Coaching Project Managers

From Technical Competency to Leadership Greatness

Competencies for Project ManagersProject Management

LeadershipTechnical

Business Acumen

Leadership Environment for Project ManagersTemporaryProduct orientedNo direct control of resourcesFluid team compositionRely on influence

PM Leadership ChallengesAbsence of resource authorityMultiple projects under one project managerCompeting project prioritiesCompeting stakeholder prioritiesInternal vs. external constituenciesResources with –

Competing project assignmentsMultiple “bosses”

Contemporary Leadership Development Framework

Rely on classroom trainingFocus on tools such as the MBTI, SDI, DISC,

Thomas-Kilman, ad nauseam Prescriptive, if-then implementationGroup-based

Challenges of Leadership TrainingDoesn’t tap into the individuals leadership

potentialForces a focus on managerial actions, output

drivenAbsence of work place application and follow

throughDetermining the effectiveness of trainingTechnique driven, little translation to the real

world scenarios

Leadership Focus Leaders

Innovate, take risksDevelopInspire trustHave long-range

perspectiveAsk “why?” Challenge

See people as dynamic

Look for potentialPractice strategic

thinkingDevelop

relationshipsMeasure success by

outcomesModel behavior

Managerial Focus Managers

AdministerMaintainControlHave short-range

perspective

Ask “how?” and “when?”

Look for results, outputs

See people as staticThink tacticallyFocus on output,

deliverables

• Strong focus on “ being”• Who we are being in the moment that• Helps us produce• Keeps us from producing

• Awareness of Intentions• Alignment of Intentions and Behaviors

• Facilitative not prescriptive• Accountability• Partnerships

Coaching: What is it?

The Role of Coaching

CurrentState

FutureStateThe Gap

Identity – Who are you being?Purpose – What driving?

Long Range Intention – Where are you going?Barriers –What’s getting in the way?

Application of CoachingCoaching is partnering to developing a new

set of behaviors and ways of relating that support success in a leadership role.

PM’s generally come up through the ranks, they have developed a way of being that supports them meeting deliverables

Coaching generates awareness and when combined with new action, produces unprecedented results

Coaching vs. TherapyCoaching

Focused on producing results

Creates accountability Client Coach

Future orientedAwareness of what’s

getting in the way of success

How to shift what’s in the way

Transformational, producing unprecedented results

TherapyLooks at the pastProcessing emotionsFocused on healingAsks why

Coaching ApproachFacilitation

Project Plans – Establishing Goals Insights Actions Measurements Results

Establishing Accountability Deliverables Metrics

Coaching Exercise

TransformationAchieving leadership greatness is an

individual journeyCoaching is the vehicle the enables

leadership greatnessGreatness of “Being” attracts-• Events• People• Circumstances

To achieve the results you want!