Lead from a Place of Confidence
Leaders come from all types of places. Unfortunately, most of the ones I interacted with did not come from a place of confidence.
Organizing your operations as a program manager is not just about maintaining order; it's about creating a framework that supports growth and innovation. No matter how much you prepare or train for a scenario, ambiguity will find its way into the room. The success or failure of your project depends on how you maneuver the ambiguity.
I have been growing and scaling 5 figure businesses to 8 figure businesses for the last decade and it never fails, ambiguity shows up and has the potential to derail the project or program. That’s when lack of confidence shows. It’s easy to be confident when things are going great.
What does confidence look like when things are up and down?
It looks like this. As a leader it’s your job to separate your skills from what’s going on externally without sacrificing your work or value.
Source: The Self Esteem Workbook (affiliate link)
When projects succeed confidence is involved through the highs and lows and it spreads throughout the team like a wildfire.
Confidence on a team has looked like setting a blueprint of a process to follow when tasks get blurred, relying on project management skills and putting in to play all of your resources.
When things are ambiguous, it’s still possible to move forward to reach the end result. I do not always have 100% of the information. Sometimes I have 60-70% and still have to complete the project and deliver great service.
I still have to move forward to make decisions that build momentum. I do that by establishing processes that will lead to clarity.
Some tools to establish clear processes
Outline and Document a Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The goal is to create clear, step-by-step guides for tasks for the team to buy into and build confidence to get to the end result. Because it’s impossible to predict the future you need to leave room for unforeseen issues. .
Control the things you can control by automating repetitive tasks or making sure they are done first.
Some real life examples I use to keep the project moving forward are calendar invites for regular check ins and automating emails. I outline and schedule the emails I can and in real time I schedule emails to go out early in the morning vs late at night, so people don’t know when I am online. I talk about that in this clip on IG.
I also use software tools to automate processes like invoicing, scheduling, and reporting.
Regularly check in on the progress to keep the project moving towards efficiency. I use the SCRUM method on high profile projects and put regular check-ins on the calendar before the project starts to set expectations.
Managing ambiguous projects is not always easy to do. Being proactive gives you a runway to create space for the unknowns that may show up unexpectedly. It’s called preparing for contingencies.
Be a proactive Project Manager
The human mind is a robust organism. Our thoughts are powerful. As a program or project manager your job is to not only manage the elements of the project, but it is also to manage your team's thoughts by providing a roadmap to the result. A roadmap helps your team trust you to lead them through the process and set expectations so your people don’t feel like they’re free falling. You can’t control who you have to lead on your projects. People on your team have different levels of what security looks like.Some people will lean into the free falling and others will freeze. The ones who freeze could halt the project in ways that it’s hard to come back from.
Here are a few ways I protect the moment on the projects I manage.
Keep your team's thoughts and skills in the same vehicle by communicating tasks, deadlines and responsibilities in the beginning of the project and at check ins.
Talk about the priorities and the deadlines attached to them. Your team cannot read your mind. Define clear priorities and establish timelines to keep your team focused and on track. These are not suggestions. They are what help you pivot in real time to reach your results.
Foster a culture of teamwork where team members can communicate and collaborate seamlessly. Encourage collaboration by teaming up people to get the task done together versus running to you to help solve the problem.
Now that you have a plan for your time and tools let’s talk about using resources to your advantage.
Make your resources work for you
Your technical skills can only take you so far on a project and in life. Let your resources run it up for you. Like anything, use them in moderation so you don’t deplete them. Your resources come from different places. It's up to you to know how to use them.
Source: The Startup Community Way (affiliate link)
This one is my favorite. We often hear that it takes a village. On projects that looks like taking stock of your human, financial, and technological resources to understand where you can use them to your advantage.
As a leader you are responsible for everything on the project. It doesn’t mean that you have to do everything yourself. That’s where you get to delegate wisely. That means to assign tasks based on individual strengths and expertise to enhance productivity. Partner people up who can benefit from each other and get stuff done without you physically being there.
This is where your performance metrics work in your favor. Regularly track and assess performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions. This is not an invitation to micromanage. It’s a way to pivot in real time to make your deadlines.
By establishing clear processes, implementing effective project management, and optimizing resource allocation, you can transform your business into a well-oiled machine. Embrace these strategies today and watch as your business flourishes in an organized and efficient environment.
I wish you much success and sustainability in your projects throughout your career. Remember that what gets you in the door doesn’t keep you there. Learn how to run multiple plays in your career to secure the win.
