How to be a Smart Project Manager !

how to be a smart project manager? By Rizwan Saifi, PMP®, SSYB, MSC, MBA, MIT*  rizwan.saifi@live.com | www.linkedin.com/in/muhammadrizwanullahsaifi

Internet of things (IoT), hunger for the data and broadband networks have changed project management style along with modernizing the way we live our lives. Everything is getting smarter, smart phones, smart televisions, smart networks, smart cities, etc., then why project manager are not smart project managers yet? This blog will help the reader to answer the how to be a smart project manager by using today’s technology. I have included real time experiences from my project life including examples and situations from real projects I have been part of. I am confident if you read it carefully, it will change your view about being a good manager without any investment or trainings.

start office before your customer does

For the projects which are carried out in collocated environments, customer most often complains about the late arrival of the contractor’s staff. Immature project managers (once they become project managers without desired experience and qualifications, I hope you guys understand what I mean by it) feel they are the boss and they are not required to start the office in time but their subordinates only. Such minds should be changed.

Make it your routine to start your office before your customer does. As an example, if your customer starts the office by 0900 hours, make sure you start yours by 0830 hours. This will help you improve multiple ways as but not limited to the followings.

1.      It will set an example for your subordinates and all those will ty to reach the office at least the same time. This way, it will improve office arrival hours that means there will be no late comers in a couple of days/weeks, depending on the environment you are working in.

2.      If you start your office before your customer does, you can align the things for all day like appointments, getting supporting data for the meetings, other matters to be discussed or concluded with the customer, etc. That means you will be very well equipped for the rest of the day.

visit your customer, most often

Another key factor which project managers don’t consider, normally. The bossy minds tend to visit the customer only when they are called upon for meetings, discussions, bidding or other important times. This practice can annoy the customer, sometimes, especially when you have tough customer or some tough staff in the customer’s team. Make it your habit to see your customer most often, daily, if required. Seeing your customer frequently, will help maintain good relations and it will ultimately help to resolve many conflicts, claims or even to settle other matters between the two parties. Show your face to the customer, daily!

configure your official email on your mobile handset or device

Some project managers tend to use the emails on their desktop computers or laptops in today’s time. In today’s time, everything is LIVE, even the life itself. DO use your mobile handset or device to configure official email on it as well. This will help you to stay aware of the project activities. In some situations, timely reply to the customer queries or concerns can kill the issues before their birth and the reverse can create a state of conflict among the stakeholders. Attend the customer’s concerns in a timely manner and for this, your device can help you a lot. You can use default email application of your device to configure the same and stay updated.

Be Smart! Equip your device or mobile handset with an email application which can keep you responsive on the go. There are lot of third party applications available for Android and iPhone. Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, Gmail, Boxer, Spark are some of top rated email applications which you use on your mobile to have on-the-go work experience.

sync your handset and official email client’s calendar

Today itself, I received a call from one of my quality officer asking me to attend a meeting requested by the customer (customer did not invite me but the country head). You know why this happened? Country head forgot to update his calendar and did not mark the meeting; hence it was missed. After configuring the email, DO sync the device calendar with that of your email client. It will keep you alert of the upcoming events without missing them. You cannot carry the laptop always but the handset and keep them both synced all the times! I recommend using a third party applications for the sync as built-in features may not be that efficient. Sync can help you to see your customer in time and ultimately can help towards customer satisfaction.

Be Smart! Equip your device or mobile handset with an application which can keep your laptop and mobile calendar synced all the times. Team Calendar Sync is one of such application available on Google Play Store to help you on the caption. Once you will search this one, you can look for similar applications as per your choice.

strong follow-up

We mostly go through emails and do not mark their priorities. Some emails are top urgent to be answered, some needs a bit delayed response while some needs strong follow up, at some specific time while we do not record such follow-ups. This delays the follow up and the hence the email response.

Be Smart! Use the “flag” feature of Microsoft Outlook to keep yourself, reminded of the follow-ups. You can use other applications as well but why to look for one when the feature is built-in already. Efficient Reminder, 2Day, Remember the Milk, Remind-Me, Wunderlist are top 5 applications which helping you on the caption.

good integrator

Integration is the most critical element of the project management. If you are poor on it, you will end up with surprises and failure. Integration means to place all the things, well in their proper place and this can be done easily if you are a good communicator. I have seen many mature project managers who bring paper diaries to record the meetings while immature or novice projects managers are seen looking for a piece of paper and pen to record the meetings as they attend such sessions, unprepared. For both the cases, problems are observed, the first type, is not able to carry the paper diary always while the second type, cannot manage to keep record of pieces of papers they used for the recordings!

Be Smart! Adorn your device or mobile handset with an e-diary application to record the things while you are on the go. You will for sure, carry the device always but neither your notebook nor the paper diary. Day One, Grid Diary, Diaro and Momento are some of top rated applications for Android and iPhone.