{"id":16312,"date":"2018-01-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lamp-lifeboat-ladder-ordinary-project-managers-become-remarkable-people-leaders\/"},"modified":"2022-04-11T13:23:42","modified_gmt":"2022-04-11T18:23:42","slug":"lamp-lifeboat-ladder-ordinary-project-managers-become-remarkable-people-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lamp-lifeboat-ladder-ordinary-project-managers-become-remarkable-people-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Be a Lamp, Lifeboat or Ladder: How Ordinary Project Managers Become Remarkable People Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There are those who think that the number one job of a project manager is \u2014 if you\u2019ll forgive the tautology \u2014 to manage projects. However, there\u2019s an even deeper and more important role that project managers should perform, regardless of whether they\u2019re developing software, launching a marketing campaign, building a facility or carrying out any other important objective: leading people.<\/p>\n

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Indeed, while it can easily get lost in the frenetic chaos that characterizes many projects \u2014 especially those that still use spreadsheets, emails and home-grown apps instead of enterprise-grade SaaS project management software<\/a> \u2014 at a fundamental level, project managers are responsible for ensuring that the people on their team don\u2019t just succeed, but that they GROW.<\/p>\n

To help project managers of all experience levels embrace this career-changing responsibility \u2014 and potentially life-changing opportunity \u2014 let us be guided by the sage advice of the 13th century poet, jurist, scholar, theologian and mystic Rumi: \u201cBe a lamp, a lifeboat or a ladder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Be a Lamp<\/strong><\/p>\n

While designs range from classic elegance to ultra-futuristic (some even light up when a favorite sports team scores), the primary purpose \u2014 i.e. the thing that makes a lamp a lamp \u2014 is illuminating the immediate surroundings, so that people know where to go; and just as importantly, where not to go.<\/p>\n

Project managers also need to illuminate their team members with tools that provide 360-degree visibility of their domain (e.g. development, testing, QA, marketing, professional services and so on), so they know where they\u2019ve been, where they are and where they\u2019re headed. What\u2019s more, this radiance cannot be limited to the workplace. Team members also need to access real-time visibility in the field, in remote offices, at the airport waiting for a flight and anywhere else their work journey takes them.<\/p>\n

Be a Lifeboat<\/strong><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter how robust and comprehensive project plans are:<\/a> as every project manager knows, it\u2019s only a matter of time before issues emerge; some that will be beneficial, and others that will be negative (and still others that are both\u2026and neither).<\/p>\n

Throughout this process, project team members can find themselves struggling to remain afloat due to an excessive \u2014 and in some cases, unsustainable \u2014 workload imbalance. And since this typically happens when the environment is chaotic and frenetic, their cries for help aren\u2019t heard. Before long, instead of a cohesive team, it\u2019s \u201cevery man and women for themselves\u201d \u2014 not due to selfishness, but out of self-preservation.<\/p>\n

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Project managers sail an essential lifeboat for their team members when they use enterprise-grade project management software to:<\/p>\n