26 February 2024
S.T.A.K.E.H.O.L.D.E.R.— Manage Yourself First
Introduction
Learning practical project management is always hard work that requires putting one’s “nose to the grindstone.” Practical management skills don’t come easy, and sometimes the most brilliant of people must work hard to hone their management skills. An example is Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. He was a terrible supervisor, known for throwing expletives at his own staff, and people really hated working with him. Steve Jobs himself admitted that he lied to his most trusted partners and ditched his closest friends who stood by him when he failed during the first few years of Apple Inc. Brilliant technical brains do not automatically translate into brilliant managers. Threats, harassments, lies, micromanagement, and regular violations of rules continue to exist in many organizations.
This article discusses how a project manager can keep their eyes open and move beyond their self-drawn, self-controlled, and tightly closed circle to think outside the box. It is important to remember that this article is not advocating for a project manager to become a “say yes to everyone and everything” person. Rather, the aim of a project manager should be more of what not to become than what to become.
Duck Test Yourself
We have all heard this before: If something walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck. It applies to most managers, especially those holding a management diploma who were appointed as managers. They believe that if one can behave like a manager and walk like one—with a tie and suit and effective bark—then they can become a successful manager.
A message on the internet (without an author attribution) reads as: “Power is not controlling other people. Power is controlling yourself. Trying to control other people is the first sign that you are entirely out of control. Controlling other people is what weak people think power is.” A power-hungry project manager ultimately suffers the worst possible repulsion and becomes isolated. Many of us try to avoid those managers, even years after we quit working with them. The lesson here is that a project manager entering a terra incognita requires an open mind and a deep yearning to learn.
Per one study, there are 16 different personality types, mainly classified into four groups, as depicted in Table 1 (16 Personalities, n.d.; Carlos III University of Madrid, 2016). Inherently, we all fall into one of these groups and can become excellent managers—but only if we put our own selfishness aside and learn alongside the team.
