I’m really disappointed that, for the second week in a row, a key communications meeting was canceled. Though I review the slide deck hours before the meeting, I look forward to the interaction with everyone. I’m sure some across the table from me don’t agree. Some may be relieved they don’t need to look me in the eye and answer questions from me or my colleagues. Unfortunately, regardless if it temporarily relieves their anxiety, it just complicates matters in the long run. You can’t get all of the information you need from a PowerPoint slide deck. You need to read body language and engage with people. In an age of PowerPoint slide decks, conference calls, and Go-To-Meetings, there is still a need to interact with people one-on-one.
Do you want a better relationship with a customer, vendor, or colleague? Then talk to them! Get your butt out of that chair, walk down the hall, drive across town, and engage them. Though you may actually have a need to talk to them about a given subject, take a moment and try to interact with them on some topic other than business. We’re all human. Reach out and communicate!
My analogy is like bringing your wife (or loved-one) flowers (or some other gift). Don’t bring do it because of a birthday, an anniversary, or some other holiday. They expect that. Bring the gift because it’s Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or because you thought of something that reminded you of them. Now, realize that gift is communication.
My first exposure to the PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification was several years ago when I was dealing with a stakeholder over at National Institutes of Health (NIH). Though I had worked in technical consulting before, I hadn’t worked strictly as a PM until this point. I remember seeing this stakeholder had this “PMP” at the end of her name and I also recall how she was horrible to deal with. She was demanding, rude, and exhibited no control over what she did. In retrospect, she didn’t follow the PMBoK at all. My boss at the time made things very clear to me. He said talk to her a lot. She liked to feel important and in charge. I didn’t have formal PM training at the time so I treated her like I would any customer. I was polite and engaged her, listening to not just her needs but her wants. Wow did she had a lot of wants.
Oh did I say I wanted that button in blue? That’s not the blue I wanted. Be specific? Bluer then that. Make it bluer than that but not too blue. No, I won’t sign a change request. Just do it.
I tried to understand her motivations. But let’s face it, sometime people are just miserable and mean and you have just let it go. Because she had a PMP credential, she was suddenly justified in her actions. I compare this with the age old question, “What do you call the people who graduate last in their medical-school class? That answer is “Doctor”.
This person clearly was hiding behind her credential. As far as I was concerned, she gamed the system. She passed the test but didn’t learn the lessons. That’s not how I operate. But, I saw the trend. The PMP was getting the hype from stakeholders and hiring managers. It suggests a PMP is a prerequisite to being able to manage a project.
My motivation was different from this “paper” PMP and many others I’ve met since. I wanted to be a great project manager. I wanted to create things and solve problems. I wanted to be both disciplined and personal. So, I studied and studied, with the hope of becoming a PMP and I did it. For those out there who think they can go get the certification and be great project managers, think again. That’s like saying all great cooks are great chefs. They aren’t! Great cooks can follow directions. Great chefs can create something remarkable out of whatever they are given. Just because you’ve been to culinary school doesn’t make you a great chef. If you don’t have that creativity and passion, it’s just not going to happen.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not so arrogant that I think I am a great project manager. I am merely a student of project management who wishes to refine his craft and teach others to do it as well. If you think getting the PMP is what you’ll need to be taken seriously, do what you have to do. I don’t write the rule book. I just try to play the game the best I can. If I can help others out there, I will.
This post was inspired by Geoff Crane and the comment he made here on The Critical Path.
Every month I get a copy of PMI Today and I annotate 3 data points: New PMPs for the month, New PMPs YTD, and Total PMPs. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see PMI is certifying a volume of PMPs with no end it sight. In January, there were 3,714 new PMPs. Since they’ve only reported January (2010) numbers, YTD totals match. What is the shocker is the total number of PMPs. We’re looking at 367,619, up from 361,238 in December. That’s right, numbers are up overall 6,381 in one month.
I did a quick compare to January of last year. The overall total of PMPs is up by 45,369 in 12 months. Average that out and you’re looking at 3,780 a month.
Some of you out there with other credentials curse the PMP®. I have to admit, some of the worst project managers I have EVER met, were PMPs. I guess the same could be said for any profession. Certifications don’t guarantee quality, but like it or not, a lot of people drank the Kool-Aid. If you want to exceed in project management, many of you find yourself going after one certification or another.
I do think there is merit in the PMP certification, though I would feel more comfortable if I thought PMI wasn’t in it for the money. That’s kind of hypocritical of me, since I do make money in the support of the PMP certification. My prediction of 2010 is PMI will hit 400,000 PMPs by June and close to 450,000 by year end.
Though not all of these current 367,619 PMPs are currently PMI membership holders, if they were (at $119 each) you’d be looking at $43,746,661 in annual membership fees.
Isn’t math fun!?
Due to working crazy off hours in preparation for my v1.0 launch, I not only forgot to do a week in review on the 20th, I also missed meeting my writing commitment on the 24th and 25th. Whatever the excuses, I was feeling a little burned out. I have to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. Writing a daily blog takes a lot of discipline. Though I have so much to say, it can escape me if I don’t get the idea captured quickly. Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s almost March. At least there should be viewer posts about snow removal.
2/26/2010
I had mild chest and shoulder pains this morning. I am in the ER waiting to see the doctor. I’ll let you know the outcome and my status shortly…
2/23/2010
There are many templates and means to ensure your project meets the requirements. But I can’t stress enough how important it is to ensure you’re working to satisfy the requirements (or scope) first…
2/22/2010
Have you ever stuck your neck out and get no support? Did the trust among that team start to break down? I’ve seen it happen first hand and Geoff Crane wrote an awesome post over at Papercut Edge about it…
2/21/2010
This post is in response to a post written by Jennifer Bedell on the PMStudent blog about goldplating. Goldplating is very common in application development and can be very expensive…
2/20/2010
I was asked a very interesting question today, requiring me to stop and think. How do I believe being an entrepreneur and a business owner differ? It’s a very good question because…
2/19/2010
While sitting in a governance meeting the other day, I heard how (before I joined the team) a vendor brought in some high paid six sigma black belts to…
2/18/2010
I was informed I am the winner of the very first Freedom of Speech February (FOSF) giveaway from How to Manage a Camel. My comments last week on a blog post by Gary Holmes earned me a free copy of the Method123 Project Management Methodology (MPMM™) Professional from their partners at Method123…
2/17/2010
As my startup project is creeping ever so closer to its closure and the actual launch of the product happens, I’m feverishly completing activities late into the night. It’s not easy working crazy hours to get this done. My family goes to bed, I drink a pot of coffee, and get to work…
2/16/2010
…Based on the telephone conversation I had, if you’ve worked as a PM for at least 6 months, you can claim 5 PDUs. Otherwise, if you are able to say you spend more than 1,500 hours per calendar year in that roll, you also qualify to claim the 5 PDUs…
2/15/2010
I just wrapped up a week long logo design project at 99Designs, with an intellectual property transfer agreement. Flash back to August 2009, when I was watching Episode 13 of This Week in Startups…
Project Management | Derek Huether | February 28, 2010 | 
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Apathy, Camel, Comments, Goldplating, Kaizen, Launch, Leader, Manager, Method123, Needs, Owner, PDU, Perspective, PMI, product, Scope, Startup, TWiST, Wants
The last few weeks I’ve been focusing on numerous things. I’ve been working 3-4 hours a night, preparing to launch a product to the Project Management community. I’ve been writing at least one blog post every day. I engage my client for at least 8 hours a day. Lastly, I’ve been reading a lot more blogs, in the hope to understand the perspective of others. That’s just the work list! Time I get to spend with family is limited to a brief few hours a night and on the weekends. I thought I had figured it out. Sleep less, drink more coffee, work harder, engage more.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love this roller-coaster I’m currently on. Yesterday the roller-coaster stopped, at least momentarily. I received an email from my work counterpart yesterday morning.
I had mild chest and shoulder pains this morning. I am in the ER waiting to see the doctor. I’ll let you know the outcome and my status shortly.
I can’t remember a time when I stopped and just thought what would happen if we lost her. I’m not saying that in a selfish way, in relation to the program. She’s what Seth Godin would define as a linchpin. Though yes, she is a very passionate and intelligent leader. I mean personally. This is someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, and many a someone’s friend.
I don’t think my vantage point has changed. I’m still as stubborn as I was 2 days ago. I’m just as determined to sleep less, drink more coffee, work harder and engage more. But, it really did make me take pause, put things in perspective, and appreciate the people I interact with.
Your life is like a project. It is a temporary endeavor.
I’m really disappointed that, for the second week in a row, a key communications meeting was canceled. Though I review the slide deck hours before the meeting, I look forward to the interaction with everyone. I’m sure some across the table from me don’t agree. Some may be relieved they don’t need to look me in the eye and answer questions from me or my colleagues. Unfortunately, regardless if it temporarily relieves their anxiety, it just complicates matters in the long run. You can’t get all of the information you need from a PowerPoint slide deck. You need to read body language and engage with people. In an age of PowerPoint slide decks, conference calls, and Go-To-Meetings, there is still a need to interact with people one-on-one.
