Getting The Best From People And Projects

As a project lead for any software development company my primary role is always to facilitate the implementation your software products with clients in a healthcare sub-market. Implementation projects are complex and often filled with unspoken anticipation, assumptions and demands from customers who do not understand (or accept) the process employed by our organization.
Experienced project managers are probably either smiling as these people read this, or wanting to know “ what’ s this big deal? ” The big deal is this approach – unless I can certainly, as a project fx broker, find the “ key” to the customers and people that work towards this team, projects I am responsible for will undoubtedly falter and can even fail.
Even as i write this article, I am faced with a new challenge by having a particular customer that includes me, admittedly, a tad stumped. This particular customer have not responded to all your “ usual” tactics, approaches, instructions, or even accepted our help and help collaboratively manage the setup project. In fact, for the most part, I believe that this particular customer truly believes that simply because have purchased our product make literally, and wholly, own those of us assigned to the jobs. Sound familiar? I have spent a good deal of time thinking about this project and wishing to identify methods and tools to implement to bridge the gap utilizing this customer. It is this adventure that prompted me to come back to some of a reference materials and books where I uncovered something that I wanted to share with you. I hope you find these records as valuable as My spouse and i.
One of my popular books, and role designs, is Eleanor Roosevelt. Her book, You Learn simply by Living, is literally filled with words of wisdom, common sense, and caring for individuals in her family and also public spotlight. In the woman day, Mrs. Roosevelt was an incredibly dynamic woman who had a profound influence on many people. She wrote about how to get the best out of individuals. I find these text very applicable for venture managers and teams.
“ If such a search is to be successful, however, you will need two qualities which you'll want to develop by practice. One is the ability to be a good audience. The other is the imaginative power to put yourself in one another person’ s place; to try to discover what he (she) is definitely thinking and feeling; to understand as far as you can the background from where he came, the soil out of which his roots have become, the customs and beliefs and ideas which have shaped his (or her) pondering. ” (page 136)
This very simple paragraph made me settle-back and take notice! Have I been a good listener to my consumer and their needs? Did I truly hear them, or performed I passively listen? And, have I done everything I can to put myself within their situation and try to discover and understand what their own basic needs and prospects are? Do I really know the way their operations and targets have affected this work? Am I supporting the customer in their need to transition into a new system and so that you can effect positive change and improvements recommended to their business?
After spending some time in introspective review I know that I have probably never been as diligent when i should have been with this particular customer. The good news is every one is not lost and I can also immediately apply these key facts (and questions) to my communication and assist the customer. Realistically it is going to be harder and more difficult to “ fix” any damage that has been done because of my own lapse in active tuning in. Is it worth it to use now, when the project is actually done? Absolutely!
If you will find, after reading this state of affairs, that you are also in this situation, whether it are the same industry or not necessarily, then perhaps you just want to ask yourself a lot of the same questions I acquire asked of myself. Are you being a good “ miner” and working with people to get the very best out of them as a way to see a project or task to a successful end? Are you being a good fan base? Are you understanding of the location where the customer’ s needs and expectations are coming from? Take some time today to determine these questions and to effect change in the communication and style to discover the best out of people who you lead!