Army of Awesome

This was the closing keynote at DPM:UK in Manchester UK on 1/28/16.

DPM? What’s that mean? It means Digital Project Manager. Okay? What’s that mean? Think about it—very few people know what it is you actually do every day. Even your mum scratches her head when you explain your job.

You need a simple explanation for the awesomeness that you unleash at work every single day. We all do. We also need a set of standards by which we all operate, because there is no path to follow when it comes to DPM. That ends now. This presentation will rally the DPM community around a set of principles that elevate and strengthen us individually, and as a community of practitioners. Let’s get fired up about what we do and who we are!

Transcript

1. brettharned.com
   @brettharned
   ARMY OF AWESOME
   DPM:UK 

   January 28, 2016
   

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2. brettharned.com

   brett@brettharned.com

   @brettharned
   Digital PM Consultant & Coach
   digitalpmsummit.com

   @digitalPMsummit
   pathfinderdpm.com

   @pathfinderdpm
   everydaydpm.com

   @EveryDayDPM
   Hi, I’m Brett
   

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3. I HAVE
   QUESTIONS.
   

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4. Who came into their career straight out
   of university as a DPM (or is a student)?
   

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5. Who holds the title “digital project manager”
   (or something similar)? 

   …for more than 5 years?
   

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6. Who would consider themselves an Accidental PM?
   

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7. YOU ARE NOT
   AN ACCIDENT!
   

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8. A VERY BRIEF
   HISTORY OF
   THIS DPM
   

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9. AGE: 5
   CAREER GOAL:
   DOCTOR
   SKILLS: ART, PLAY,
   ORGANIZING TOYS
   

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10. AGE: 13
    CAREER GOAL: DOCTOR
    SKILLS: ART, READING,
    WRITING, SCHOOL TO-DO
    LISTS, ORGANIZING CDs
    

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11. AGE: 21
    CAREER GOAL: ???
    SKILLS: ART, WRITING,
    SOCIALIZING,
    QUESTIONING EVERYTHING
    

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12. AGE: 31-CURRENT
    CAREER GOAL:
    DIGITAL PM
    SKILLS: WRITING,
    PLANNING, LEARNING,
    SOCIALIZING
    

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13. CURIOUS.
    ORGANIZED.
    COMFORTABLE BEING
    UNCOMFORTABLE.
    HELPFUL.
    COMMUNICATOR.
    DETAIL ORIENTED.
    COURAGEOUS.
    

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14. YOU ARE NOT
    AN ACCIDENT!
    

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15. WE’RE HERE BECAUSE
    WE ARE NEEDED
    

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16. BUT DO THEY
    REALIZE IT?
    

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17. “WHAT DO
    YOU DO?”
    

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18. NON-INDUSTRY

    PERCEPTIONS
    

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19. “Manages, coordinates, executes and implements the
    development and sometimes maintenance of digital
    projects such as websites.”
    

    VANESSA BURK
    EXECUTIVE CHEF
    

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20. “So what kind of projects do you manage then?”
    

    MR. MAN
    IMMIGRATIONS OFFICER
    

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21. “YOU’RE FIRED!”
    DONALD TRUMP
    BUSINESSMAN, REALITY TV “STAR”
    HAS PUBLICLY FIRED MANY PMS
    

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22. “You help teams organize their work.”
    

    SUSAN HARNED
    (MY MOM)
    

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23. THEY KINDA GET IT…
    BUT THEY DON’T REALLY.
    

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24. INDUSTRY

    PERCEPTIONS
    

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25. “DPMs keep projects moving. They maintain a clear grasp of the big
    picture, while noticing (and addressing!) little issues before they turn
    into headaches. They’re experts at articulating what’s happening, who’s
    responsible for it, and when it needs to get done, so no one—team,
    clients, stakeholders—leaves a conversation unsure what they’re
    supposed to be doing.”
    

    SARA WACHTER-BOETTCHER
    CONTENT STRATEGIST
    AUTHOR, CONTENT EVERYWHERE
    @sarawb
    

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26. “As far as I can tell project managers do nothing. But if they
    stopped doing it then I am pretty sure everything would fall
    apart. In some ways they are like oxygen. What they do is
    invisible and you take it for granted right up until the moment
    it isn’t there anymore.”
    

    PAUL BOAG
    UX CONSULTANT
    AUTHOR, DIGITAL ADAPTATION
    @boagworld
    

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27. “Digital project managers are the stage managers of the Internet. They
    keep productions running smoothly, from the first rehearsal to the final
    bow. As the communications and organizational hub for all things
    creative and technical, they ensure that all disparate parts are working in
    unison, overseeing the cast and crew and pitching in when necessary.
    Without them, the director's vision would never become reality, and all of
    us would be out of work.”
    

    WHITNEY HESS
    EMPATHY COACH

    CO-HOST, DESIGNING YOU
    @whitneyhess
    

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28. “A project manager captains the ship. Pilots the aircraft. Conducts the
    orchestra. Mans the torpedoes. Drives the bus. Alone they are nothing—
    but with the right process and team and resources—they are vital. They
    are everything.”
    

    NANCY LYONS
    CEO, CLOCKWORK
    AUTHOR, INTERACTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT:

    PEOPLE, PROCESS, PIXELS
    @nylons
    

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29. “Project management is like sweeping up after the elephants,
    only less glamorous.”
    

    JEFFREY ZELDMAN
    FOUNDER, HAPPY COG, 

    A LIST APART, A BOOK APART, AN EVENT APART
    AUTHOR, DESIGNING WITH WEB STANDARDS
    @zeldman
    

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30. THEY GET IT…
    BUT WE CAN DO BETTER.
    

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31. WHAT IS OUR PLACE WITHIN
    THE GREATER PM COMMUNITY?
    

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33. WUT?
    

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35. BUT WE DON’T GET IT.
    AND THAT IS OUR FAULT.
    WE’RE SOMEHOW RELATED.
    

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36. I WILL FIND ANSWERS
    

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38. SOURCE: https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/brief-history-of-project-management.php
    

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39. SOURCE: https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/brief-history-of-project-management.php
    … DPM!!!
    

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40. HOW DO WE MAKE OUR MARK?
    

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41. WE NEED
    STANDARDS
    

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42. 5 DPM PRINCIPLES
    

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43. WE ARE…
    

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44. CHAOS JUNKIES
    

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45. WE THRIVE ON
    PROBLEMS BECAUSE
    WE KNOW WE CAN
    SOLVE THEM
    

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46. WE BREAK
    PROCESSES TO MAKE
    NEW ONES
    

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47. WE DON’T SIMPLY FOLLOW TEMPLATES.
    WE ASK QUESTIONS.
    WE SEEK ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS.
    WE MAKE OUR OWN TEMPLATES IF WE
    NEED THEM.
    

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48. CHECK THESE OUT & ADAPT THEM
    brettharned.com/blog
    

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49. WE MANAGE WITH OUR
    MINDS, NOT WITH
    TOOLS.
    

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50. MULTILINGUAL
    COMMUNICATORS
    

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51. WE SPEAK:
    MARKETING, IT, FINANCE,
    LEGAL, DESIGN, UX, CONTENT
    STRATEGY, CODE, AND MORE
    

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52. EMPATHY.
    EXPERTISE.
    CONSISTENCY.
    WE SPEAK WITH:
    

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53. ONE-ON-ONES.
    STATUS.CHECK-INS.
    WE CREATE ROUTINES:
    EMAIL. PHONE.
    BASECAMP.
    SLACK.
    MEETINGS.
    

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54. WE LISTEN AND
    TAKE CUES FROM
    OUR TEAM AND CLIENTS
    

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55. LOVEABLE
    HARDASSES
    

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56. R-E-S-P-E-C-T
    

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57. BUILD TRUST:
    1. BE HONEST
    2. BE RELIABLE
    3. COMMUNICATE
    4. ADMIT FAULT
    

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58. WE ARE ACTIVE
    MEMBERS OF
    OUR TEAMS.
    

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59. I’M NOT YOUR
    SECRETARY.
    

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60. CONSUMMATE
    LEARNERS & TEACHERS
    

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61. WE LEARN ON THE JOB
    

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62. WE LEARN FROM
    ONE ANOTHER
    

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63. http://teamgantt.com/guide-to-project-management/continuous-pm-learning/
    

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64. WE TEACH SO WE CAN:
    1. BUILD TRUST
    2. GAIN PREDICTABILITY
    3. TEST NEW IDEAS
    4. COMMON UNDERSTANDING
    

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65. TEACHING=
    WIN-WIN
    

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66. PATHFINDERS
    

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67. BUDGET & TIMELINE
    STRATEGIC PATH

    & SUCCESS
    

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68. ACHIEVE SUCCESS
    WITH PRACTICAL
    APPLICATIONS OF
    DELIVERABLES, PROCESS,
    TOOLS & EXPERTISE.
    

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69. BE CONFIDENT.
    BE A LEADER.
    MAKE WORK FUN.
    

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70. WHERE WILL
    YOU
    TAKE US?
    

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71. DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGERS
    OF THE WORLD
    UNITE
    

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72. A VERY BRIEF EXERCISE
    

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73. WE ARE…
    

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74. AWESOME
    #weareDPM
    

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75. everydaydpm.com #weareDPM
    

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76. THANK YOU!
    brettharned.com
    @brettharned
    

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77. COMING
    SOON:
    pathfinderdpm.com @pathfinderdpm
    TRAINING A BOOK
    

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