Key Leadership Behaviors Necessary to Advance in Project Management Project / Program Management Research Lynda Carter, Kristin Tull and Donna VanRooy Specific behaviors need to be developed in order to advance a career in project or program management. This research provides global data on key leadership behaviors that answers the following questions: What are the right behaviors for success? How do we accelerate the learning?
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KeyLeadershipBehaviorsNecessarytoAdvanceinProjectManagement
Project/ProgramManagementResearch
LyndaCarter,KristinTullandDonnaVanRooy
Specificbehaviorsneedtobedevelopedinordertoadvanceacareerinprojectorprogrammanagement.Thisresearchprovidesglobaldataonkeyleadershipbehaviorsthatanswersthefollowingquestions:Whataretherightbehaviorsforsuccess?Howdoweacceleratethelearning?
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KeyLeadershipBehaviorsNecessarytoAdvanceinProjectManagement
TableofContentsSurveyPurpose.............................................................................................................................................1
WhataretheRightLeadershipBehaviorsforProjectandProgramManagementSuccess?.......................1
DetailsaboutProjectManagerKeyLeadershipBehaviors.......................................................................2
DetailsaboutProgramManagerKeyLeadershipBehaviors.....................................................................3
HowdoweAcceleratetheLearning?...........................................................................................................3
ThreeStepAccelerationProcess..............................................................................................................4
Background:TheSurveyApproach...............................................................................................................5
SurveyDevelopment.................................................................................................................................5
Pilot/FirstSurvey.....................................................................................................................................5
SurveyDistribution...................................................................................................................................5
SurveyParticipants...................................................................................................................................5
GeographicAreaofPrimaryWork........................................................................................................5
ProjectManagementExperience..........................................................................................................6
BusinessandIndustryDemographics...................................................................................................6
Summary.......................................................................................................................................................7
AbouttheAuthors........................................................................................................................................7
Appendix.......................................................................................................................................................8
CompetencyIndex....................................................................................................................................8
CompetencyIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed................................................................8
CompetencySurveyResults..................................................................................................................8
LeadershipIndex.......................................................................................................................................9
LeadershipIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed..................................................................9
LeadershipSurveyResults....................................................................................................................9
EmotionalIntelligenceIndex..................................................................................................................10
EmotionalIntelligenceIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed..............................................10
EmotionalIntelligenceSurveyResults................................................................................................10
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SurveyPurposeTherearemanytrainingcourses,booksandcompaniesthatprovideinformationonhowtobeabetterleader.AsProjectorProgramManagers,welooktotheseresourcestobuildourskillsandaccelerateourcapabilities.Wereadcommunicationtexts,attendleadershipseminarsandparticipateinwebinarstogainPDUs(ProfessionalDevelopmentUnitsrequiredforprojectmanagementcertificationthroughtheProjectManagementInstitute)toimproveourabilitytolead.
Asprojectmanagementpractitionersthechallengeswereflectonare:Whataretherightleadershipbehaviorsnecessaryforprojectmanagementsuccess?Whatdifferentiatesgoodfromgreat?HowdoweacceleratethelearningthatcomesthroughtimeandexperiencetobebetterProjectandProgramManagersfaster?
ThesequestionswerebeingponderedincollaborationwithBaldwinWallaceUniversity,auniversityrecognizedasacenterofexcellenceinProjectManagement,andPRADCO,anorganizationestablishedin1955tohelpcompaniesselect,developandretainpeoplewhofittheirculture.Thesetwoorganizationsprovidedtheperfectfittoanswerthequestions:
Whataretherightleadershipbehaviorsforprojectandprogrammanagementsuccess?
Howdoweacceleratethelearning?
WhataretheRightLeadershipBehaviorsforProjectandProgramManagementSuccess?
BaldwinWallaceUniversityteamedupwithPRADCOandPMIsLeadershipCommunityofPracticetosurveyover650projectmanagementpractitioners.Thesepractitionerssharedtheirexperiencesandopinionsontherightbehaviorsforprojectandprogrammanagementsuccess.
Thesurveyfocusedontworoles: ProjectManager:anindividualwhodeliversauniqueproductorservice
fromasingleproject ProgramManager:anindividualwhodeliversabusinessstrategythat
requiresmultiplecoordinatedprojects
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Surveyresultswereconsistentregardlessofthesurveyparticipantsprojectrole,levelofexperience,industry,business,organizationalsizeorgeography.Thekeybehaviorsnecessaryforgreatprojectandprogrammanagementappeartobeuniversal.
Thesurveyconfirmedwhatmostofusassume,thatProjectManagerstendtohavestrongcommunicationskills,areresultsoriented,focusonhittinggoals,areflexibleintheirapproachandprovidestrongteamleadership.Theyneedtobeflexibletoadapttochangingprioritiesandtimelines,yetabletocommunicateandkeeppeopleupdatedonprogressandtheability(orinability)tomeetbudgetsanddeadlines.ProjectManagersalsoneedtomotivateandmanagepeoplesuccessfully,makingsuretofollowuponcommitmentsandholdpeopleaccountablefordeliveringresults.Finally,itisimportantforProjectManagerstobuildtrustingrelationshipsandtoworkcollaborativelywithothers.Muchoftheinfluencingthatisdoneisofpeoplewhoarenotdirectreports,soinspiringandencouragingpeopletoworkproactivelyandasateamisveryimportant.
ThesurveyfoundthatProgramManagersemphasizemanyofthesametraitsasProjectManagerstheytooareresultsorientedandgoaldriven.WhatmakestheProgramManagerjobuniqueisagreaterfocusonunderstandingorganizationaldynamics.Itisntenoughtohaveagoodworkethicandmanagementskillsthisrolehasagreateremphasisonmakinggooddecisions,demonstratingsoundjudgmentandthinkinglongterm.ProjectsaremoreeffectivelyjuggledandprioritiesdefinedwhenaProgramManagercanbalancetheshorttermneedsofanindividualprojectwiththelongertermneedsofaprojectportfolio.
DetailsaboutProjectManagerKeyLeadershipBehaviorsSurveyfindingsidentifiedthesebehaviorsnecessaryforsuccessasaProjectManager:
Strongcommunicationskills: Promotingtwowaycommunication Keepingpeopleinformedonaregularbasis Listeningrespectfullyandattentivelytoothers
Deliveringresultsindependently:
Resultsmeetingpersonalcommitmentsandachievinggoals Proactivetakingappropriateactionwithoutbeingtold Flexibilityadjustingtochangeandadaptingtodifferentcircumstances
Deliveringresultsthroughothers:
Influencingpeoplepersuadingotherstoagreeortakeaction Goaldrivensettingandachievingshortandlongtermchallenginggoals
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FollowupmonitoringactivitiesandkeepingtrackoftheteamsprogressProvidingteamleadership:
Buildingtrustinspiringtrustandcredibilitywithothers;maintainingconfidencesandkeepingcommitments
Promotingteamworkencouragingpeopletoworktogethercollaboratively Motivatingstimulatingpeopletohigherlevelsofperformance;understandingtherewards
peoplewanttogetthejobdone Integritybeingforthright,honestanddemonstratingethicalstandards
DetailsaboutProgramManagerKeyLeadershipBehaviorsSurveyfindingsidentifiedthesebehaviorsnecessaryforsuccessasaProgramManager:
Seeingtheorganizationstrategically: Strategicthinkingplanningandanticipatingfutureimplications,thinkingbroadlyand
understandingthelongtermimpactsofdecisions Organizationalawarenessidentifyinginterpersonalandgroupdynamics;beingintune
withandadaptingtotheorganizationalculture Leadingchangeinstigatinginnovationandconstructivechange;helpingotherswork
throughchange
Understandinghowtonavigatetheorganizationtowardthefuture: Judgmentanalyzingsituationseffectivelyandmakingsounddecisionsconfidently Goaldrivensettingandachievingshortandlongtermobjectives Drivingresultsfromtwoperspectives
o deliveringresultspersonallybymeetingcommitmentsandachievinggoalso achievingbusinessobjectivesthroughothersbyholdingpeopleaccountable
Workingwellwithothers:
Communicativeexpressingideasclearlyandlisteningattentivelytoothers Buildingtrustinspiringtrustandcredibilitywithothers,maintainingconfidencesand
keepingcommitments Integritybeingforthright,honestanddemonstratingethicalstandards
HowdoweAcceleratetheLearning?Itistheageoldleadershipchallengewefindinmakingtheturnfromprojectmanagertoprogrammanagerthesameskillsandbehaviorsthatmakesomeoneasuccessfulprojectmanagerdonotnecessarilytranslatetoasuccessfulprogrammanager.Asaprogrammanager,theroleshiftsoutwardtowardanorganizationalfocus.Ittakestimeandexperiencetogainthisshiftinskills,butintodaysworldwejustdonthavethatmuchtime.Therefore,HowdoweacceleratethelearningthatcomesthroughtimeandexperiencetobebetterProjectandProgramManagersfaster?Afocusedthreestepprocesscanbeusedtoacceleratelearningandmovefromgoodtogreat.
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ThreeStepAccelerationProcess1. Understandtheresearchdatareviewthe
findingsofthisresearch.Lookatprojectandprogrammanagersthatareinyourorganization.Howdotheymatchup?Arethesethebehaviorsthatarerewardedinyourorganization?
2. Raiseyourselfawarenessthroughassessmentandreflectioncompareyourcurrentbehaviorstothoseidentifiedintheresearchfindings.
a. Youcancreateaquickscaletoevaluateyourbehaviors.Ifyouselected,forexample,Communication,youcouldask:
HowwelldoI:Expressideasclearlyandlistenattentivelytoothers?1Always2Sometimes3Occasionally4Rarely5Never
b. TakeanassessmentofyourbehaviorsofferedbyPRADCO.Itwillprovideyouwithadetailedanalysistargetingyourstrengthsandopportunitiesforimprovementinthekeyareasrequiredforsuccess.
3. Createopportunitiestoleverageyourstrengthsandminimizeyourbehavioralgaps:a. Identifymentorswhosebehaviorsaligncloselywiththeresearchandemulatetheir
behaviors.b. Selectprojectsandprogramstoleadthatprovideopportunitiesforyoutobuildtargeted
skills.c. Attendtargetedtrainingthatwillenhancethedesiredbehaviors.d. Createanactionplantodobetterinyourweakerareasandtofacilitateimprovementson
thejob.
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Background:TheSurveyApproach
SurveyDevelopmentPRADCOselectedthreeoftheirbehavioralindexestoprovidethefoundationforthesurvey:
CompetencyBehavioralqualitiesthatindividualsbringtoaroleintheareasofMotivation,WorkApproach,InterpersonalStyleandDecisionMaking
LeadershipBehaviorsnecessarytoleadandmanagepeopleandprojectsbothdirectlyandindirectly
EmotionalIntelligenceHavinggoodawarenessplustheabilitytoleverageemotionstoinfluenceanddevelopgoodrelationshipswithothers
Pilot/FirstSurveyThefirstsurveywascompletedby169InformationTechnologyprofessionalsintheMidwest(seethearticleCriticalProjectManagementBehavior,PRADCO,March2011fordetailsandresultsofthefirstsurvey).Whiletheresultsprovidedvaluableinformation,moredatawereneededtogetinputfromawidergeographicanddemographicpopulation.
SurveyDistributionAbroadspectrumofparticipants,whoworkallovertheworldindifferentdisciplines,andhavedocumentedknowledgeofProjectManagement,wasneeded.ThePMILeadershipinProjectManagementCommunitiesofPracticewashappytohelp.UnderthecoordinationofDavidDavisformerCommunityManagerofthePMILeadershipinPMCommunityofPractice,thesurveywasdistributedworldwideinthesummerof2012.
SurveyParticipantsThesurveyprovidedthediversityofparticipantsdesired.680individualscompletedthesurvey,providinganunderstandingofwhatbehaviorsaremostimportantforProjectandProgramManagementindifferentdisciplines,industriesandpartsoftheworld.Herearesomeofthedemographics:
GeographicAreaofPrimaryWorkThemajorityofsurveyparticipantsarefromNorthAmerica(CanadaandtheUnitedStates).TherewasalsosignificantrepresentationfrombothAsiaandEurope.
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ProjectManagementExperienceThelevelofprojectmanagementexperiencewascapturedfrommultipleperspectives:
Certification:MostofthesurveyrespondentsmaintainedtheirPMIProjectManagementProfessional(PMP)Certification.Inaddition,asmallpercentageoftherespondentsheldotherPMIcertificationsaswellascertificationsinPrince(projectmanagementstandardproducedbytheUKgovernment)andIIBA(InternationalInstituteofBusinessAnalysis).
YearsinProjectManagement:ThemajorityofparticipantshavebeeninvolvedinProjectManagementforover10years,followedby610years,15yearsandafewrespondentswithlessthanoneyearofexperience.
ProjectRole:ThegreatestpercentageofrespondentsidentifiedthemselvesasaProjectManager,followedbyProgramManagerandstaffinaProjectManagementOffice.Thereweresomeresponsesfromstakeholders,sponsorsandsteeringcommitteemembers/gatekeepersandprojectteammembers.
BusinessandIndustryDemographics NumberofEmployees:Themajorityoftheorganizations(48.5%)providingrepresentationinthe
surveywerefromcompanieswithover3,000employees.Therewerealsosurveyrespondentsfromorganizationsthatemployedlessthan100,from100500employees,5011,000employeesand1,0013,000employees.
FunctionalRepresentation:Morethan15differenttypesofindustriesparticipatedinthesurvey.50%oftherespondentscamefromoneofthefollowingindustrygroups:Consulting/Legal,Finance/Insurance/Realestate,Government,HealthCare,HighTechManufacturing,andServices.
IndustryRepresentation:Althoughthereweremanydifferenttypesofindustriesrepresentedinthesurvey,InformationTechnologycontinuedtobethehighestrepresentedfunctionalworkareawitharesponseof47.1%.Engineeringwasthesecondlargestrepresentationwith13.0%.
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SummaryTwoquestionswereansweredfromtheresearch:
1. WhataretherightleadershipbehaviorsforProjectandProgramManagementsuccess?
AsaProjectManagertheanswersare:strongcommunicationskills,deliveringresultsindependentlyandthroughothers,plusprovidingteamleadership.
AsaProgramManagertheanswersare:seeingtheorganizationstrategically,navigatingtogetthingsdonetomovetheorganizationtowardthefuture,andworkingwellwithothers.
2. Howdoweacceleratethelearningtomaximizeyoursuccessnowandinthefuture?Theanswertothisquestioncanbefoundbyfollowingthethreestepprocess:
1. Understandtheresearchdata2. Raiseyourselfawarenessthroughassessmentandreflection3. Createopportunitiestoleverageyourstrengthsandminimizeyourbehavioralgaps
AbouttheAuthors
Ms.LyndaCarterProfessorBaldwinWallaceUniversityLyndahasover20yearsofexperiencedesigninganddeliveringprojectmanagementtrainingprogramsaswellconsultingwithseniorleadersonallaspectsofprojectsfrommethodologydesignandimplementationtoadvancedapplicationsofprojectmanagement.LCarter@cectraining.com
Dr.KristinTullPresidentPRADCOAsPRADCOsPresident,Dr.Tullhasbecomeanindustryleaderinthecreationandvalidationofassessmentinstrumentsandcontinuestoworkextensivelycoachinghighlevelexecutivestodevelopstrongerleadershipbehaviors.KTull@PRADCO.com
Ms.DonnaVanRooyDirectorofProfessionalDevelopmentBaldwinWallaceUniversityAstheDirectorofProfessionalDevelopmentatBWDonnamanagesthedesign,developmentanddeliveryofpublic,customandexecutivelearning.Donnahasabackgroundinprocessimprovement,managementandleadershiptraining,[email protected]
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Appendix
CompetencyIndexBehavioralqualitiesthatindividualsbringtoaroleintheareasofMotivation,WorkApproach,InterpersonalStyleandDecisionMaking
CompetencyIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed
CompetencySurveyResults
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LeadershipIndexBehaviorsnecessarytoleadandmanagepeopleandprojectsbothdirectlyandindirectly
LeadershipIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed
LeadershipSurveyResults
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EmotionalIntelligenceIndexHavinggoodawarenessplustheabilitytoleverageemotionstoinfluenceanddevelopgoodrelationshipswithothers
EmotionalIntelligenceIndexSubCategoriesandBehaviorsAssessed
EmotionalIntelligenceSurveyResults
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