project managers from hell!

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PROJECT MANAGERS FROM HELL!5 TRUE TALES FROM TROUBLED TEAMS

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Project managers take on massive pressures: staying on top of a million details, while motivating a group of people to deliver on a tough deadline.

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You do enough of that, and it could mess with your brain. You might easily end up becoming a…

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PROJECT MANAGER FROM HELL !!!

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The following stories a

re based on horrific rea

l life

experiences. Names hav

e been removed to prote

ct the

innocent and the dama

ged.

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Story #1: The Status Addict“Is It DONE, YET?”

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There was a project manager on the East Coast who insisted on 2 daily status meetings with the team:

• One in the AM to dictate to-‐do items to everyone.

• One in the PM to berate people for unfinished tasks.

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Don’t Be Like Them: Stop Micromanaging! 1. Allow people to pick their own to-‐dos. 2. Hold them accountable for these tasks. 3. Don’t berate them for missed deadlines… 4. Instead, help them overcome roadblocks.

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Story #2: PAPERCLIP INSPECTOR“IT LOOKS MESSY. REDO IT.”

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A PM was tasked to prepare massive info packets for the press. After several sleepless nights, the small team was done preparing printouts & assembling packets.

At which point the PM tells them to redo every last one because the paperclip indentions made the papers look messy.


Don’t Be Like Them: Overlook Inessential Details! 1. Abide by the project brief. How does it outline the completed project?

2. Deliver a product that meets your commitments and which the customer wants.

3. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Even if this means paperclip indentions.

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Story #3: The CODE COUNTER“How many lines did you code?”

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And then there was the PM who didn't have a background in software, but managed software developers. He judged the productivity of his engineers by counting the lines of code they produced. (Wrong!)

Though he didn't stay long, his exploits became — wait for it —legendary.


Don’t Be Like Them: Know Your Industry! 1. You can’t manage what you don’t understand. 2. LEARN: Take classes. Ask questions. 3. Don’t pretend you know. Your team will smell it

a mile away.

Story #4: The BOTTLENECK“Only I will talk with stakeholders.”

At a project for a tech giant, the PM was the only one communicating with the client, then passing info to the team. Directions were vague.

When they were 90% done, the client decided the current work was not what they wanted. The team had to scramble through all-‐nighters to meet the client's needs and deliver on time.


Don’t Be Like Them: Encourage Collaboration! 1. Allow the team to speak with stakeholders directly. 2. Check with stakeholders early and often. 3. Provide a minimum viable product in the first 20%

of the timeline so no one’s time is wasted.

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Story #5: MIRACLE DEMANDER“I expect the impossible.”

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And then there was the demanding PM in charge of a corporate video project who kept telling the video crew to "make the CEO look good."

They tried soft focus, special lighting, and every other camera trick available. They spent countless days trying to make magic. Unfortunately, the CEO just wasn't that telegenic.


Don’t Be Like Them: Set Realistic Expectations! 1. Don’t expect the Sistine Chapel ceiling from a guy

with crayons. 2. Know your project (and team’s) limitations. 3. Work toward an end goal with realistic parameters.

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Remember: Being a Project Manager isn’t about being the “boss” or acting like a monster. It’s about leading a team to create a product that comes in on time, under budget, and pleases customers.

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project managers from hell!

Leadership & Management