Project Managers' Coffee Chat with Tim & Merv

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss various challenges and solutions related to cultural awareness within project management. They share personal stories about navigating different cultural environments, highlighting the importance of understanding and integrating cultural nuances for successful project delivery. The hosts emphasize the significance of team unity and adaptive strategies to bridge cultural divides, fostering effective collaboration and enriching team dynamics.

Main Take-Aways

Stories are powerful teachers. Today's story lessons are about enhancing your cultural awareness:

• handling situations where the customer culture forbids certain activities that your organization promotes:
• the influence of ethnic cultures on the project culture
• working on projects where the customer's approach to work is completely different than your organization's working style
• the influence of local cultures on the project culture

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Leadership Lessons from the Trenches of Cultural Awareness

00:45 Merv introduces this episode of project experiences involving cultural awareness in project management with a story of dealing with client cultures that did not allow their staff to participate with his contractor team in social activities that his organization paid for.

02:45 Tim had a similar experience in working with organizations where management and union teams were involved, and how he navigated those two cultures influencing his project.

04:27 Merv piggybacks on his initial experience by recounting times where social activities involving his team and his client team were allowed – where his client's culture did allow this – and how those experiences enhanced the overall project collaboration.

06:22 Merv tells a fun story of ethnic culture interactions involving cricket rivalries that created a bonding experience on the project.

07:43 Tim expands on the influence of ethnicity on project culture with his experiences of hosting dinners for teams which had both vegetarian and non-vegetarian team members, and how even these types of experience can be positive for the culture of the project.

08:48 Merv remembers good times when Indian team members hosted Diwali celebrations involving the entire team, introducing everyone to cultural dances and ethnic foods.

10:15 Tim enjoys the less aggressive approach to project delivery from the application of "mañana", a cultural approach sometimes employed on projects in the US Southwest – an approach that considers sitting back, relaxing, taking a breath, and contemplating the challenges of the day.

11:41 Merv adds to this by contrasting the more aggressive time management principle of setting daily priorities with the less stressful "mañana" approach to accomplishing project goals.

13:45 Merv provides an example of working in a customer culture that rigorously defended its start and end times of the working day, and how he changed his own approach to accommodate their working style.

15:17 Tim expands on that example with one of his own, where his customer culture trained every individual in the same time management approaches.

18:02 Merv concludes this episode with two humorous stories of his teams' beginning project work in the states of Alaska and Hawaii, showing up on the project sites in suits and ties while his customers dressed much differently.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss practical strategies such as assessing work culture through observations in common areas, utilizing tools like SharePoint for better integration, and the importance of retrospectives in agile projects. They also touch on the significance of understanding the 'why' behind tasks, journaling cultural observations, and fostering a culture of celebrating team and individual successes. The episode emphasizes the importance of empathy and positive cultural influence in project management.

Main Take-Aways

Tips, tools, and techniques that project leaders can utilize to assess and influence project culture:

1) observe individuals' behavior in common areas; observe what is tacked to employee bulletin boards

2) use relevant online applications to enhance team member experience while working on the project

3) understand and benefit from the impact and influence of negative cultures

4) employ team building exercises

5) employ daily team stand-up meetings

6) capture observations of project culture in your own note-taking process

7) give the "why", not just the "what" and "how"

8) demonstrate desired behaviors; act professionally

9) celebrate successes!

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Tips, Tools, and Techniques in Assessing and Influencing Project Culture

00:59 Tim kicks off the podcast with his first tip: assess the project/organizational culture quickly by observing interaction of staff in common areas; check out what is pinned to the employee bulletin boards.

02:26 Merv introduces a couple of tools to enhance project culture by recounting experiences with these tools on project sites: a SharePoint site with recommendations for traveling consultants of what to see and do in the local area; an online sounding board application to guide the retrospective for each Agile sprint.

05:03 Tim counsels individuals on how to handle the cultures of toxic work environments, on how to benefit by understanding the impact and influence of negative cultures.

06:43 Merv stresses the importance of team building and communication, and shares how he has participated in excellent team building days to initiate new projects.

08:17 Merv goes on to stress the importance of inserting daily stand-ups into the project culture to set the tone for the work day.

09:37 Tim shares how he has introduced journaling into his daily routine to capture his observations of individuals' behavior and apparent culture.

12:06 Merv underscores the need for project managers to provide the "why" when allocating tasks and providing instruction – not just the "what" and "how". He also shares how he has required his technical team to take field trips to their customers' work sites to better understand their daily activities, prior to embarking on requirements analysis and design.

17:37 Tim adds that you can influence project culture through your professional demeaner and by demonstrating desired behaviors.

19:19 Merv ends on a high note by recommending highly the need to celebrating successes – project-related and personal in nature – to build a positive, collaborative working culture.

Tim Jerome and Merv Jersak review research by Dr. Erin Meyer, discussing how perceptions, questions, and actions shape organizational (and in our case, project) culture. Key points include the significance of servant leadership and adaptive leadership, understanding ethical considerations across cultures, and the importance of customer-centric approaches in project work. This episode provides actionable insights and examples for project managers looking to improve team dynamics and project outcomes.

Main Take-Aways

Project managers should understand how perceptions, questions, and actions can influence the culture of a project:

• your responsibility in helping shape the project culture
• leading by example
• the role of servant leadership and adaptive leadership in helping to shape project culture
• infusing ethical considerations into the project to help shape team behavior
• focusing on a customer-centric approach as a major aspect of project culture
• co-locating customer and IT project teams to develop a collaborative project culture

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Project Cultural Influenced by Perceptions, Questions, and Actions.

00:27 Exploring cultural influences in projects by considering perceptions, questions, and actions.

01:40 Understanding how perceptions affect project environments. Awareness that first impressions are important.

03:53 Understanding the role of questions in shaping culture.

05:38 Understanding the impact of actions on project culture.

06:51 Your responsibility as leaders in helping to shape team/project culture, to create the environment for engagement. Leading by example, asking questions, and listening for successful outcomes.

08:24 Servant leadership and its effect on project cultural assessment and shaping the work environment.

10:24 Adaptive leadership and its role in accommodating various working styles for maximum effect.

11:39 Infusing ethical considerations into the culture of a project to help shape team behavior.

15:20 Ensuring your project culture includes a major focus on being customer-centric.

16:39 Co-locating the customer's project staff with the IT project staff to promote a project culture of close working relationships and collaboration.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome explore the impact of cultural awareness on project management. Highlighting examples from their careers, they discuss adjusting communication styles, handling critique, and understanding different perceptions of time across cultures. The conversation looks at the importance of building trust, fostering respect, and adapting to organizational norms, offering strategies for project managers to effectively navigate cultural differences and improve project outcomes.

Main Take-Aways

Project managers are both influenced by, and have opportunity to influence, the culture of a project:

• understanding the nuances of communication
• handling critique
• being flexible in adapting to different aspects of project culture
• being aware of the perception of time in different cultures
• being sensitive to various approaches to work
• building trust and personal connections
• leading by example
• respecting differences
• understanding project culture within the context of the organization's culture

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Project Cultural Influences

00:27 Exploring cultural awareness in projects both regarding how you can be influenced by project culture and how you can influence project culture.

00:57 Understanding that there are communication nuances within project culture, even at the executive level. Additionally, you must be aware that cultural nuance regarding communication includes non-verbals, vocal inflections, expressions, etc.

03:32 Handling critique and evaluation within the context of project culture. Being flexible in adapting to different cultures that may be present on a project.

06:12 Awareness of the perception of time in different cultures and adapting to that perception of different than your own.

09:28 Approaching project culture from an ethical perspective and being sensitive to individuals' approach to work.

10:46 Influencing project culture by building trust and personal connections, formalizing behavior in a team charter.

11:56 Leading by example shows integrity and helps develop a positive project culture. Applying servant leadership principles.

14:27 Building project relationships and respecting differences.

16:52 Understanding that project culture is a microcosm of the larger organization culture. Adapting to the norms of the aspects of organizational culture that are adapted within the project.

20:07 Summarizing the key points of this episode.

Hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome explore the significance of cultural awareness in project management, highlighting the essential role it plays in successful project delivery. They discuss the definition of culture within project environments, its dual nature involving both project-specific and overarching organizational influences, and share personal experiences illustrating the impact of cultural factors on project performance. The conversation delves into the tools and skills needed to identify, assess, and shape project cultures for optimized teamwork and productivity, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, flexibility, and situational awareness.

Main Take-Aways

As project managers, we must learn how to assess and create project culture, understanding the positive and potentially negative influences culture can have on project success:

• what we mean by project culture and the need for cultural awareness
• understanding the influences both within and from outside the project
• challenges of integrating multiple organizational cultural norms and standards into a single project culture
• understanding that project culture provides both opportunities for success as well as potential hinderances to productivity
• assessing and contributing to project culture
• skills required to assess and assimilate into a project culture
• flexibility in working with different generational norms within a single project
• PMI's shift from a process focus to a people-centered focus and the influence on developing project culture

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Navigating Cultural Dynamics in Project Management

00:27 Introducing the week's topic on understanding cultural awareness and influences in projects.

00:53 Setting the base definition for what Tim and Merv mean by culture as it pertains to the projects you lead.

02:21 Further defining project by noting the influence of the overarching organizational culture.

02:59 Merv and Tim both share experiences of their real-world examples of project culture – one of "work hard, play hard", one of unintended elitism.

05:43 The challenge of two different organizational cultures coming together on a project, with the intent of forming a collaborative working project culture.

07:07 Project culture can hinder project effectiveness as well present opportunity for successful collaboration and great results.

09:06 Where does project culture come from? How does it develop? How can you assess it in order to assimilate into the project in an optimum way? How can you contribute to its development? (Think emotional intelligence, active listening, etc.).

12:39 Learning how to fit into a project culture through your observational skills, situational awareness, asking questions, environmental clues, etc.

16:12 Being flexible in working with generational differences, accommodating working styles, while maintaining productivity of the entire project team.

18:22 Project Management Institute's focus on process in earlier editions of the Body of Knowledge versus the more people-centric, principles-based 7th edition is shifting how project cultures develop among project teams.

21:21 Conclusion and upcoming topics regarding cultural awareness on IT projects.

Join hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome as they feature enlightening stories and discussions on effective whiteboarding, email etiquette, and nuanced communication techniques. Additionally, Merv and Tim share personal experiences and lessons learned from working in various industries, emphasizing the importance of clarity, context, and relationship-building in successful project management.

Main Take-Aways

Stories are powerful teachers. Today's story lessons are about enhancing your written communication skills:

• practice effective use of the whiteboard when conducting a meeting of any kind
• ensure forwarded emails do not contain sensitive information in the chain of attached emails
• always check the complete distribution list before sending an email
• be clear in the purpose of written correspondence (e.g. avoid ambiguous emails such as the "see me" email)
• improve your writing skills continuously
• understand how to craft a persuasive message
• understand how to craft a difficult message
• write for the ear when developing a presentation and rehearse in a casual environment

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Leadership Lessons from the Trenches Regarding Written Communication

00:27 Talk Story Day: introducing real life examples of the power of written communication.

00:53 Tim kicks off this episode by describing how a former manager used the whiteboard effectively to map out and brainstorm ideas. Words, pictures, arrows, squares, graphics all aid in getting your message across.

03:49 Merv recounts an experience where he was the recipient of a forwarded email that had information well down the chain of forwarded emails that were not for his consumption. Moral: always read to the bottom of an email chain before forwarding.

06:49 Merv then adds an embarrassing situation where he replied to an email but missed removing a recipient from the cc: line that should not have received the email. Moral: always check the full list of recipients for whom the email is intended.

08:02 Tim tells of the time he received the dreaded "see me" email. What is the recipient supposed to think when receiving such a terse email? Good news? Bad news?

10:24 Merv shows how years of improving his writing skills, his ability to right clearly and persuasively, earned him the honor of developing a critical funding document for his client.

12:57 Merv then goes on to describe an uncomfortable situation where he had to craft a memorandum to have an individual removed from his project – an individual who worked for his client's organization.

15:44 Tim advises on an effective communication strategy that he used to prepare an executive for a major presentation by having an informal rehearsal in a casual atmosphere, say over dinner.

Today your hosts, Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome discuss the importance of understanding your audience, selecting appropriate tools, and refining your writing skills. Key takeaways include the benefits of rereading communications, keeping a journal, and the value of visuals in documentation. Emphasizing proactive communication planning and cultural considerations, this episode offers practical advice for project managers aiming to improve their project delivery.

Main Take-Aways

Tips, tools, and techniques that project leaders can benefit from improving their written communication skills:

1) selecting the appropriate writing tools and adapting to the audience

2) put yourself in the position of the person(s) you are communicating with

3) reread emails before sending

4) err on the side of formality in new customer situations

5) get formal education in written business communication

6) keep a written journal

7) be responsive to cultural considerations

8) keep contemporaneous project documentation

9) use effective visual/graphics

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Effective Written Communication

00:27 Introducing tips, tools, and techniques for developing great writing skills for project managers.

01:41 Tim begins by stating the importance of selecting the appropriate writing tools, and adapting to the audience and the project environment.

02:52 Merv responds with the technique of putting yourself in the place of the reader as you craft your messaging. He follows that up with a reminder to reread emails before hitting the send button.

05:08 Tim admits that he often has difficulty in understanding how to position his communications in new situations, and offers that he begins by directly asking his customer their communication preferences. Merv errs on the side of formality until he and the customer are comfortable with each other.

08:53 Merv continues by relating how his high school education prepared him to be a good writer, but it was his experience in business situations as a project manager that truly taught him how to communicate more effectively. He recommends that you enroll in formal continuing education courses that stress business communications.

09:02 Tim quotes an MIT professor: "Your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas – in that order."

10:41 Both Tim and Merv stress the importance of keeping a handwritten journal as a way to practice expressing yourself and improving your writing skills.

13:00 Tim advises to pay attention to cultural considerations in your written communication.

13:52 Merv discusses keeping project files in a contemporaneous manner for use in future mandates (e.g. employee performance reviews). This helps bring items to mind when needed, rather than relying on your memory. Tim stresses the importance of note taking.

16:52 Tim provides a tip on the importance of requiring approval responses to project documentation to be received within a specified time period. Merv and Tim discuss formalizing this approach in the Project Charter.

19:10 Merv recommends that you learn to use effective visuals/graphics in documentation to support the messaging.

In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome look at developing writing skills, choosing the right communication tools, and mastering techniques for professional presentations. They also discuss how to navigate emotional nuances in written communication and ensure the message is suitable for the audience. Gain valuable insights to enhance your project delivery messaging and learn how to communicate with clarity and impact. Don't forget to subscribe!

Main Take-Aways

Project managers must develop their writing skills in terms of the communication vehicles chosen, tone and/or formality used, techniques to be mastered. Topics covered in this episode:

• choosing the right tools, tone, and style for written communication
• cautions when using texting or instant messaging
• crafting impactful presentations
• mastering the whiteboard to support our communications
• the process of technical writing
• handling emotional/critical messaging
• selecting an appropriate writing style for your audience

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Mastering Written Communication in Tools, Tone, and Style

00:49 The importance of developing writing skills for project managers in all of the communication vehicles that you use to convey your messages: formal memoranda, emails, texts, presentations, whiteboarding, etc.

01:24 Choosing the right communication tools should involve transparency with regard to the tools that are chosen.

02:11 Choosing the right tone and style for written communication – formal vs. casual. Consider your audience and adhere to organizational standards when planning your communication strategy for the project.

04:30 Texting and IMs (Instant Messaging) are useful for certain types of project messaging; however, understand that they are not secure and typically do not become part of the project record.

06:31 Crafting impactful presentations involves a judicious selection of verbiage and graphics/images. Supporting detail can be relegated to the back of the slide deck. Remember that the slide are there to support you; you are not there to support your slides.

09:47 Illustrating graphically on a whiteboard when in detailed meeting discussions or brainstorming sessions is often superior to attempting to explain concepts through oral discussions alone. You as project management should master this powerful technique.

11:44 A summary description of technical writing – that is, the process of writing well when communicating on a project. As project managers you must develop the skill of weaving an effective opening, body, and conclusion in your written communications.

14:43 The ability to handle emotional and or critical communications – both giving and receiving – is an important aspect of our writing skills.

17:19 Consider removing the word "criticism" from your vocabulary.

18:55 Selecting an appropriate writing style for the audience you're addressing is an important PM skill. Put yourself in the reader's place as you prepare your written content for their consumption.

Join hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome as they delve into the crucial elements of project management focusing on enhancing written communication skills. This episode emphasizes the importance of clarity, urgency, and simplicity in business communications, aiming to help project managers, especially those new to the field, improve their documentation practices. The discussion highlights strategies such as stating the purpose upfront, avoiding multiple topics in a single email, and maintaining contemporaneous notes. The episode also touches on the permanence of written communication and how it can impact project success.

Main Take-Aways

Project managers put things in writing for several reasons including accuracy, clarity, appropriateness, and permanency. The human factors in written communication are considered both from the author's and the receiver's perspectives. Topics covered in this episode:

• remember that we are first and foremost business communicators
• be clear and have the appropriate sense of urgency in written communication
• consider how you communicate via email
• document for posterity
• be contemporaneous with your written communication
• review and improve your writing skills
• adapt your writing style
• provide optimal information in writing
• be conscious of where you maintain sensitive information

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Mastering Written Communication for Maximum Clarity and Effectiveness

00:27 The importance of understanding that as project managers, you are business communicators.

01:06 Consider your audience whenever you put something in writing. Be clear in your writing and consider the appropriate urgency in providing the communication.

03:25 Email Communication has best practices such as focusing on only one topic in the email, responding as such and with urgency, avoiding making excuses in the written communication, stating the purpose of the email in the first sentence, etc.

06:36 The role of documentation in project management and its usefulness for later retrieval of the information it contains.

08:43 Written documentation is most credible when captured contemporaneously and reviewed by all appropriate individuals.

10:16 It is useful to review your past written communication to see where it needs improvement as you progress in your career. Look for ways to communicate more clearly and in different ways. Practice writing skills to ensure continued improvement.

12:29 Focus on delivering the applicability and the optimal amount of information that your audience needs.

13:50 Adapt your writing style to formal or conversational tone depending on the nature of the communication.

15:54 Remember that if it's in writing, it's permanent.

17:09 Think about how you would handle sensitive information. Where do you document it and for what purpose?

19:08 A short summary emphasizing the need to consider your audience and using written documentation appropriately.

In Episode 41 of Season 4, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome build on previous discussions about leadership and oral communication. They explore how documenting decisions and creating a paper trail can improve project delivery. The episode emphasizes the importance of Project Management Institute's five C's of written communication. They discuss professionalism and etiquette in email communication. The hosts also discuss balancing precision with conciseness, the need for adaptability in writing styles for different audiences, and techniques for effective documentation. They reference insights from author Neil Gaiman to illustrate how brainstorming on paper and organizing thoughts on the computer can enhance the presentation of ideas. This episode sets the stage for a week-long series on honing writing skills to boost project management success.

Main Take-Aways

Project managers must master the art of written communication:

• present your ideas in a clear, easily understood, complete manner
• be professional in written communication, employing good email etiquette
• learn to write persuasively with diplomacy
• develop good technical writing skills, both from a tactical and strategic perspective
• adapt your written communication to the audience you are messaging
• use paper to brainstorm and the computer to organize (per Neil Gaiman)

Show Notes

Today's Project Managers Coffee Chat: Mastering Written Communication for Effective Project Management

00:27 A brief summary of previous discussions of communication as a lead in to this week's podcasts' focus on written communication.

01:14 The importance of creating evidence (i.e. project documentation) using good technical writing techniques for future reference.

03:32 Critical skills for written communication include:

03:53 1) the 5 Cs as depicted by Project Management Institute – three of which include clarity, conciseness, completeness.

05:49 2) professionalism, especially when writing emails, including etiquette in email communication.

07:53 3) persuasiveness, the ability to negotiate, and diplomacy are highly regarded writing skills.

09:41 4) it is important for project managers to have good technical documentation skills, both at the tactical and strategic levels.

10:58 5) project managers need to be able to adapt their written communication to their many audiences.

14:55 Project managers need to be aware that their written documentation lives on far into the future and so should adhere to the critical skills described in this episode.

15:43 Neil Gaiman's insights into writing: paper for brainstorming ideas and computer for organizing thoughts

18:25 Concluding summary thoughts and a look at upcoming episodes focusing on written communication skills.