I was in a meeting last week discussing project management and client delivery and an executive made the point that the scope of the project is what the client thinks it is – period – and that as consultants it is our job to effectively manage expectations around scope continuously throughout an engagement.

Nailing down project scope has always been difficult, and it’s no surprise that when managing using a Waterfall/SDLC approach, scope creep and lack of scope definition are often some of the root causes of catastrophic project overruns and busted projects (Hence immense growth of Agile/Iterative… future post).  This is because, as depicted in the Dilbert cartoon, most businesses and hence most projects aren’t particularly good at documenting requirements.  And bad requirements lead to scope assumptions that will later contribute to a business sponsor being significantly underwhelmed by the final product.  However, even without perfectly documented requirements, there are ways to effectively manage project scope without having to rely on (and hide behind) some formal 100 page contract?  The key is to ensure your team is focused on the three things that contribute most to effectively managing expectations on the project: Trust, Communication, and Delivery.

1. Trust – Trust is not a nice to have – in both B2B relationships and B2C relationships – trust is critical in today’s economy where partnering and relationships are king.  Stephen Covey said “Business moves at the speed of trust” and when you are managing scope, it’s important to have that “high-trust dividend” in play.

2. Communication (and other soft-skills critical to relationship management!) – Maybe this one should be first on the list.  Why?  Because effective communication is the key to establishing trust in the first place.  In my Rockstar Project Management series, HR technology veteran Michael Krupa noted that “You can’t teach someone to be a Rockstar Project Manager. Either they “get it” or they don’t.”  We went on to agree that you can teach someone to be a ‘Good PM’, but to really excel, a PM has to have a little something extra that is hard to teach.  Part of that something extra is a great communication style, the ability to quickly build relationships, and a knack for bringing disparate and often dysfunctional teams together and moving in the same direction.  It’s tough (nearly impossible) to screen and hire for, but when you find it hold on tight, because it’s gold!

3. Delivery – Trust and communication are the currency that buy you autonomy and a little runway as a project manager.  At the end of the day, it’s still all about delivery.  Your clients are counting on you to solve problems, communicate progress, and hold up your end of the deal.  The scope may not be bounded by a formal contract, but it’s bounded by something far more important – your reputation.  I don’t advise compromising on communication, and certainly not on trust, but a client buys delivery, not friends.  Deliver.

The other interesting thing is that it really takes ALL THREE of these to sustain business in a healthy, continued vendor-client relationship.  Think about it, if you establish trust and communicate well but don’t deliver it’s a no brainer – you might get the invite to happy hour or to the weekend BBQ, but you won’t be on the project team.  If you communicate and deliver, but don’t establish trust, you may get some niche, difficult roles here and there, but you will never be the go-to resource for the client.  And if you are in a trusting relationship and deliver, but don’t communicate well, you put your business sponsor in that tough position to defend your existence without arming them with the information they need to manage up.

Do you agree?  What else would you add to the list?

Managing Scope: It’s Really About Trust, Communication, and Delivery is a post from: HR Think Tank

First of all, I think that most of the time spent in meetings is a waste of time.  I don’t think the actual meetings are a waste of time, since they are an enabler to face-to-face interaction, which is critical, but EVERY meeting should have a set duration, agenda, and a desired outcome before you get to the table.  And about that duration,  I think that in most cases, meetings should limited to 20 minutes.  There are just too many channels for real-time communication to save it all up for a three-hour marathon sessions.

In any case, in today’s business world, meetings still exist, so you should schedule them wisely.  Back when I was a road warrior consultant, I got accustomed to Monday being a travel day and Friday being a “home office” day to catch up on paperwork and local office requirements.  This schedule is convenient for both personal and professional purposes.  Personally, you don’t miss critical weekend time with your friends and family, and professionally, it pulls your real work into the most productive days of the work-week: Tuesday through Thursday.  If you have a meeting that you need people to show up to, and you want their attention, avoid scheduling on Mondays or Fridays.

Also, in my opinion the best time to schedule those meetings is mid-morning.  Ending your meeting at lunch is a great idea too – it helps bound the meeting, and it provides an opportunity for you to take your client, or your staff to lunch following the meeting.  Need to get at a senior executive?  Look for early morning, before their calendar becomes completely derailed, or early evening, where they are less likely to have their schedules blocked to handle other unexpected fire drills.

But remember, scheduling is only half the battle.  To truly excel in this space you have to master meeting execution.  The #1 reason that people complain about having too many meetings is not only because of the quantity of the meetings, but they are also being dragged through unproductive time wasting meetings with no objective and no clear articulated path to solve a problem.  Do you know your audience?  Knowing the attendees and how they consume information to make decisions is critical to meeting success.  Before you block the calendar for your next session, make sure to think through the problem, objective, and approach.  Attendees, duration, and even the venue will set the tone.  Your job is to get stuff done.  Are meeting habits in your organization getting in the way of that?

Are You Having Board Meetings or Bored Meetings? is a post from: HR Think Tank

If you know me, you know that I have a book buying addiction.  The other day, I strolled in to Barnes and Noble and saw a career help section set up.  I picked up a small book called The Job Survival Instruction Book, which is a book offering “400+ Tips, Tricks, and Techniques” on how to get, and stay, employed.  I love the tip Karin Ireland gives to readers on page 113:

Here are four types of people, and how to win them over:

1. Directors like to be in charge.  Give them facts quickly and clearly.  Let them know what to expect.

2. Promoters like to gather information and pass it along.  Help them find ways to solve problems and overcome challenges.

3. Analyzers like to question and analyze issues from all sides.  Don’t ask them to be promoters.

4. Supporters like to support others.  Let them know you appreciate their help.

Whether or not you agree with boiling down all people into these four types (or if these are even the ‘right’ types), you should certainly make it a common practice to analyze your audience – be it customers, peers, superiors, or your employees.  To be successful, you need an understanding on how they approach issues and decision making.  Knowing your audience, and tailoring the way you deliver information to help influence the outcome, is one of those ‘difficult to teach’ traits that isn’t on a resume or a job description, but it’s a rockstar trait that separates the great from the rest of the pack.

Think about it – are you assuming your customers want to see what YOU want to show them in your latest software demo?  Do they make decisions the same way, and on the same information as you?  Are you killing a superior with data and information that is impacting their ability to make a timely decision impacting your project?

Do you agree with these four types?  Do you have any experience with seeing a lack of understanding of personality types impact your business?  I would love to hear about it in the comments section!

Four Types of People: Know Your Audience is a post from: HR Think Tank

If you remember one thing today to help keep your job and help you stay on top of your game, remember this:

Excuses don’t matter.  What matters are results.

It’s an epidemic.  They are everywhere.  Don’t be that guy.  Stop making excuses, and just go get results.

Excuses Don’t Matter – What Matters are Results is a post from: HR Think Tank

Today’s guest post is from Eric Leist, a Public Relations major in Boston University’s class of 2010.  Eric blogs over at Meghan Biro’s firm Talent Culture and on his own blog, EricLeist.com

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You’ll never figure out what’s wrong with me. Am I lazy? Arrogant? Rude? I’m an enigma. A puzzle waiting to be solved. I have wired veins; technology is my DNA. I pay for pre-ripped jeans. And yes, I do expect to wear them to work.

I’m Gen-Y. Hear me roar.

Like it or not, my generation is charging into the workforce. Yep, all 70 million of us. We’re a talented herd, too. HR directors will play Ringling Brothers trying to tame us, hire us, and retain us. Most will fail.

The Gen-Y stampede of talent cannot be stopped and refined. It must be harnessed.

So for all you HR directors out there struggling with the wild Gen-Y animals, here are five characteristics we look for in the workplace. Know them. Embrace them. Love them. You’ll need to in order to attract and retain the top talent in my generation.

1) We want to wear jeans. But it’s not about the denim. It’s about the casual atmosphere. We want coworkers we can hang out with. We like relaxed environments. We’re not afraid to log long hours. We’ll get our work done before the deadline, and the results will be stellar. So what difference does it make what we wear when we work? If you don’t let us wear pajamas, at least let us wear jeans.

2) We want flexibility. Forget these formulaic job descriptions. You won’t be able to force our skill sets into roles defined by previous generations. You’re better off creating roles around our skill sets. Give us the freedom to work from home, and we’ll prove we deserve it. Gen-Y-ers don’t mind checking in on their BlackBerry over the weekend if they have the option of working remotely.

3) We want the latest and greatest gadgets. Our generation was the first to grow up with computer classes. Cell phones and texting were everything in high school. We get frustrated when we know better, faster, sleeker technology is out there and we don’t have it. The most defining value of Gen-Y is the desire to be tech-savvy.

4) We want mentors. Our grandparents held long-standing relationships with employers. We don’t. People work for people; not brands. We want to work for people who take a genuine interest in our careers. We seek out the opinions of our peers and our superiors, and we’re equally as willing to give advice.

5) We want to contribute, and we want to be paid for it. The Internet wove incredible information access into our upbringing. We competed fiercely against our peers for college admission. We’re deeply in debt after slaving over coffee machines and data entry programs at unpaid internships. Yes, we expect to be paid handsomely, but we’re eager to earn the cash and the respect that comes with it.

If we can’t find these things, we’re not afraid to start our own businesses. We’ll sculpt our own corporate cultures to fit our needs.

Eric Leist is a senior at Boston University and currently interns with TalentCulture. He has previously interned with the New York Giants, Mills & Company and 451 Marketing. When not studying Public Relations and Business, he’s an anchor and producer at BUTV10′s InsideBoston and VP of BU’s Public Relations Student Society. Eric also coaches a competitive public speaking team in Newton, MA and spends his extra time experimenting in the kitchen.

Photo Credit: Deanwissing

Harnessing the Gen-Y Beast is a post from: HR Think Tank

It was April 2009, and my small consulting firm was drinking frosty beverages and celebrating a major milestone together at a sold-out Springsteen show in Boston.  It was my first show, and I must say that at almost 60 years old, love him or hate him, Bruce Springsteen brings an intensity to the stage that is unrivaled in the music business.  While ripping out the opening chords to “Badlands”, you can’t help but laugh – it’s all a bit cheezy and you would like to think you are cooler than the sea of Bruce fanatics on the floor, but hey, you have your ticket too.  You’re there, and it’s a truly amazing show.  I said it.  It’s awesome.  You have to do it at least once.

Outside of obvious musical talent, Springsteen and the E Street Band have some serious business chops – you just can’t compile a resume like that on sheer talent alone.  They have composed an exceptional team (with low turnover for the industry, mind you), ensured consistent, sustainable customer satisfaction, consistently deliver a high-energy performance (they are known for putting on some of the longest shows in the biz), and have unbelievable brand consistency.

What else can we learn about life and business?  Read on for some keen advice in business, direct from The Boss.  No, not your Boss… THE Boss.

1. “I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, but when they said “Sit down”, I stood up…” (Growin’ Up, 1973)

Here’s an “oldie but goodie” from Springsteen about adolescence as a rebellious teenager, written in the first-person and played live over 270 times.  Good career advice too, as Samantha Ogborn recently pointed out on her blog, Oscar Wilde said it best, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” It’s a good thing to have mentors and professionals who you rely on for career advice.  It’s also a good thing to have a professional community to bounce ideas off of.  It’s not a good idea to get stuck in a group think rut, always striving to be in someone else’s shoes or doing their job.  Figure out what you like, and go get it.  It’s likely going to take some swimming against the current.

2. “I ain’t here on business, baby, I’m only here for fun” (Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), 1973)

Rosalita.  Amazing.  Bruce closed out the show with this tune.  Anyway, Matt Cheuvront just wrote a phenomenal post over at lifewithoutpants.com about the Generation “Now”.  The whole post was great, but my favorite line was: Your world doesn’t, or shouldn’t revolve around your career. Too many people get so wrapped up in where they are going with their career, that they forget to actually live their life.  My advice – work to live, don’t live to work – the best memories will never be made within the confines of your cubicle (oh, you have an office?  congrats, you probably definitely work too much! disclaimer: great times CAN be had with your coworkers, just probably not AT work).  And don’t forget, as Laurie says over at punkrockhr.com, “I would also like to remind everyone that there’s a place for creamy ice cream, cold beer, and salty potato chips when love & work are the cornerstones of humanity”

3. “Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and a king ain’t satisfied, till he rules everything…” (Badlands, 1978)

Isn’t that the truth?  How many of you went through college begging for a certain position after graduation from college?  Nearly all of you, ok.  And how many of you were actually content when you locked up that job?  Oh, none of you.  That’s what I thought.  This is one of the reasons I got into consulting in the first place – I figured that consulting could move me around enough to keep things fresh and prevent me from continuing to plot my next three positions like a chess match three months into a new job.  My recommendation – try to direct that energy to being great in the job that you are in, not in the endless search for the job you don’t have yet.  If you spend your career in this cycle of always wanting more, you are destined to be an unhappy worker, and unhappy workers tend to turn into poor performers.  And poor performers, well, they suck.  Bruce doesn’t suck, and neither should you.

What other performers lines that you know are applicable to your career?  Have you seen Bruce?  Let me hear your thoughts in the comments section!

Business Lessons From The Boss is a post from: HR Think Tank

As I was debating over what to write about, my buddy Anthony suggested I blog about the whole NBC situation. Their Jay Leno experiment had ratings dropping faster than 09′ stock prices.  So NBC is reshuffling again, with all of their hopes tied to a guy with a huge chin and one funny skit -  headlines.  So that’s all you get NBC, 50 words on #FunFriday.  I’d rather watch Eddie Murphy on YouTube.

Anyway, I digress.  You know what is funny?  Casual Fridays. Laurie Ruettimann at Punk Rock HR did a post this week on corporate dress codes and some of the comments were pretty funny.  It got me thinking about dress codes and how companies try to make up for having overly strict policies by also having Casual Fridays.

Remember the guy in high school with the strict parents?  What did he do when he got to college?  They had no personal judgment and were the first ones passed out on the sticky frat house floor waking up covered in permanent marker tattoos.  People love to go to extremes.  You make me wear a suit Monday – Thursday, so on Casual Friday I come in looking like I am about to hit the beach.

So, Corporate America, here’s an idea: Set reasonable expectations for appropriate dress.  Hire smart people that know how to adjust their business wardrobe based on their daily schedules.  I’m a fan of applying the common sense principle here.  Not every company can have a dress code like Rackspace.  As a consultant – I certainly can’t show up at client meetings wearing “hippie wear and flip-flops”.  The dress for your company should be driven by your culture, and your culture should be aligned with your business.  When companies recruit and hire good, smart candidates that are a fit for their culture – they should know how to police their own wardrobe to represent the company.  This might mean a suit, but it might mean jeans and a this cool social media t-shirt.

If someone is sitting in their cube everyday and will never see another person other than coworkers – don’t make them sport a suit and tie.  But if you do require that for no reason, remember that you are like the strict parents sending your kid off to college – just asking for your employees to rock Hawaiian shirts and overly short cargo shorts on Fridays.  The equivalent of waking up markered up on the frat house floor.

#FunFriday – Casual Fridays is a post from: HR Think Tank