PMNetwork SEPTEMBER 2015 VOLUME 29, NUMBER 9
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2015 PMI PROJECT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS PAGE 62
PMOs IN UNEXPECTED INDUSTRIES PAGE 48
TIPS FOR MAKING THE RIGHT HIRE PAGE 20
POWER Srinagarind Dam, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand
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MAKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT INDISPENSABLE FOR BUSINESS RESULTS.®
ENERGY PROJECTS WILL DRIVE EMERGING MARKETS—BUT TALENT GAPS ARE A BIG RISK PAGE 30
TAKE the Lead
LEADING (AND LEARNING) IN THE FIELD to build the trust you need to bring it home. So don’t waste time: Be committed! A couple of years ago, I was working in sub-Saharan Africa. The project was very complex and challenging, and our team there was very small. Plus, we had no office space to work in. I couldn’t sleep out of fear of failure. One night, I decided I would create an office for the team inside my bedroom. I called my colleagues to bring in their chairs and desks. I wrote some inspirational quotes on a flip chart for all to see. Everybody was so motivated by the new office and the quotes that during the next eight days we worked around-the-clock, sleeping two to three hours a day to get the job done. We delivered the project one day before the deadline. On the last day, the office became a party room as we celebrated the success of the mission. These types of challenging project environments have given me the opportunity to grow as a leader. Ultimately, leadership skills of lasting value are learned not in books or classes but in the ultimate classroom: the real world. Three years ago, I packed my suitcases and moved from Brazil to Denmark to lead the Sustainable Project Management Group at the UNOPS. Why? Commitment. I believed my experience in capital projects could benefit humanitarian projects by making sure business knowledge from for-profit environments helps a different group of clients: people in need. This remains my reason for waking up every morning with the energy to lead a team. PM
The best place to strengthen leadership skills is in the real world.
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BY RICARDO VIANA VARGAS, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMP
Every day at the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), I need to get things done while working with diverse partners, suppliers, governmental agencies, local communities and NGOs. In this environment, a project manager has to be politically savvy and able to influence and negotiate with all stakeholders. All this requires leadership skills. Some say leadership is an innate characteristic while others argue it’s an acquirable skill. Wherever you stand on that point, it’s inarguable that leadership skills can be improved. But how can project managers do this? Google “leadership” or “How to become a leader in 5 minutes” and you’ll find all types of resources that could provide guidance, from Harvard seminars to online courses and blogs. The question is, can leadership skills really be attained through books or two-day seminars? I love reading leadership books because they inspire me. I’m also a big fan of developing myself through training courses. But let’s face it, when working in fast-paced and challenging environments, knowledge gleaned from how-to books or seminars might not be easy to apply. In my experience delivering projects in some of the most remote areas of the planet, the best way to ensure team performance and create future leaders is to lead by example, to inspire and motivate team members to deliver. Before engaging your team and stakeholders in project particulars, you need to form a vision of the project and get buy-in. Once you find inspiration, communicate the vision effectively. Your team will likely follow suit, and you won’t need to search through your toolbox of management tips and tricks to get them on board. If you don’t believe in the project and fake your enthusiasm and commitment, you will not be able
Ricardo Viana Vargas, PMI-RMP, PMI-SP, PMP, a past PMI chair, is the director of the Sustainable Project Management Group at the United Nations Office for Project Services in Copenhagen, Denmark.
SEPTEMBER 2015 PM NETWORK
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