IT project managers need to put personal career risk aside
and aim to be visionaries, both to get new developments off to a
good start and to see them through to success, according to a
senior BCS member.
But a manager must also be able to communicate that vision to the
team and others to motivate everyone involved, said John McManus,
who was recently appointed senior research fellow in the Faculty of
Business Management and Computing at Lincoln University.
"Vision is a key component of leadership," said McManus. "But a
vision is of little use if it is not communicated to others.
"Regardless of personal risks, a professional project manager must
strive to be a systems visionary. With each passing phase of the
project, the manager must constantly develop and communicate his or
her vision of both the system functionality and the project
approach.
"Only when the vision has been understood and adopted by the team
does its usefulness begin to emerge. A project management visionary
plays a vital role in making this happen.
"The willingness of the project manager to share his or her
insights and understanding of the steps needed to arrive at a
desired outcome tend to depend on two factors: the level of
confidence the project manager has in his ideas, and the ability to
tolerate close scrutiny and criticism of those ideas."
Indeed, on this last point McManus said that if a project manager
could see their vision simply as a starting point, for refinement
by the team, and could let go of it, the evolving vision could be
taken over by the whole group as the way forward that they shared
and were all committed to together.
McManus had some tips on communication, motivation and gaining
commitment to the project vision. These are covered further in his
new book, Information Systems Project Management: Methods, Tools
and Techniques.
"Lead by the example of your own effort and commitment, not by
demanding more of your subordinates than they are willing to give
of themselves or you of yourself," McManus said.
"Develop relationships with line managers and subordinates which
create a climate of confidence regarding the constructive nature of
criticism received or given.
"Make work enjoyable and fulfilling, developing an environment
combining humour and respect in which people know they will be
listened to and treated fairly. Encourage stakeholders to
contribute to decisions, but act decisively when necessary,
accepting responsibility for their actions at all times.
"Gaining commitment to the project vision requires the project
manager to find the means and processes that will foster an
environment in which team members will be motivated to work towards
the vision.
"This commitment is not a destination, but a continuing journey in
terms of keeping people loyal to the vision and constantly striving
for its attainment, even during periods of adversity."