Twelve-step programs have been in existence since 1935 with the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous.   Although the focus of these programs is extremely diverse, the goal is always the same:  provide a methodology for the individual who is adrift, trapped in a behavioral loop that may have negative consequences.  By focusing on a specific series of actions, the individual is able to change his/her behavior over time and create positive results.  Those 12 steps are nothing more than a series of actions that define the methodology for changing behavior, and I believe that there are opportunities to apply similar methodologies to project management.

Starting from Scratch
In July of 2002, in an attempt to combine my unique skills with the technological needs of my firm, I entered into discussions with the IT director and proposed that we create a project management department from scratch by training existing software trainers to become project managers.  I had no formal training in PM, but I did have years of practical experience as a software training coordinator.

I immediately signed up for a comprehensive three-day course at the American Management Association (AMA).  The AMA is a great resource for courses and books on a variety of management-related topics; the fact that it’s located three blocks from my office was a bonus — I could run back during the lunch hour and play “catch up.”  I used the AMA course book as a guide and began training my staff, experimenting with various approaches for correcting the procedural and behavioral “loops” that were causing us to veer off our well-intentioned PM course.

I made so many changes during the first few months, redefining concepts, terminology and procedures, that I’m sure my staff thought I was more adrift than they were.  And PM purists might be horrified to learn that I rewrote “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge,” known as “PMBOK” and pronounced “pimbok,” a respected publication of the Project Management Institute.  But you have to be brave when creating a methodology and take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that the steps you define work for your specific environment.

After 18 months, and with more unexpected twists and turns than a Space Mountain ride, I eventually transformed both myself and my staff from project managers adrift (PMAs) into project managers victorious (PMVs)!  What follows is the 12-step program I ultimately implemented to complete that transformation.

Twelve Steps to Victory
STEP ONE:  The PMV Oath.   A section of Hippocrates’ Epidemics could easily be implemented as The PMV Oath: 

• Declare the past (define why the project was created);
• Diagnose the present (solicit information on a daily basis to keep the plan up to date);
• Foretell the future (be proactive and ask as many “what if” questions as possible);
• Practice these acts (keep trying!);
• And as to diseases (any obstacle, be it person, place or thing), make a habit of two things — to help (befriend the obstacle and try to overcome it), and at least to do no harm (don’t bait, intimidate, humiliate or scream at the obstacle — obstacles do not respond well to that type of treatment).”

STEP TWO:  Define Your Limitations - and Your Purpose.  As with most 12-step programs, admitting powerlessness over the situation is key:  Accept what you cannot change, be courageous enough to change what you can, and use the wisdom gained from past experiences to know the difference.  Part of that wisdom lies in defining your purpose; then, from the highest perspective, allow that definition to reverberate through the day-to-day project life.

STEP THREE:  Rule the Plan — Don’t Let the Plan Rule You.  A plan is nothing more than a map or guideline, helping you to find your way as you work through the project.  It is not written in stone; you will not be arrested by the Project Management Police (PMP) if you change due dates, reassign or even eliminate tasks that are no longer necessary.

STEP FOUR:  Implement a Plan-Based — Not a Task-Based Approach.  Always keep your eye on the overall goal or scope of the project.  Don’t get lost in, or seduced by, the world of the tasks.  Picture yourself sitting at the top of a pyramid (or work breakdown structure), surveying the world below and making decisions about that world.  You may need to travel down to the ground to gather information, but don’t live there.  Climb back up to the top of the pyramid; the peak offers the best vantage point.

STEP FIVE:  Treat Project Information with Respect; “Hunt” for It Accordingly.  A project manager’s job is to track down all of the valuable pieces of project information and then distribute what he or she has found in the appropriate manner.  One morning, as I was reading a newspaper article about rare black truffles (an underground, mushroom-like fungus used in cooking), I realized that a project manager is like a truffle hunter in the Italian countryside.  I learned that a skilled truffle hunter prefers using dogs to pigs (pigs will devour the truffle on sight), and that once found, truffles need to be evaluated for quality before they can be sold.  Similarly, a PMV knows how to use the best tools to uncover and then evaluate project information before distributing his “find” to the appropriate team members.

STEP SIX:  Manage Your Meetings Like a Carefully Crafted Dinner Party.  A project manager is also like the host of a dinner party.  You first make the necessary preparations (invitations and agenda) so that your team knows what to expect, and then you manage the event effortlessly so that everyone can relax, converse, share information and have a positive group experience.  Any detail that is overlooked, whether it’s the conference room (size, temperature or equipment), the refreshments (try to learn the personal preferences of everyone on the project team) or the agenda (no surprises for team members or items that the sponsor is not prepared to discuss), can tilt the balance and alter the tone of the meeting.  In addition, always do a check of the room, ensuring everything is set up and ready to go, at least 15 minutes before the meeting’s start time.

STEP SEVEN:  Embrace the Art of Expediting Tasks.  Expediting tasks often requires the skills of a United Nations diplomat.  Few people, in any environment, like being asked “have you completed so and so?”; it echoes back to parental cries of “have you finished your homework?”  And, when the task hasn’t been completed, whether you are age five or 50, the question is often perceived as an attack.  Expediting tasks is most delicate in a law firm where you may have to ask managers, directors, associates and even partners if they have completed a task.  One of the best ways to deal with this is to use task completion form documents.  Ideally, they should be automatically e-mailed from your plan based on due dates.  Never ask by e-mail, on the phone or in person.  Always use a document you can point to; let the document ask the question.

STEP EIGHT:  Know Thyself — And Thy Project Sponsor.  A project sponsor is the individual concerned with defining the project objectives in the context of the sponsoring organization.  In a law firm, the project sponsor might be a manager, a director or even a partner.  A PMV realizes that the most important individual on the project team is that sponsor; understanding that sponsor’s unique needs, business relationships, working style and sense of humor will influence the project.  Know yourself and your working style, but realize that you may have to adapt your style to accommodate the sponsor’s needs.

STEP NINE:  Projecting Forward:  Play the Part of Clairvoyant.  Being proactive is one of the keys to becoming a PMV.  A PMA (project manager adrift) waits for something to go wrong and then fixes the problem.  A PMV predicts what might go wrong and then drafts possible courses of action.  No one on a project wants to hear about what might go wrong — particularly the sponsor.  But you need to be prepared.  So use your best clairvoyant skills.  Ask as many “what if” questions as you can think of, and prepare the appropriate courses of action.

STEP TEN:  Cultivate an Eye for ROI (Return on Investment).  Time.  Labor.  Money.  Return.  That’s the name of the game in project management; every task, every meeting, every action, every breath you take needs to be evaluated from that perspective.  If the return (result of task delivered) is not greater than the cost (time + labor + money), inform the sponsor or the appropriate individual.

STEP ELEVEN:  It’s About Them — Not You.  Project management is a service, so try to be as service-oriented and as selfless as possible.  And remember, it’s your job to manage and keep things moving, not to offer opinions or insights, no matter how brilliant, unless specifically asked.

STEP TWELVE:  The R&R Factor (React and Regroup).  While PM is not the child of Murphy’s Law (if anything can go wrong, it will), it is a distant cousin.  Don’t be alarmed by the problems that invariably will occur; remind yourself that they are a part of the job.  React with a quiet confidence, regroup and keep the team moving toward the goal.  If you spend more time talking about the problem than the resolution to the problem, you are adrift.  Shift course, and find your way back to the goal.

The above steps do not have to be implemented sequentially, and once mastered, should be revisited daily.  And, as with any 12-step program, some days definitely are better than others.  Remember:  No matter what disaster unfolded the day before, begin each day anew.  Start with an objective perspective, a fierce commitment, infinite patience, and in time, you will transform yourself into an official, card-carrying PMV:  Project Manager Victorious!

About our author . . .

Michael Cherkinian is the IS Project Admin Manager at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP in New York.  He oversees the change management process regarding upgrades of the firm’s existing software and the deployment of new software.  In addition, he manages all aspects of the firm’s computer training needs.  He can be reached at mcherkinian@paulweiss.com.