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Handling Tough Conversations

Handling Tough Conversations

A longer version of my previous talk describing some topics and experiences about project management, and making a case for why you should practice them.

From GR DevDay 2014 at Davenport University

Max Seeley

March 22, 2014
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Transcript

  1. tough conversations
    experiences in management of technology projects

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  2. tough conversations
    experiences in management of technology projects

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  3. matters less when things
    go well

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  4. matters more when
    things go badly

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  5. wrong!

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  6. actually matters
    all the time

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  7. matthew seeley
    @maxsilver

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

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  9. todo

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  10. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced

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

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  12. four steps observe!
    think!
    record!
    communicate

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  14. listen to
    what is spoken

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

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  16. story time

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  17. ask about the unclear
    examine the assumptions

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

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  20. record

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  21. take good
    notes

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  22. take good
    notes
    paper !
    looks better

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  23. share info!
    with your team

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  24. share info!
    with your team
    maintain
    its accuracy

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  25. communicate

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  26. repeat what was discussed

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  27. provide communication
    regularly and predictably
    repeat what was discussed

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

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  29. story time

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  30. simple
    story time
    difficulty level

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  31. 2 weeks later

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  32. tough
    2 weeks later
    difficulty level

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  33. matters less when things
    go well

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  34. matters more when
    things go badly

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  35. wrong!

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  36. actually matters
    all the time

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  37. todo

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  38. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced

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  39. todo
    describe good project
    management I’ve experienced

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

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  42. doing project management well
    builds trust

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  43. doing project management well
    builds trust
    encourages sustainability

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

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

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  46. our behavior
    directly impacts!
    our clients behavior

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

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  48. #winning

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  52. “ we have no managers* ”

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  53. “ 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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  54. 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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  55. if you define ‘management’
    by exclusively bad attributes

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

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  57. 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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  58. so, don’t do that.

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

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  60. 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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  61. 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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  62. eliminate the bad
    promote the good

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  63. matthew seeley
    !
    @maxsilver

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