“Drive results!” was the first bullet point of my responsibilities in my long-ago written job description. As a seasoned project manager who is no fan of command and control, I take this to include some seriously good collaboration and appreciation for the team members that are doing the daily work.
The projects I manage are highly technical though I myself have zero engineering or science education to my name. I rely on the team to provide that. I bring the organization, communication, and the knowledge areas the PMBOK professes to be essential.
Sometimes individuals do not like boundaries, rules, or phase gate requirements. Project managers live by them. They are in place for reasons. Nudging, prodding, pleading, or heavy reminding come with the territory in projects. After all, we must “Drive results”!
In my Q1 review, it was brought before my boss and HR that I was aggressive with the team I manage. Sure, the project was on time, sure many things were out of my control, sure the client was happy; but the lead scientist, my colleague, said I was aggressive.
How aggressive, I asked? Did I demean? Did I use vulgarity? Did I threaten? Did I demand? Did I tattle? Did I throw under the bus?
No.
How aggressive, then?
He said you were aggressive.
My boss was salivating at this opportunity to tarnish my reputation and my record. I looked at the HR manager and mentioned the old “the woman is aggressive but the man is assertive” cliché. It was alive and well right here in this supposedly progressive organization. Upon my statement, she was quick to jump to my defense and illustrate to my boss that, indeed, unless there was a true infraction here, this was not going to stick. Some people here are a little too thin skinned she admitted to me.
I dodged that arrow for the day but believe you me there will be more to come. I am aware of that and that is why I am part of and writing for Consultesque. Now the wisdom part for all:
Consultesque Says: Demeaning, demanding, or shouting is not the way to drive a project. Ever. Speaking from a platform of respect, understanding, and mutual desire for success will always win out. If you are a team member and your PM is behaving that way, speak to them about this or escalate it to the next level. Your dignity is important. If you are the PM behaving this way, how are you still in that job is what I would like to know? For my own organization, your messaging about equality and diversity reads well—but not too deep down below the surface—the firm’s integrity is torn apart one valuable employee at a time with episodes like this. You have such a long, long way to go to drive results in the DEI department.