Be a Wildly Successful Project Manager - Do What You Say You’re Going To Do

Here are the 10 Keys:

1. Develop a consistently positive attitude.
2. Make wise choices.
3. Believe in your abilities.
4. Be a master at setting goals and achieving them.
5. Have a clear vision of what success means to you and to
   your project.
6. Develop steady, positive habits.
7. Show persistence.
8. Over-communicate.
9. Be transparent.
10. Do what you say you will do without exception.

This is item 10 in the Being a Wildly Successful Project Manager Series. You can read the first article here.

Let your Yes Be Yes

One of the quickest ways to be effective on your project is to consistently do what you say. This means you do exactly what you say. You do it when you say you will do it. And you let people know that it has been done.

Following this principle will have a marked impact on your relationships with team members. It’s a pleasure to work with someone who does what they say. Your colleagues will respond to this. In addition, your personal power will increase as people begin to look to you as someone they can rely upon. They may not say anything, but they will notice and respond.

It’s easy to make excuses

How many of these have you heard?

• I never got your your email.
• I’ve just been too busy.
• I gave that to Jill. Didn’t she get back to you yet?
• Is it Monday already?

Even if other people let you off the hook, you know that you have not done what you said you would.

The Role of PM and You in the Role

As project manager, you are expected to be more organized than other people on the team. You’ve been given some kind of responsibility for the project. At a minimum you manage the working schedule and task list.

If your tasks are missed and the schedule is out the window, you’ve lost your authority. You are just another person doing various things in the office.

Positive Addiction

If you are like me when I started doing this, you will notice how easy it is to take on tasks without thinking. By making sure to keep all of your commitments, you will start to creatively find ways not to agree to work that takes you away from your most important areas of focus. If done with finesse, your management will respect your alignment with your work priorities. Your delivery metrics should also improve, which will help you at the times when you choose to say no.

Don’t be surprised if you become acutely attached to this clarity.

For Further Reference

David Allen, the father of Getting Things Done, writes about the power of commitment in his book. Brett and Kate McKay write some interesting posts about character in The Art of Manliness (not only for men).

Challenge: Try It This Week

I challenge you this week to keep all of your commitments. From now until the end of the day Friday, do everything that you say that you will do. Let me know how it goes. I think you will be very surprised by the outcome!

Tagged as: Brett McKay, Character, commitments, David Allen, Effectiveness, Email, Endings, Getting Things Done, Kate McKay, Leadership, Management, Manager, People, personal power, Power, Respect, Success, successful project, Teams, work priorities

Related:

• PM Beyond the Triple Constraint - Have you Checked Your People Skills Lately?
• Phyrric Victory or When the Medicine is Worse Than the Disease - The Project Manager from Hell Series
• Is the Project Manager an Overseer?
• Are You a Project Manager from Hell?
• Hey Project Manager! Beware of Fool’s Gold!