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7)Diligence. Everyone feels energized after a project kickoff meeting. Once the newness of that feeling wears off, and that initial momentum turns into daily work, a better project manager keeps everything aligned through diligence. “You have to be persistent,” says Carlson. “And measured.” “Whether your project is completed on time and in budget comes down to project management. Good project managers are hard to find. Better ones are rarer. Which do you want to be?” 8)Big-picture focus. Finally, as a project marches forward, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and migrate toward daily tasks and minutiae. “There are going to be times when certain activities are louder than others,” he says. “And that’s okay, just don’t let them overwhelm your focus on the big picture.” Two pieces of advice from Carlson: 1) “Don’t just ask your consultant if your project is on schedule. Ask them to prove it,” says Carlson. In other words, a better project manager is managing all the tasks and getting docu- mented proof that activities are completed. Yes, there’s a level of trust involved in working with your consultant, but you should expect transparency. They should be prepared to show you. 2) “If you are managing a project as a client, align what you need from your consultant with what’s important to your stake- holders,” says Carlson. Hiring a better project manager, and being one yourself, is one step toward professional progress. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER. Whether your project is completed on time and in budget comes down to project management. Good project managers are hard to find. Better ones are rarer. Which do you want to be? PETE CARLSON is SEH chief operations officer, longtime project manager and mentor. He can be reached at pcarlson@sehinc.com.

important communication is,” says Carlson. “It’s the real dif- ference between a good and a really great PM.” A good project manager provides updates when you ask and responds to your emails and phone calls. A better project manager is com- municating important updates and keeping you in the know without you asking. 3)Natural facilitator. Yes, you need to keep meetings rolling and on topic, set dates, deadlines and milestones for deliver- ables. But there’s more to it. “It’s not just meeting deadlines, it’s how you meet your deadlines,” says Carlson. Extenuating circumstances aside, a project milestone shouldn’t be a mad rush at the finish, but a well-paced marathon. The pace of the race? Up to the PM. 4)Quality experience. Good project managers have experience. Better project managers have experience that counts – experi- ence they’ve learned from, says Carlson. Yes, a project man- ager may have been in an industry for 30 years. But how long have they been working on your project type? “It’s not just quantity, it’s quantity of quality.” 5)Inspiring leader. A good project manager pushes the team forward. A better project manager pulls them toward their goals with a clear vision, says Carlson. Both approaches get the job done. But the latter gets buy-in from the individuals on the team and gets their best – not minimal – efforts. 6)Strong intuition. A good project manager knows the ins and outs of concepts like earned value management, and has the logic, reasoning and mental capacity to keep a project on the rails. A better project manager also has intuition. They trust their gut. “It’s hard to quantify, but sometimes you just have a feeling,” says Carlson. “A great project manager doesn’t ignore it.” “A better project manager is managing all the tasks and getting documented proof that activities are completed. Yes, there’s a level of trust involved in working with your consultant, but you should expect transparency.”

EDUCAT ION

BECOME A BETTER PROJECT MANAGER WITH THIS SEMINAR! Advanced Project Management Workshop is a one-day seminar that was developed to help higher-level design and technical professionals in A/E/P and environmental firms develop the advanced leadership and management skills to better lead projects and clients. Many architects, engineers, planners, and environmental consultants

firms. Attendees will leave the seminar knowing how to manage soft skills associated with PMs including: ❚ ❚ Profitability ❚ ❚ Developing and managing project scope ❚ ❚ Budgeting and monitoring ❚ ❚ Administrative activities ❚ ❚ Project notebooks and project management manuals

get little or no training in project management and are drafted into PM roles totally unequipped. In fact, a Zweig Group survey found that almost half of the firms surveyed did not provide training to their PMs and 76 percent rely on on-the-job training for their PMs. The agenda covers seven critical areas of project management from the unique perspective of A/E and environmental consulting

❚ ❚ Managing quality and risk ❚ ❚ Project closeout For more information, please visit zweiggroup.com/seminars/ or call 800.466.6275.

mber 28, 2016, ISSUE 1177

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