.

Tweets about a company can be really useful in a project to find out what is happening and these will often have hash tags included in the tweet. Some companies actively ask their customers to use their hash tag to talk about experiences of the company, good and bad, so they get real information about their market.

Tweets aimed at a group of people who may or may not follow you use hash tags too: #pmot is used to get the attention of “project managers on Twitter” for announcements, networking or to draw attention to news of interest.

Use Twitter to have a virtual meeting to discuss a topic with interested professionals: #ocpractitioners is the hash tag used for a group of organisational change professionals to discuss an issue in their area of practice. They announce a time slot a few weeks in advance using Twitter, emails, a LinkedIn group and other communication routes. A “host” is nominated to make sure the discussion stays on topic. Those who can’t be there sometimes post tweets early to start the discussion with their thoughts and then add comments after. Those participating set up a search for the hash tag #ocpractitioners to watch for tweets from others. They add their own comments including #ocpractitioners in the text so that it included in the search. 24 hours later, after participants and others have had some time to reflect and add final comments, the host saves the search results to a document which is posted on a web site for those interested to read later. The resulting report from these virtual conferences can be as good as any international symposium of experts but without the time commitment and the travel bill.

Those involved in other events and news can have information identified so news service can report them. The royal wedding in London and the revolutions in North Africa are obvious examples but this also happens for major business news events too. If Warren Buffet comments on the USA economy he will be quoted on Twitter by someone there and reported across the world within minutes.

Tweetups or flash mobs are real life meetings arranged through Twitter. The tweetup is generally a social for local tweeters: picnics, coffee shop or bar gatherings. The flash mob has more purpose and involves active participation, e.g. a protest, dancing in a public place, a product launch event or a litter pick. The date, place, time and any other instructions will be tweeted by the organiser, their followers will retweet it and so on. An organised crowd can be generated very quickly through this.

Twitter was started by some friends who wanted to tell each other what was happening. As others joined, habits and traditions started.

As part of their friday routine, some users would review the contributions made and those who had joined that week. Follow Friday was created. The #ff hash tag is used to suggest to your followers who they might follow and why e.g. “#ff @fixing_projects blogs on project management” or “welcome more-than-a-gameshow-host @stephenfry to Twitter #followfriday” Recently, automation and misunderstanding has made this less useful as some accounts indiscriminately post follow friday messages for all their new followers as a list of names without comment. However, if you discover someone useful or insightful on twitter tell your followers with a Follow Friday mention.

Like #ff the tradition of acknowledging someone joining or following you is well established. The debated point is how: should your thank you or greeting be a public tweet or is a direct personal message more appropriate? It depends on what the greeting or thank you is for. The best way to decide is to ask the question, do all my followers need to hear this? A direct message will only go to the person concerned, so there must be something worth shouting about to send the message to everyone.

Retweets are simply passing on an interesting tweet to those who follow you. It is as natural as retelling a story you heard but quicker – two clicks of a mouse will send the message. A retweet tells the person who sent that tweet that you found their comment worthwhile and you are paying attention to what they say. It also tells your followers that you think they should see that tweet because it adds value to the information stream. It is worth remembering that not all information published on Twitter can be substantiated. Retweeting a rumour could damage your reputation for giving good information to your followers. Re-tweet with enthusiasm and care.

Responding to news is an implicit part of tweeting. You will get some news announced first on Twitter. Organisations and individuals use Twitter to announce the posting of news on their websites, fresh blog postings (a tweet will announce this blog publication) or comment on things happening to them. World events can be scooped by a Twitter user spotting something happening and posting a tweet. Comment on it if you feel inspired too. Congratulation, encouragement, condolences or remembrances are part of the Twitter stream.

Following people who follow you is a habit advocated by some. Others exercise more choice about who they follow: only those who give them useful information. Is that a way of saying that you are not interested in your followers? No: it is a recognition that your tweets inform your followers but only some of your followers will tweet things you are interested in.

Letting people know what you are doing is what Twitter is about. Some post about their latest blog entry, others about their planned events, what they are witnessing and others what they have for their breakfast. Getting the balance right so that your tweets add value to the stream of tweets while not being bland is something every Twitterer has to work through. How interested are your followers in your blog, product launch, the conference you are at or your breakfast? Their interest level should guide your choice of what to tweet and what you keep to yourself.