Every project develops a story. It is the short explanation that project team members give when asked about the project. This is also called the elevator speech, which is the explanation a person would give if he or she were in the elevator with the CEO and the CEO asked him or her to describe the project. Project stories often express important aspects of the project and can create a positive picture of the project or one that is less appealing.
A project story will develop, and creating a positive project story is a project management skill that helps the project. A positive project story is inviting to people and helps with the recruitment of talent to the project. A positive project story also helps when services are needed from functional departments within the company and in developing management support for the project.
Creation of the project story is an active process. The project manager actively sets out to create the story. Every project, by definition, is unique. Creating the positive story entails identifying those unique aspects of the project and building a positive outcome.
Project Story of a Drug to Save Lives
A pharmaceutical project team in Colorado was building a plant to produce a drug that would save lives. The faster the plant was completed, the more lives would be affected by the drug. One story addressed the challenges of designing and building a plant in record time. A second story emerged: the balance of safety against speed. Safety procedures limited the number of subcontractors and people working in the same area.
To accomplish the work, the project team found creative ways of accomplishing the work off-site and scheduling work to minimize safety problems while meeting aggressive timelines. The story became the challenge. People identified with the challenge and wanted to be part of the success.
Building a Reputation for Project Completion Speed
A project manager in South Carolina always challenged people with speed. He identified the last project with similar characteristics and challenged the team to beat the time by weeks or months. The story became, “If you want a project done on time, this is the project team you need.” The project manager created a spirit of competition and fun. The project manager was a high-energy person, and the idea of finding a way to finish a project early seemed a natural outcome.
Every project manager can find the unique aspect of the project and build a sense of specialness about the project. The project becomes a good place to work, provides the team with a sense of accomplishment, and becomes the story created by the project manager.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Trust is important to reduce delays caused by excessive filtering and fact checking. Contracts are specific about the project scope, but personal relationships of mutual trust are necessary on complex projects.
- Four types of trust are objective credibility, attribution of benevolence, nonmanipulation, and a high cost of lying.
- To create trust, the project manager needs a reputation for trustworthiness and needs to align official goals with operational goals, establish a high cost of lying, and create an atmosphere of respect and benevolent intent.
- Meeting types are action item, management, and leadership. Action item meetings focus on specific short-term priorities. Management meetings focus on planning, and leadership meetings focus on larger issues.
- The types of teams are functional, cross-functional, and problem solving.
- The Humm Factor measures project performance and uses a questionnaire to identify qualitative information about project performance.
- A short statement of the purpose and character of the project is useful in recruiting and obtaining support for a project.
EXERCISES
- A type of trust that is formed by observing that a person’s truthfulness is supported by observable facts is called (two words).
- A type of trust that is formed by knowing that the other person would not risk the penalties for being untruthful is called the high cost of .
- A type of trust that is formed by knowing that the other person is acting in his or her own self-interest is called - trust.
- A type of trust that is formed by evaluating a person’s motives and concluding that they are not hostile is called an attribute of .
- To create trust, a manager should align official goals with goals.
- The Humm Factor is a method to collect information about a project that indicates the “gut feeling” that the project team has about a project.
- A short statement about the project that captures its purpose and character that could be relayed in less than a minute is called an story.
- How does lack of trust affect filtering of information, and how does that affect the project?
- What are four types of trust?
- How can a manager create trust?
- What are three main meeting types and what are their characteristics?
- How do functional, cross-functional, and problem-solving teams differ from each other?
- What is the purpose of the Humm Factor?
Internalize your learning experience by preparing to discuss the following.
Consider someone you met recently and whom you felt you could trust. Which of the four types of trust do you think you have for this person? Is there a relationship of mutual trust between you? If so, what would be an example of something each of you would trust the other to do? What would be an example of a project team function or type of team where this trust would be beneficial?
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