reading this excerpt will most likely identify with a similar story. Many PMs—particularly digital project managers—fell into the role with little to no guidance or formal training. Like many before us, we have worked hard to do what feels right in the role, and have adapted systems, processes, frameworks, and guidelines to benefit us, our teams, and our projects. This book embraces that DIY style of project management: being deeply involved, testing ideas and methods, failing, and coming out better. Those are ideals that resonate with anyone in the digital industry. We’re still coming up with new ways of working, and we always will, because we innovate.
NOTE TRY SOMETHING NEW
Because digital projects are still somewhat “new,” the way they are managed is also new. So the minute you come up against the “It’s the way we’ve always done it” comment, challenge it by referencing all of the advancements that have been made in the industry. After all, advancements often call for new ways of thinking and new approaches.
Whether you accept it or not, you are a project manager. Sure, you may identify as a designer, content strategist, developer (or any of the many roles and titles there are in our industry), but as a human being, you are a project manager. Think about the most basic things you do in life, and you can apply project management to all of them: making dinner, moving, applying to college, attending a conference, even a night out with friends or a vacation. You’re required to plan, estimate, and communicate. And it’s not that hard.
This book explores the core functions of project management through the lens of everyday interactions and situations, because there is an aspect of project management in a lot of what we do as humans. The personal stories included in this book are intended for you to have a laugh (sometimes at my expense) and help you draw the connection from daily, nonwork situations to real-life project situations. By calling out these topics in unique, personal scenarios, you’ll find that you do not have to hold the title “project manager” to actually be a project manager. In fact, you’re likely managing projects—and dealing with a variety of issues—in some way every day. And no matter what you do or whom you work with, if you follow some of the advice herein, you, too, can be a successful project manager.
CHAPTER 1
You’re the PM Now
The Qualities of Good Project Management
TL; DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
The heartbreaking truth of being the project management speaker.
I had the privilege to speak at Web Design Day, an excellent conference hosted by Val and Jason Head in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2011. Naturally, my topic was project management, and I spoke to a room full of designers and developers . . . with a project manager (PM) sprinkled in here and there. I knew the room was not full of “my people,” and I was excited about it, because I firmly believed that PM skills were necessary for anyone to be successful in project work. I was up for the challenge and willing to take a risk, knowing that I might put some people to sleep. I made my presentation, which covered some PM basics, and was met with a positive response and a good number of questions. It was energizing!
After my session ended, I had a line of people waiting to introduce themselves, start a discussion, or ask a question. I was flattered by this until I spoke to the first person in line, who said, “I’ve never worked with a good project manager.”
It was like he had shoved a rusty dagger right into my heart. Really hard. And it hurt!
I recovered quickly, and we talked about the expectations of PMs, how they could help him as a developer, and what their projects together might look like. At the end of the conversation, I decided that maybe the PM in question wasn’t that bad. Perhaps the role and the expectations of that PM were never truly set. I offered my advice and asked him to have an honest conversation with his PM about what’s needed from his role and how they could partner to make the work stronger.
I like to think that my advice helped and that an unknown, wayward project manager succeeded. I know that the conversation made me even more eager to champion the cause of digital project management and set some standards for the industry.
What Is a Project Manager?
Let’s state the obvious here: project managers guide and facilitate projects with a keen sense of budget, scope, timeline, staff, and all of the complicated places in between. No matter where they work, what kind of projects they manage, or what their title is, project managers are the men and women on the front lines of projects, defending their teams, clients, and projects from miscommunication, missed deadlines, scope creep, and any other failures. They champion the well-being of the people involved in their projects and look to make or facilitate strategic decisions that uphold the goals of their projects. That’s a hefty job description, and it requires a fine balance of managing the administrative details of a project and its people. While PMs are often lumped in the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of projects, to be highly effective, they need to be part of the bigger strategic project conversations.
PMs are not robots. They are not on your team just to take notes and make sure that you’re recording your time properly. Yes, they do work in spreadsheets and follow up on deadlines at possibly annoying rates of speed. But they are not the team’s secretary. They are the project facilitator and sometimes the guiding force that makes important conversations, debates, and decisions happen. That means that while managing the operational side of the project, they also must be fully informed on the conversations that are happening on projects so they can drive action in the right direction.
There are so many intangible tasks and qualities of project managers that it’s not uncommon for people not to fully understand just what a PM does and if they need one or not. Here’s the thing: you always need a PM, no matter what. That PM might be called a producer, account manager, designer, or even developer.
NOTE THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE ROLE
Anyone can be a project manager, as long as that person is clear on the expectations of the role. If you’re playing a part-time PM, be sure to discuss what’s expected of you in the role and use some of the tactics in this book to guide your PM journey with ease.
The Role vs. the Title
There are many organizations that do not formally employ project managers. In that case, the project team absorbs the role of the PM. So, in this scenario, you’ll find a designer or developer leading client communications, project planning, and any other necessary tasks taken on to keep the project rolling. Either way, it’s not about a title. It’s about the fact that keeping up on the project is a necessity of