PM: Air Support Required!

Project Managers bring a diverse set of skills to the table, enabling them to effectively lead projects to successful conclusion. That said, we CANNOT do it all on our own.

Consider the following:

• Who establishes strategy and priorities for the business?
  • Management
• Who ordains a project?
  • Management
• Who allocates resources (people and dollars)?
  • Management
• Who makes final / critical business decisions?
  • Management
• Who alerts the business of a change in direction?
  • Management
• Who frames, kicks-off, executes, communicates about and completes projects?
  • Project Managers

Given the above, we need, we MUST have management air support to address areas which are completely out of our (the PM’s) control. To put it another way, I’d suggest that management assigning a project to a PM and then walking away (remaining disengaged) would be like dropping a soldier in the middle of the jungle, asking them to secure a remote runway and agreeing to meet them back home in 18 months.

Good luck with that!

To avoid such situations, there are key questions that Management can ask themselves, to ensure success of their PM and/or project. Those questions include:

• Am I providing the necessary air support?
• Am I leaving the PM open to attack?
• Am I actually bombing the runway the PM is trying to secure?

Following are just a couple of real-life scenarios that I’ve seen played out numerous times, along with the various (good and bad) management responses to each.

Scenario 1) A key stakeholder requests additional scope mid/late-stream on a project, for which the PM (considering team input) indicates it will put the timeline at significant risk.

At this point, management could:

• Bomb the runway by telling the stakeholder their request will be handled, directing the PM to deal with it, while keeping the same schedule.
• Leave the PM open to attack by simply turning it over to the PM to “figure it out” (i.e., your decision, but keep the same schedule and let us know what you decide), taking valuable time away from the PM and team, without understanding the request’s merit or impact on the project.
• Provide air support by listening to the PM’s assessment and:
  • When appropriate, clearly indicating (or supporting) the decision to NOT include in scope, or;
  • After understanding the merits of the request provide guidance to the PM and team on why this is SO important, reinforcing that the necessary resources will be provided, while acknowledging the end-date is now at risk…

Scenario 2) Executive Sponsor has a crucial update / course correction to share which will have significant impact on the project.

At this point, management could:

• Bomb the runway by surprising the PM in a core team meeting expecting them to turn on a dime and guide the team forward (i.e., so, how are you going to handle this?)…
• Leave the PM open to attack by asking them to share the update with all stakeholders, while not being present and/or providing details related to the course correction.
• Provide Air Support by:
  • Sharing with the PM BEFORE the rest of the team, so the PM has a chance to consider implications and be prepared to provide go-forward guidance, which demonstrates they are in complete sync with the Executive Sponsor. Then…
  • Delivering the critical update in a project meeting or email communication to the team.

The above are just 2 simple scenarios I’ve seen play out repeatedly on projects. That said, the scenarios requiring management support are vast, and without air support we have clearly identified a harbinger of a project’s demise…

Remember, at the end of the day, it is Management who is ultimately accountable for the project’s success, even though the project manager is responsible for driving the day-to-day activities. As such, project managers, know that we can, we must lean on management to provide the necessary air support. And, if we aren’t getting it by default (from excellent management) we must request / require it, or we can go somewhere else to lead projects to successful conclusion 🙂

In closing, if you are looking to improve PM performance and capabilities in yourself or organization, feel free to reach out so that we can discuss how I can help.

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