Efficiency is key in today's fast -paced environment,
but it's not just about getting things done faster.
It's about doing so without sacrificing the well
-being of our team members. A great work -life
balance isn't just a perk. It's a necessity for
sustained success. And project leaders must take
a hard, critical look at how they've handled
projects in the past and be willing to make the
necessary changes. no matter how painful, to
achieve incredible results. Let's explore how
we can refine our project processes to not only
meet our goals, but exceed them while keeping
our teams happy and productive. I'm Wayne Robertson,
and welcome to Ignoring the Rules, the podcast
where we challenge the status quo and redefine
how to get projects done. In this episode, I
want to dive deep into the essential but often
uncomfortable process of examining the rules
that guide our project methodologies. The pandemic
forced us all to revisit and rethink the way
we approach our work, shining a spotlight on
the inefficiencies and outdated practices that
were holding us back. It's time to eliminate
the rules that no longer serve us. modify those
that need adjustment, and double down on what
truly works. I want to meticulously scrub project
plans to uncover what works, what doesn't, and
how we can streamline every aspect to achieve
maximum efficiency, outstanding results. But
it's not just about the plan. It's about the
people. How your project team is organized, treated,
and led. can make or break your success. And
so in this episode, I want to focus on project
leaders and exploring how they can implement
changes that propel the teams to new heights
of success. Whether you're managing a small team
or overseeing a complex multi -layered project,
this episode will provide you with actionable
ideas to drive your project forward faster, with
greater quality and accuracy than you've had
before, probably. Let's dive in and discover
how ignoring the rules can lead to extraordinary
success. How can we ignore the rules? Well, it
started many years ago when I struggled to get
technical projects completed on time and meeting
the goals. After several years of working with
team members and management, I slowly developed
new methods of handling projects. It was a long
process of trial and error, but eventually some
clear tactics became obvious. If you are working
on any kind of project, you can benefit greatly
from the ideas in this podcast. I spent almost
40 years working in technology and leading projects,
and really enjoyed those many projects for large,
medium, and small companies. Hey, picture this.
You're at work sipping your coffee when suddenly
your boss drops a bombshell project on your desk.
And you look at the timeline, and you wonder
if they're secretly auditioning you for a role
in a comedy show. Because, let's face it, that
schedule is a joke. But fear not, because here
on Ignoring the Rules, we're going to find ways
to turn your project nightmares into success.
Faster than you can say budget overrun. But now
you might be wondering, what qualifies you to
comment on this? Well, let me tell you. I have
survived more project disasters than I care to
admit. Even a few I caused. From missed deadlines
to huge budget blowouts. I've seen a lot of it.
But, you know, every scar tells a story. And
if there's one thing I've learned, it's that
laughter is the best medicine. Of course, followed
closely by a well -executed project plan. So
grab your hard hats, folks, because we're about
to embark on a journey filled with sticky notes,
status meetings, and more acronyms than you can
shake a pert chart at. Whether you're a seasoned
project manager or just trying to figure out
how to keep your inbox from exploding, this...
podcast is for you. Because when it comes to
business project management, the only thing we
take seriously is having a good laugh along the
way. And I'm just trying very hard not to take
myself too seriously at all times. The following
story is fictional because I need to keep the
actual experiences confidential. But it illustrates
some key issues that arise in getting projects
done. And this is the story of Jack, a project
manager who was responsible for completing a
highly complex technical project. At the outset,
he followed all the conventional rules of project
timelines and task allocations and strict adherence
to company procedures. But despite his best efforts,
the project began to crumble. Deadlines were
consistently missed. Tasks were delayed, and
the team was becoming increasingly frustrated.
Morale was low. And to make matters worse, some
valuable team members decided to leave for other
opportunities. Realizing something had to change,
Jack took a step back to analyze the situation.
He scrutinized every aspect of the project, the
team dynamics, and the company's culture. And
through this introspection, he came to a very
critical conclusion. The rules he was so diligently
following were actually hindering progress. Those
rules were more about maintaining the status
quo than about achieving success. He understood
that he needed to shift his focus entirely, away
from the rigid rules, and toward the well -being
and efficiency his team members. With a clear
plan in mind, he started making significant changes.
He identified which rules were merely habits
and began ignoring them if they didn't directly
contribute to the project success. He emphasized
the importance of work -life balance, encouraging
his team members to ensure they had enough time
for their personal lives and families. And this
was a radical departure from the company's usual
approach, which often placed project demands
above everything else. The initial implementation,
I'll tell you, of these changes was tumultuous.
The team was uncertain, and there was pushback
from those accustomed to the old ways. But Jack
persisted, and soon the results were undeniable.
Tasks were starting to get done faster, with
higher quality, and the team members were noticeably
happier. The atmosphere on the team transformed
and productivity soared. So word of this success
began to spread throughout the company. Other
employees, intrigued by the positive changes,
started to request transfers to this project,
eager to work under a manager. who prioritized
their well -being and made their work easier
and more fulfilling. Ultimately, the project's
success caught the attention of upper management.
They were impressed not only by the results,
but by the innovative approach that Jack had
taken. By ignoring the rules that didn't serve
the project's goals and focusing on the team's
needs, he had turned a floundering project into
a remarkable success story. You know, they say
the customer's always right, but if you're in
project management, it's more like the customer
is always rewriting the requirements. And you
know you're in trouble when your project plan
has more revisions than a Hollywood script. No
thanks. Now, one of the steps I took was when
I flipped the normal organization pyramid on
its head. and putting the working team at the
top and myself at the bottom. I've spent over
36 years working in technology on a wide variety
of projects, and this was one of the major changes
I end up making. By the way, a side note here.
The hardest part was telling my parents what
I did for a living. My father was a mechanic,
a farmer. He was in World War II. A hands -on
person who could not understand how I could make
a living without using my hands. I didn't have
a wrench or a hammer. I told them I had great
team members, and I gave them overall goals and
helped out when there were problems. And when
they asked what I did each day, the best I could
come up with was I held meetings, talked on the
phone, wrote many emails, filled out documents.
And my father was stumped. He said I thought
the team was professional and just knew what
to do. And I had to explain that each team member
has to be given information and goals as to what
needs to be done. They don't just know them automatically.
And it was very hard for him to understand. So...
You know the standard project leadership shows
the management at the top of the team pyramid
However when I pondered this The most important
people are those that are normally down at the
bottom Those are the people that are doing the
hands -on work by flipping the pyramid The most
important team members the ones doing the work
are at the top My job as a project leader was
to support and take care of those team members
and make sure they could get their work done.
So, I want to mention that I don't have all the
answers to project problems and sometimes I wonder,
did you have any at all? But I want to present
a whole series of ideas for your consideration.
And if I do nothing more... then to get you thinking
about how we get projects done, that will be
fantastic. I've not been very good at following
all the rules for projects. I remember the line,
individualism is fine as long as we all do it
together. Not for me. I was left standing out
by myself. I did not follow. So in addition,
over a number of years, And I've got to say,
a lot of help from team members. I've been able
to develop a number of new methods of getting
projects done on time and in budget without harming
the team members with 19 -hour days. And early
on, I focused on several things that didn't work
out too well. I'm taking myself too seriously.
I'm not that important. Micro -management. That
was pretty tough. I did that a lot. Single focus
on deadlines and not anything else. I had bad
time management. I didn't value team members
enough. And I was a total mess -up on work -life
balance. So there were a couple of good guiding
principles that I wanted to follow in all of
this. 0 .99 % of all employees want to do a good
job. And the second guiding principle is people
are the most important part of any project work.
Many project leaders ask themselves what they
were thinking of when they pursued this career,
because projects are the cornerstone of business,
and getting these done is so critical. This is
also an area where humongous mind -busting problems
can occur. And there are solutions. I'm going
to give you ideas about changing methods of getting
these projects done that, for some people, might
seem revolutionary. And I know this is all a
controversial topic, but have no fear. I'm happy
to put my head down and charge into it. Regardless
of your position in the project, whether it be
at the working level, all the way up to chief
executive, these ideas will apply. But I want
to warn you that going through these examples
will provide a new set of ideas that at first
blush look crazy. All I ask, stay with me, and
I promise it will make sense. Hey, before we
dive into that, I want to start with a very...
Interesting example. And I call it the Betty
Crocker effect. In 1952, the newly developed
cake mix was just add water. Women, and by the
way, it was never men, added water and baked
the cake. Presto. Just pouring the cake mix powder
and water into a bowl, mix it, and then bake
it magically resulted in a cake. But... sales
were moderately successful. The recipe was reformulated,
and the woman making the cake needed to add one
fresh egg, and sales soared. Curious? Well, upon
further investigation, they found out the housewife
felt that she had an investment, and that she
actually made the cake. And now when she said
she made the cake, she felt she made an honest
statement, no lie. Well, this issue is going
to be a prominent part of this podcast. We need
to involve each team member in the project and
make sure they are not only contributing to the
project, but they feel like they played a great
role. Scoff if you will, but I've proved it in
past projects and we'll discuss in depth in future
sessions of how we can make this happen. I implemented
many different methods of getting projects done
and so I found out that there's a great need
to make some changes and you're going to have
troubles. Guess what? Not all are going to work
out well. And my methodology provided maximum
freedom to each team member. to get the work
done while providing overall guidance on what
needs to be done and supporting each team member
daily. And I worked with a large number of very
smart people. And they did heavy lifting in the
work. And I was there to watch, to help, to assist
wherever I could. And in the beginning, I was
one of those horrible project leaders that caused
so much grief to many. I came across this idea
when I thought about who gets the work done.
Because I realized when I was leading the teams,
I didn't do any of the actual work. And therefore,
that is why I flipped the organization chart.
And you would not believe the grief I got for
flipping that thing on its head. You would have
thought I was asking project leaders to resign
their position. Smart people that I highly respected
fought me on this. But undaunted, I've gone ahead
and been extremely happy with the results. But
in the early days, I made many mistakes. And
my goal here is not to just dwell on the mistakes,
but I want to point out what can happen. The
first one is procrastination. I'm the king of
procrastination. I have to discipline myself
to keep moving. Now, this type of project manager
has never heard of the word punctual, sometimes
not too bothered about it. When it comes to deliverables
and schedules, these project managers always
seem to miss the deadlines, and they push tasks
further on for a later time. They fail to deliver
on a routine basis, and don't seem to attain
the results they were required to reach. Another
problem is micromanaging. Because I felt no one
did it the right way. And the right way just
happened to be my way. Amazing. Well, this type
of bad project manager doesn't mean ill, but
tends to go the extra mile to look into the work
performed by the project team members. This person
looks through every piece of manageable task.
Not a single detail is spared. And often this
behavior can get project team members feeling
a bit suffocated as they aren't allowed their
space for creative or hard work. These managers
want to be updated every now and then about each
and every development that takes place over the
span of a workday. And while they can try these
ideas on new project team members, most often
than ever, breathing down the neck of an experienced
team member's throat can lead to dissatisfaction
among team members who actually perform heavy
-duty work. So, a high -level view of the tasks
for the day or the week should be enough for
a project manager to plan and to perform the
allocations of tasks. But for bad project managers,
this is not enough. Too sunny. Hey, I developed
a new word. Super optimist. Everything is going
to work out great. And this type of project manager
loves feeling high and wants everyone on the
team to feel the same too. And I agree, optimism
is a good thing. But overly optimistic forms
a whole new story altogether. This is most of
the case with new project managers as they only
like to see the bright side of things and refrain
from addressing the pressure points or the pain
points of a project. This can lead to a lopsided
project and disrupt the real picture that the
project team needs to look at. And so as a project
manager, they will need to look at the project
in a very real sense. and indulge in tough decision
-making ventures. Sugarcoating is this bad project
manager's forte, and not everything in life and
business is a piece of cake. So if you're dealing
with a bad project manager who has a perpetual
smile and a hint of lunacy in believing that
everything is perfect, then you're at the mercy
of someone who is mad. The other side is everything
is terrible and my new word is super pessimist.
That's strikingly opposite of the optimist. This
type of bad project manager might not even see
the glass there, much less half full. While a
pessimist can give you and your team a reality
check on the project's activities, they will
only worry and emphasize about the tasks yet
to be completed. and the difficulties they might
pose in the future. These project managers don't
look at the team's and the project's past achievements
and reward the team for that. There is no recognition
or acknowledgement of any sort, and this routine
work can be quite depressing and can push team
members off track, even if they were doing a
good job before. These pessimistic project managers
will severely criticize the work that hasn't
been done without paying attention to the excellent
work that they do. Another problem is a grain
to everything, and that was at one point my Achilles
heel. This type of project manager will allot
you to multiple tasks in a day and overburden
you immensely, because they can't say no. This
project manager is the yes machine of your team,
and since the position is that of a leader, you
can expect senior management cascading a lot
of work down to you. And the main problem with
this project manager is the fear of conflict.
These individuals, they don't intentionally mean
to cause a situation of work overload, but with
the constant yes, they... don't realize that
they are sabotaging the project plan as well
as the peace of mind of project team members.
They simply are afraid of confronting and putting
their foot down in front of external clients
or senior and top management. I was thinking
the other day, but of course thinking is exhausting.
I don't plan to do that too often. When I was
a line worker in a project, the view was so much
different when I became a project leader. The
view from project leading is end -to -end. But
as a worker on the project, I just cared about
my activities. And, you know, looking back over
my experience in life, I remember hearing from
adults when I was a child. If you asked them
how they were doing, they would say, meddling,
just meddling. Well, life is too short. to be
just middling. And while there are always some
bad times, there are so many good times in life.
And so I am dedicated to helping people to be
the most successful they could be in their work
and life in general. And my parents were those
wonderful salt of the earth people that worked
so hard. My father was a mechanic and a farmer.
He worked so much harder than I ever will. And
he was so concerned about me that I did not take
to physical labor, put a hammer in my hands,
and everybody and everything around is in danger.
Turn me loose on fixing a car, and it may never
run again. And I found farming to be a bore.
But I did enjoy reading and learning new stuff.
And this actually did happen. We had chopped
the large tree into small pieces, then split
those up into four smaller pieces with an axe
to be burned in the stove, because we needed
to keep the house warm in winter. I was reading
a great book at the time, and was very intrigued,
so I kept the book in one hand and carried one
stick of wood at a time, and my father about
had a stroke. At one time he was concerned and
felt I would have a hard time earning a living,
because for a man born in 1919, not being able
to earn a living with your hands was a huge problem.
My father knew I worked in technology, and he
was not clear in what I did. If you didn't touch
something, he didn't understand what was accomplished.
You would ask me if I built computers? No. Do
you fix them? No. Do you create software? Not
anymore. I tried to explain that I work with
smart people who did the work and I help manage
the projects. And after a long pause, he then
asked, do you get paid for it? Oh, yes. Well,
okay, he said, at least someone sees value in
what you do, whatever it is. It was just too
hard for him to understand. He didn't understand
the role of management. And he asked why people
just didn't know what to do, and why they needed
someone to lay out the requirements, because
he had never worked in a project environment,
as all of his work was repeated every day, and
everyone knew what to do. Over the years I had
the fantastic opportunity to work with a huge
number of great people, both very senior experienced
and new graduates. And I also let my fingernails
grow longer so I could have something to chew
on when everything went bad in a project, which
was often, and that is normal in a project. If
you want to have a job where everything goes
smoothly without problems, I wouldn't recommend
projects. I've found projects to have extreme
lows and extreme highs, and sometimes on the
same day. But it brought a special thrill. My
family wondered if I was okay. And I want to
tell you that I was very successful in projects,
and I was. Eventually. But it took a long road
to get there. It was horrible in the early days.
But after long discussions with hundreds of team
members over the years, I was finally able to
come up with a few methods here that turned out
to be successful. But I owe all of those people
so much. as they gave me great feedback on how
they felt about their work. And after endless
questioning by me, I came to understand what
they wanted and how they wanted to work. And
that understanding helped me experiment on new
methodologies of getting these projects done.
Now, in the beginning, it was awful, and I was
stumbling around. But after much experimentation
and a lot of feedback from the team, there were
a number of things that came obvious to all of
us. Now, in addition to the team members, I was
responsible to upper management. There I also
stumbled around trying to find something to work.
And after a number of bad days and meetings with
upper management, there were some very kind executives
who coached me on how to work with them. Fortunately,
with the guidance of these executives, I focused
on some methodologies that enabled me to work
with them successfully. That does not mean it
turned out perfectly. It just means the stumbling
was less. And so over the years I've documented
those elements that worked and didn't work so
I could track some good ideas. And I want to
tell you that many of these things I did went
against the common thought of the day on how
to get projects done. Well, let me tell you this.
When I was a child, my parents were exasperated
with me as I constantly questioned, Everything.
And sometimes they took it personally. I adored
my parents, but I was so curious at how things
were done and why certain decisions were made.
I was very inquisitive and just loved to learn
about life. And while I was a continuous problem
growing up, this actually turned out to be a
great thing in my career as I looked at every
work step I did, trying to figure out how this
could be done better or easier. Now, my parents
were frustrated with me because they would ask,
why can't you just get the work done rather than
trying to figure out how to do it better? And
the stories I could tell you about my experience
as my teens trying to do things better is endless,
both good and bad. Hey, I may do that on one
of the episodes because it may help others in
similar situations. But I want to tell you about
team members, starting with engineers. They were
the unsung heroes of projects. They were the
ones that turn our wild dreams into concrete
realities, often with a sprinkle of duct tape
and a whole lot of caffeine. Picture this. You've
got a project deadline looming like a dark cloud
over your head, and the clock is ticking, the
pressure is mounting, and your engineers are
huddled around the computers like a pack of wild
wizards trying to conjure up a solution. And
just when you think they're on the brink of a
breakthrough, someone accidentally unplugs the
coffee machine and chaos ensues because coffee
is so critical. Now, let's talk about project
planning. You've got your timelines, your budgets,
and your meticulously crafted blueprints. Everything
seems to be going according to plan. until someone
points out a tiny detail that threatens to derail
everything. Cue the engineers armed with their
trusty spreadsheets. In an arsenal of that's
-not -in -the -spec excuses, but hey, who needs
a plan when you've got a team of engineers who
can MacGyver their way out of a situation? And
let's not forget about the joys of testing and
debugging. You've spent months working on a project,
pouring your heart and soul into every line of
code and every circuit board, but just when you
think you've finally cracked the code and everything's
working, you press the big red button and...
nothing. It's like watching a sad clown trying
to juggle flaming torches. Entertaining, but
ultimately a disaster waiting to happen. But,
hey, that's what the beta testing is for. And
who needs sleep when you can spend all night
chasing down elusive bugs and pondering the meaning
of life? And in the end, despite the sleepless
nights and endless meetings and the occasion
existential crisis, there is something magical.
about watching a project come together. It's
like witnessing a masterpiece unfold before your
very eyes. Now, I grant you a few more explosions
and a lot less dramatic music, but here's to
the engineers, the wizards of the modern age,
the masters of chaos, and the true heroes of
project completion. So I want you to join me
on this journey as I take you through the joys
and the tears of getting projects done. If you
are a line worker, lower -level management, upper
-level management, in a large company or small,
this podcast is for you. I think you'll find
great info regardless of your role. I will warn
you, I need to confess I'm very strange. If you're
looking for a podcast that provides information
in a well -laid -out manner without bizarre ideas,
this is not for you. However... If you like ideas
that at times seem to be out past Pluto, this
is the one. Thanks for tuning in to this episode
where we discuss the many different methods of
handling projects. And if you enjoyed this episode,
please rate it and review us on the platform
you're listening on. The reviews help us reach
more people. Also, I look forward to getting
your feedback as I learn from you on those comments.
And please feel free to disagree with me because
that's how I learn. Be civil in your responses
and I will be a very interested listener. And
please go to WayneRobertson .com for the latest
new episodes and additional information about
this new world of getting projects done. And
you can find the different locations where you
can conveniently listen to the podcast. Subscribe
to my mailing list. Find free documents I've
created, news and information about upcoming
podcasts. I also welcome comments about subjects
you would like to see in the future. I don't
have all the answers, but I'm always happy to
see your comments and information. We are all
in this together, and the more we share information,
the better we all will be. So let us know what
you found that works in your projects. and I'd
appreciate hearing from you. I'm Wayne Robertson,
and it's been a pleasure being with you on Ignoring
the Rules podcast. Hey, thanks for listening.
And remember, it is all about people. So until
next time, take care.