A leap of faith - engaging the CEO

Need to convey the importance of project management to a new upper-level manager or CEO? Want to know how to not put them on the defensive? Need to get your CEO’s attention? Nick Dobson, CITI Principal Consultant, explains how.

How do you convey the importance of project management to a new upper-level manager or CEO?

Stakeholder management and knowing your audience are the keys. Knowing how to clearly and compellingly present the case to the dubious executive or CEO is the first step. Once that is known the message remains essentially the same. Project management is about achieving change. As early as the late 1400s Machiavelli was telling us that the most dangerous endeavour was trying to achieve change. The problems lie with the level of risk associated with moving to an unexplored position; project management is a formalised approach to dealing with exactly such risks. With a focus on cost, benefit and risk analysis coupled to the management control of the constraints (typically cost, quality and time) it is the only rational and manageable vehicle through which to try and conduct this dangerous endeavour of change.

How can you explain the importance without putting them on the defensive?

They are already under threat; you are to be their primary ally. In essence any new upper-level executive or CEO is already carrying a mandate to achieve change. They absolutely cannot continue to do what put their predecessor out of work; the consequences would be both short-lived and inevitable if they were to try. They are therefore in a risky position, under threat to change the world…or else; and trying to carry out a dangerous endeavour… delivering change. As a project manager the best way of dealing with this is to point out that project management is the most reliable and proven ally in delivering predictable and managed change.

Is there anything you should avoid doing or saying?

It never helps to dwell on the negative but is also unhelpful to paint an unrealistically optimistic view. You must therefore maintain a ‘level-headed’, balanced and business-like perspective. Businesses can deal with unpleasant news and to some extent surprises. What it cannot cope with are shocks or deceptions that change the rules of the game (rules of the game in project management generally means the business case). This means that you should never, under any circumstances, lie or misrepresent. Once discovered doing this you are in an irrecoverable position whereby management will lose faith in you and worse, faith in project management as a profession.

How do you get your CEO’s attention?

Well, you could rely on lurking in the car park or foyer and using the time-honoured ‘elevator speech’. But, if you are a mere mortal such as the author or 85% of the rest of the project management community the best way is not the quickest. Good project managers do what they say and achieve predictable results through the reliable use of techniques and tools. These include estimating, planning, risk management and most especially effective stakeholder management. If you persevere at these you will, without realising it, command the attention of senior management and ultimately the CEO because you will be one of the few who can deliver predictable and beneficial change.

What do you do if you find out that your CEO is eliminating project management?

One is tempted to say cut-and-run! Actually the CEO may dispose of the title but the practice will remain inviolable as long as an organisation needs to accomplish change. Just accept your new title and continue to deliver effective, planned, coordinated and beneficial change and you will be under no threat. By the way, if the organisation can eliminate project management because it no longer needs to change it is time to find a new employer! How do you find a new job quickly or find a place for yourself within your current organisation? Ensure you can demonstrate your credentials. ‘Project managers’ are nickel and dime commodities by title. In practice the good ones are relatively rare. If, in line with the preceding questions, you can demonstrate integrity and a track record of applying project management techniques in successfully delivering predictable and beneficial change you will never go short of work.