PM-in-Training Guide

“The most important role of a PM is managing people. You have to manage client’s desires and expectations … contractors and consultants, … time and money, both yours and the client’s, … and provide a high level of service as you walk your client through the process.”

On one assignment — a roadway design proposal for a new engineering client — I found that the proposed PM wanted to put his name in a number of boxes on the organization chart. I said to him: “If we put you in all those technical roles, when will you have time to manage the project?” He gave me a blank stare! I showed him organization charts from other proposals of his firm and said, “Look at a typical project organization chart.The top box is the client.The next is the PM. Other boxes show a project principal, various engineers, QA/QC reviewers, construction managers, and environmental folks. Notice that the PM’s name doesn’t appear anywhere else on the chart.That’s because the PM should be busy actually managing the project!” Another blank stare — appar- ently, having the PM actually manage was a foreign concept. Look at the components of a good proj- ect management training session.Topics include managing the client, leading the project, scheduling the project, budget- ing the project, and managing the risk. Do you see the word “design” any- where? Yet PMs still insist on being the designer, not worrying about whether or not anyone actually takes care of the client, as long as they don’t have to do it. Today, when clients make A/E selec- tions, the quality of the project experi- ence is at least as important to them as the quality of the technical work. It is the PM’s job to manage that project experience.

— Daniel Ortiz, LEED AP, project manager, RdlR Architects Inc.

Clients ask themselves, “Of the firms I short-listed, all of which are technically qualified to execute a successful project, which one will provide the most enjoy- able working experience?” So here’s the real deal for PMs — some things to remember as you manage these client relationships: • Relationships are built and measured by touches — real contacts. E-mail is convenient for sharing data, but it’s not a real touch, and you need multiple touches for the relationship to blossom. • Personal visits are best; body language, pictures on the wall, and magazines on the coffee table give clues for developing the relationship. I once knew a PM who thought he could turn a state DOT into a strategic client without ever speaking to them in person or on the phone. In two years, the firm was never short- listed by the DOT. • Learn about the client’s industry and business. To what trends must they respond? How does their business oper- ate? Who makes the decisions? What are their “hot buttons”— quality, sched- ule, crisis management, budget, others? The answers will help you anticipate

their needs and challenges — and to have alternative solutions ready in advance of the need. • Find out the client’s preferred method(s) of communication. You may discover that she expects a monthly visit, or that she prefers a phone call. • Show a client you value him by return - ing phone calls quickly. If you promise to call at a specific time, do so, even if you must report that you’re still search- ing for the information. Clients would rather have you check in to report status than have you miss a promised call. • Hard technical skills tell you what your client needs to do to get a project mov- ing, but “softer” skills — such as listen- ing — help you understand what your client really wants to accomplish. • Nothing shows your client’s impor - tance to your firm’s success like invest- ing the time to listen and understand his wants and needs. When we approach clients as an “expert,” we often talk more than we listen. Because a PM’s ability to listen can greatly improve the work experience, listening skills can become an important differentiator in the selec- tion process. So treating the client like someone whose thoughts have value can go a long way in the positioning or selection process. • In most instances, you can’t contact a client with no purpose; all contacts must provide content that has value to the cli- ent. Giving something the client values is good client care; taking up time while giving her something with no real value is just annoying.

“The role of a PM is to balance client needs, project demands, and public interests. … A successful PM uses available resources to ensure that the client, project, and public are all satisfied. The ease with which anyone can access project documents makes ‘public interest’ an important part of the … equation, particularly when blogging and social media make everyone a potential journalist.”

— Jeffrey M. Taub, CPSM, director, marketing and business development, Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates

• Make sure your client stays a vital

CE NEWS September 2011

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