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focus on the global project and organizational issues, not daily concerns or actions; and |
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maintain very close association with the key departments and individuals who have the greatest impact on the overall success of the project. |
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From a functional perspective, the project leader should not be the one doing the work, but rather the individual who removes the roadblocks and greases the skids to let the technical experts get the job(s) done. Secondly, the project leader should ensure that what is being done is part of the overall project plan (i.e., ensure that the right tasks are identified, and then work to ensure that the path is clear to get them done well, on time, and within budget). Taking this perspective forces the project leader to use clairvoyant and intuitive powers to prospectively look forward and anticipate where and when problems may occur and take steps to eliminate and/or minimize those factors before they can influence project progress. |
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As we all know, no matter how effective a project leader is, problems will occur. It is advisable, however, to work through the problems rather than taking them up to management for resolution. Overall, it is beneficial to find solutions through the teams and technical experts and not push the problem up the hierarchy. Also, the project leader needs to take the position of not solving the problems for the team members, but rather encouraging them to solve the problems. In all instances, it is important to keep the management of both organizations informed of what is happening, but the project leader should take the perspective that they are informing and, perhaps, seeking advice, but not searching for answers or solutions. Taking this approach with both the team and management reinforces the concept of team empowerment and enhances the project leader's effectiveness as a leader and facilitator. |
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This is not to say that the project leader should be a wallflower but must keep a global/big-picture focus on the project. The project leader should challenge individuals and team actions and approaches, for the sake of global outcomes but should not challenge details and technical matters; these issues and questions can be raised directly by and/or through a technical expert. |
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Overall, it is very important for the project leader to be visible. There is no substitute for face-to-face contact and established personal rapport. Therefore, the project leader should be at both sites equally. |
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The team should be the venue for making project-related decisions. Therefore, once a decision is made, there should be no reason to revisit it |
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