“There is more?” Phillip asked. He was gaining a new appreciation for the role of the Project Manager. “This is more complex than I thought.”

“Phillip, one of the biggest mistakes a company makes when it hires people, is underestimating the Time Horizon required for the person to be effective in the position. The role of a Project Manager requires a brand new skill set, a skill set that most companies never train.”

“We talked about schedules and checklists, but you said there was another tool.”

I nodded. “Perhaps the most important tool. Meetings. Most PMs know they need to have meetings, but they just gut their way through. Nobody likes their meetings. They skip them if they can. Participation by team members hardly exists.

“Yet, if you think about it, running an effective meeting is an important management skill. It makes communication consistent because everyone hears the same thing. It provides the opportunity for interactive participation and questions. It encourages participation and promotes buy-in. It can be used as an accountability tool.

“But that rarely happens, because most managers don’t know how to hold an effective meeting.” Phillip was listening intently. It was beginning to sink in. Running the job is completely different than doing the job. -TF