The Project Operator How to Lead Without Authority on Projects Read time: 7 minutes | 2,007 words Back in 2016, I was working as an electrical engineer on a portion of a large, company-wide electrical infrastructure program. Large budget, complex scope, and my portion relied on other team members from different disciplines accomplishing their milestones on time. But there was a problem. None of them reported to me. I had no formal authority. No direct line of control. But I was still...
13 days ago • 8 min read
The Project Operator You’re Not Cold. You’re Untrained. Read time: 5 minutes (1,250 words) I used to think being professional meant being clinical, neutral. Stick to facts. Keep emotions out of it. Be calm, collected, and logical at all times. That mindset worked just fine when I was deep in engineering work. In design reviews, technical meetings, or pulling together documentation, emotional neutrality was an asset. I could focus. Stay objective. Not get riled up. But once I started leading...
20 days ago • 5 min read
The Project Operator Build Relationships — Before You Need Them Read time: 3 minutes A few years ago, I was handed a project that came with two “bonuses”: An unrealistic deadline A stakeholder no one could reach Not “difficult.” Not “demanding.” Just… absent. She was from Finance. We needed her input to finalize the budget. But no matter how many times we reached out — emails, calls, meetings — she wouldn’t respond. I remember complaining to a senior PM on the team. He just smiled and said:...
27 days ago • 2 min read
The Project Operator Comfort in Uncertainty 803 Words I was teaching a class on Project Management recently, and a participant asked me if at the beginning of a project they would have to know all the steps for the entirety of the project. To plan for all eventualities. Know all the details. My answer was an emphatic "NO"! Many new project managers make this mistake. They try to plan for everything. They try to get perfect information. They try to know all the steps, and have all the answers,...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
The Project Operator Urgent? Why?And for who? Read time: 3 minutes I recently covered a project for a colleague who took a 3-month sabbatical. It was a long enough time for me to need get fully immersed in the project, and not just “tide-it-over” like I would do for a 1 week vacation cover. I started to get project emails. And I noticed something interesting. Out of 250 emails I received that week for that project, 132 were sent with High Priority, and a further 57 with some variation of...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
The Project Operator It Does Hurt to Ask (for what to do) One of the key mistakes I see many new or prospective Project Managers make, is to ask “what do you want me to do?”. The idea that you will be trusted to lead without trusting yourself is wishful thinking. I used to do this myself when I was in a junior engineering role. You are uncertain in your abilities. You are worried you’ll make a mistake. You are unsure what you are allowed to do. I’ve been there. And this was one of the most...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read