Is there anything you particularly enjoy about teaching the program ?
TT : I like to coach . I have coached sports for years , and like teamwork , so I align PM training with coaching . I like to help the team be more successful and effective . The project management team and all the people managing jobs have challenges . Managing projects is difficult , so I help them when facing those challenges . I get a lot of enjoyment from helping the team overcome its challenges and become more successful . It helps the company ; it helps the PMs in their careers , and I like contributing to that .
What would you hope PMs would take away if they were to only take away one thing from the program ?
TT : There are nine initial training sessions , each of which has to do with communication . Communication is the number one takeaway message that ’ s important . It could be written communication when the PMs do their proposals and business development . It could be verbal communication during presentations . It could be how the PMs communicate with their team , how they communicate with the client , or how they communicate with the other stakeholders . It could also be conflict resolution communication . Communication is a recurring theme , and everything we do reinforces its importance . If the PM can be a better , more consistent and effective communicator , it will help them throughout their career . Communication is so important because we ’ re in the people business . We work with clients , and if the PM can clearly articulate a project ’ s vision and goals , they ’ ll be much more successful when we ’ re encountering challenges . This translates to the team as well . If the PM can constructively communicate with the team to let them know the scope , schedule and budget , they will also have a much easier time . The frequency of communication is also essential , and that ’ s something that sometimes we need to improve . The PM may communicate well initially but then lapse , so it ’ s important to maintain consistent communication . There ’ s also the issue of communication effectiveness , which is knowing when to be a supportive PM and when to be a little more direct . PMs have to have empathy and understand what motivates the person .
What ’ s the most challenging aspect of being a Project Manager ?
TT : As a project manager , doing each task may not be difficult , like creating a schedule or a budget , but putting it all together under pressure is the challenge . In a sport like soccer , a player may be able to independently dribble the ball , pass , shoot , and defend , but having to do all that within maybe a five or six-second period , under pressure from the opposing team , that ’ s when it gets really difficult . A good project manager can reliably combine all the different project parts under pressure . A PM may be good at managing the technical scope , but then maybe they ’ re overlooking the budget . Or maybe their client communication is lacking while meeting a scheduled deadline . Putting all these aspects together is the most challenging thing about project management .
What qualities make a good PM ?
TT : It ’ s really three things . Commitment , being diligent and being dedicated to being a PM . It ’ s being accountable and responsible for the outcome of the results and not blaming others . And lastly , it ’ s being a people person , having leadership skills , being comfortable with clients , and leading a team .
Before you go , can you tell us what the most challenging project you ever had to manage was ?
TT : I ’ ve been managing projects for 29 years , and in that time , I ’ ve handled hundreds of projects , and they ’ ve all had their unique successes and challenges . I got into project management almost by necessity . My first job was working at a small company , and everybody managed their own projects . I had to manage the work I was bringing in , and it just became something that I enjoyed because it had a lot of diversity within that role . I liked the aspect of touching all project components , and I wanted the responsibility , especially early in my career .
I ’ ve had a lot of challenging projects during my career , but there ’ s one that stands out . I opened up an office in Argentina for an environmental engineering firm , and on one project , we had to do
8 | Q3 / 2022