Leverage What They're Already Talking About

Jen Wakeman — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:22:00 GMT

The other day I check my mail (snail mail that is), and find a postcard from Expedia.com. The postcard shows the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran and reveals the statement "They say "economic stimulus", we say "free vacation.""

Genius! Take something we're all talking about and leverage it for your product or service. Okay, obviously, this is not the first time this has ever happened (Sustainability, anyone?). Nonetheless, I found this instance pretty smart.

So, we all know through the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 the IRS will benefit more than 130 million* American households with payments beginning in May for almost anyone who files a tax return.

Why do I wish I had thought of this first? Think of the other things everyone's talking about: Gas Prices, the Presidential Election, the War, etc. Sure, there are ways to leverage these topics to advertise to your audiences. Yes, these are all things that are very big deals in our lives but all of which are costing us money. The Economic Stimulus however... it's cash in our pockets. Cash that your customers are going to spend. Will they be spending it with you, or with Expedia?

*Estimate from IRS.gov

Accidental Leadership: How I Discovered I Wanted to be a Project Manager

Jen Wakeman — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:20:00 GMT

When I think of Project Management and the people in PM roles, I think of strong, confident people that have great initiative to motivate the people around them. Now, when I think of myself, I think of a hard worker, but someone who’s probably a little too shy for her own good. How in the world do I expect to become a strong manager then? Well, I’d have to say it’s all about perspective. While I may not be the most outgoing person, I do have several things in common with strong Project Managers. An example of this is my inherent need to organize things in the most effective and efficient way possible. While that may sound like a case of OCD, it’s not. Trust me (You should see my apartment). It’s more a matter of fascination with the project process.

Here at Pop Art, I have been able to observe that process on several occasions. While every project is unique, most projects have things in common: scope, budget, and timeline – or as I like to call it, the holy trinity of project management. Each of these constraints is independent to every project and will determine the final quality of the project solution. It is the premeditation and implementation of these factors that interests me. Trying to find that perfect balance of the different objectives, resources and time in order to get the most out of the project is just the right kind of challenging for me.

I have intermittently been in some form of a Project Management role for the past 5 years. Some were intentional, like my high school journalism editorships and last year of college group projects. Others were accidental, like the rest of my college group projects and my 2.5 year stint in student government. I say accidental because those were the instances where I would be placed in a group, then all of a sudden be elected Project Manager or President. I believe at first it was because people were either a) too lazy to volunteer, b) knew I had an obsession with making sure things got done right, or c) thought since I had good grades I’d probably be a push over and do all the work for them. And while that is incredibly insulting, I’m glad they thought this because it gave me an opportunity to explore management and leadership.

A lot of my pursuit of project management skills has been self-driven and learned from observations. With every Project Management role I’ve had, I like to ask the people I’ve worked with how I’ve done. How could I have been better?

Some of the things I’ve learned from these self assessments include:

Establish relationships with the people you’re working with. Don’t just talk to them about the project deliverables. Get to know them and talk to them about their interests. If they like you, they’ll like to work for you.

On the flip side of that, don’t be afraid to be aggressive (B-E aggressive). Hold people accountable to their obligations. Business isn’t personal. If people aren’t pulling their weight, let them know it’s important to meet deadlines and complete objectives or they’ll pull the rest of the team down with them. This is where PM’s gain respect, by being good at their job.

Manage Scope Creep. Isolate action items and keep to the original project plan. Only address issues within scope. If your team sees the need for an extra improvement, save it for a later pitch. If the client sees the need for an extra improvement, be sure to let them know it’ll take more time and more budgeting resources.

Boost team moral every chance you can. Remind people of the overall goal. Use constructive criticism to facilitate progress. Give out doughnuts, or, my personal preference, high fives (less sugar).

Communicate regularly, and not just through e-mail (also check out Christi Stahl’s blog on this topic.) And if you need, I came up with a slogan one time during a very high conflict project, particularly due to lack of communication: “Don’t hate. Communicate.”

Always keep an eye out for risk. Watch for anything that could go bad or in the wrong direction all together. Be ready with contingency plans if possible. If it isn’t possible, be ready to think quickly and creatively.

A PM’s main job is to coordinate with and respond to everyone’s needs. Whether it is the client’s needs or your team’s needs, you’re there to meet them which will help things run smoothly.

Be open-minded. Don’t shoot down preliminary ideas. What might seem like a bad idea now could evolve into a great idea later.

Every project is an opportunity to learn and grow as both a team member and a manager. I look forward to watching my list of insights grow exponentially as I pursue my Project Management career further.

jen.wakeman

Leverage What They're Already Talking About

Accidental Leadership: How I Discovered I Wanted to be a Project Manager