Getting the Most Out of The Teleconference

I just got off a series of teleconferences.  I must say that most teleconferences are a waste of time, just like meetings.  We still do them, people still don't get much out of them.  There is a way to make teleconferences more effective.  The first is to have an agenda and keep to the agenda.  Obviously, the purpose of this is to have information sharing.  So there should be one person who will present the information of that agenda items.  It is important that you don't have people talking over each other.  What happens is that when people are talking over each other everyone else leaves with the same understanding they had before meeting and no sharing took place.

Additionally, the afterward of the teleconference is important.  Send an email or have a call that will outline the shared understanding discussed during the conference call.  This will allow the participants to remember what was important and any actions associated with it.  It is a good practice.

Teleconferences do not have to be a waste of time. But they need to be done right to make it worth while.

Getting Back into the Saddle

The hardest thing to do sometimes is to get back into the saddle. As we all start to shake off the COVID-19 delays and return to a somewhat business as usual approach to our projects and programs, we all have to remember the basics of project management don't really change.

Of course some things are easier face to face.  I find negotiations in person are easier after all so much of our communication is non-verbal.  But the truth is that most of my work is done remotely or virtually anyways, so that aspect hasn't really changed.

Sure the vehicle that we use to get things done, might changed, but the methods and end product will be the same. Sometimes I feel that I get things done through sure willpower...lol.

It is past time that we all get back to work and create value for ourselves, our companies, and our clients.  Project Managers are in the value creation business for sure.

My Advice to Graduates

Since it is the season for graduation, I wanted to say a couple words of advice about being a Project Manager and starting a new career.  Graduation marks a new beginning.  This marks not the end to school, but the beginning of a new adventure.  This new adventure may take you places which you never thought you would go and do things that you never thought you would do.

My first piece of advice to new graduates is to take a course of action.  If there is no clear answer to the problem or dilemma, a bias for action is almost always better than inaction.  As a new manager, you might make a mistake or you might fail.  Making a mistake and failing is forgivable, if a lesson is learned, but inaction is not excusable.  These lessons learned will be far more valuable to your life as a manager or person than living a cold and timid life where nothing is ventured and nothing is gained.

I also think that things that come too easy are not appreciated as fully as things that have to be earned. This is an important lesson as life is going to be hard. Leadership and management are hard. I sometimes as know to say that if leadership or your job is too easy, you probably aren't doing it right. Do not shy away from the hard path, take it with gusto and remember those days as the good days.

Do not think that this first job as the only job you will ever have. You need to figure out what you can learn from the job and what the next step in your career will be.  This might mean learning a new skill by going to a course or taking a job that expands your experience.  Never stop learning and never stop growing.

Graduation is an accomplishment.  Take a moment to reflect on this accomplishment and then get to work.  Time is the only resource that you can't make more of, so don't waste it.