Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome focus on improving project delivery by addressing the human aspects of project management, specifically the skills required for effectively managing up. They emphasize the importance of developing strong professional relationships with individuals of higher authority or peers with different priorities. Key strategies include effective communication, building trust, aligning project goals with stakeholder objectives, understanding and integrating project development into corporate strategy, and demonstrating value beyond functional output. The episode also highlights the challenges of managing executives' expectations and dealing with the intimidation factor for junior project managers.

Main Take-Aways

Project managers learn how to manage up; that is, to motivate and influence their executive management, their stakeholder executives, and even their project management peers through:

• effective communication
• building trust
• aligning project goals with executive objectives

You can do this by understanding the challenges in getting executives (and peers) engaged, employing influence and motivation, and taking time to understand the executives’ priorities and business objectives.

Show Notes

Today’s Project Managers Coffee Chat: Managing Up – an Introduction to “Managing” Executives and Peers

00:36 A brief summary of previous podcasts regarding leadership topics that form the overarching umbrella for podcasts to come in Season 4.

01:26 Diving into managing up; that is, how do we “manage” our managers/executive, our stakeholder executives, and even our fellow project managers/peers?

03:05 “Telling” our executives that we need them to contribute to the project effort by appealing to their needs through asking questions and listening to them.

06:04 Some key concepts in addressing our challenges in managing up, or leading, the executive team: effective communication, building trust, and aligning project goals with the executives’ goals.

08:13 Additionally, remind ourselves that our executive and peers are also humans with feelings and emotions, and that we are able to build strong professional relationships with them. We don’t learn these skills from a textbook.

09:47 Some challenges in managing up: different decision-making authority, different strategic focus, limited executive time.

10:47 Employing motivation and influence to help engage our executives and peers in the project.

12:06 Dealing with busy executives’ competing priorities and limited available time by taking the time to understand their business objectives.

13:02 Establishing a firm footing with your executives by understanding how your project fits into the executives’ strategy and big picture objective. Learn to anticipate executives’ needs. Work within the corporate politics and organizational culture to enhance your ability to influence your executives positively.

17:06 Ask your executives for their help.

18:30 Make sure that your executives know the value you are adding in the project that benefits their overall objectives.