Handling Tough Conversations

Describing some topics and experiences about project management, and making a case for why you should practice them.

From GRWebDev meetup in January 2014

Transcript

1. tough conversations
   experiences in management of technology projects
   

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2. matters less when things
   go well
   

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3. matters more when
   things go badly
   

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4. wrong!
   

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5. actually matters
   all the time
   

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6. matthew seeley
   @maxsilver
   

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7. matthew seeley
   @maxsilver
   at
   for a really long time
   on 50+ different projects
   

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8. todo
   

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9. todo
   describe good project
   management I’ve experienced
   

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10. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced
    make a case for why you
    should practice it
    

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11. four steps observe!
    think!
    record!
    communicate
    

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13. listen to
    what is spoken
    

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14. listen to
    what is spoken
    watch for
    what is unspoken
    

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15. story time
    

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16. ask about the unclear
    examine the assumptions
    

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18. analyze the requests using
    your knowledge and history
    brainstorm with your team
    for feedback and ideas
    

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19. record
    

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20. take good
    notes
    

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21. take good
    notes
    paper !
    looks better
    

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22. share info!
    with your team
    

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23. share info!
    with your team
    maintain
    its accuracy
    

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24. communicate
    

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25. repeat what was discussed
    

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26. provide communication
    regularly and predictably
    repeat what was discussed
    

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27. never ever ever hide or skip!
    problems, setbacks, or delays
    always be open and honest!
    about the project
    

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28. todo
    

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29. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced
    

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30. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced
    

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31. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced
    make a case for why you
    should practice it
    

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33. doing project management well
    builds trust
    

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34. doing project management well
    builds trust
    encourages sustainability
    

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35. doing project management well
    builds trust
    encourages sustainability
    promotes reliability
    

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36. doing project management well
    builds trust
    encourages sustainability
    promotes reliability
    reduces stress
    

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37. our behavior
    directly impacts!
    our clients behavior
    

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38. “You are always so calm,
    I feel much better after
    talking to you”
    - the client
    

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39. #winning
    

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43. “ we have no managers* ”
    

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44. “ we have no managers* ”
    * we have people who have all the roles and responsibilities that
    a project manager would have, but we’ve relabeled them a
    “primary responsible person” so we can live in a hipster indie
    dream world where words are meaningless and work just
    handles itself.
    

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45. translation :
    “ we have no managers* ”
    * we have people who have all the roles and responsibilities that
    a project manager would have, but we’ve relabeled them a
    “primary responsible person” so we can live in a hipster indie
    dream world where words are meaningless and work just
    handles itself.
    we have managers
    

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46. if you define ‘management’
    by exclusively bad attributes
    

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47. if you define ‘management’
    by exclusively bad attributes
    then ‘management’ will
    always be bad, by definition
    

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48. if you define ‘management’
    by exclusively bad attributes
    then ‘management’ will
    always be bad, by definition
    (hint: it’s a tautology)
    

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49. so, don’t do that.
    

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50. eliminate the bad
    parts of the role
    promote the good
    parts of the role
    

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51. managers roles !
    don’t have to include :
    - being the “boss”
    - hiring or fire people
    - promoting or demoting
    - setting hours
    - enforcing policy
    - being terrible people
    

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52. managers roles !
    don’t have to include :
    - being the “boss”
    - hiring or fire people
    - promoting or demoting
    - setting hours
    - enforcing policy
    - being terrible people
    

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53. eliminate the bad
    promote the good
    

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54. matthew seeley
    !
    @maxsilver
    

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