Over the years I have been on both ends of constructive (and not so constructive) criticism.  Quite frankly, I still struggle with doing this flawlessly every time, but I've put together some guiding principles that I try to work under and thought might be helpful to you:

When I wrote my first book in 2004 my publicist told me, "you've got to write articles to get your message out and sell books!"  Being a good soldier I saluted and contemplated how I was going to get it done.   My publicist turned me on to a ghost writer who wrote an article under my guidance.  After paying way too much for the article and seeing the finished product, I vowed never again to have someone else write for me.  I decided that if I had crappy articles it was going to be because I was the one who wrote them, not because I paid someone to write crappy articles for me. 

When I wrote my first article, I decided on the topic and just started writing.  It was a disaster.  The content was disjointed, lacked focus, and made no sense.  It also took me hours and hours to produce a piece of garbage.  There had to be a better way.  Fortunately I found it after a lot of trial and error.

It's happening more and more; managers are being asked to manage virtual teams of people that may or may not have a direct reporting relationship to the manager.  Some find it easy to do, but many others find it difficult to garner the respect from team members who don't have to follow the manager.  Get a few helpful tips to help you next time you're asked to manage a virtual team.

Excerpted from Six-Word Lessons to Avoid Project Disaster

As a young hot-shot information technology (IT) project manager I was convinced that I had it all together. I was bound and determined to show all those more senior to me how to deliver successful projects. It wasn’t until I messed up not one, not two, but three projects simultaneously that I grew up and recognized I wasn’t all that I thought I was. While that period in my professional career was particularly painful, it was also some of the best learnings I could have gone through. Since then I’ve had successes and failures, but the failures became less frequent because I learned to get comfortable with others providing a critical eye on my work and helping with the necessary precision questioning to keep me out of hot water. This is the genesis behind Six-Word Lessons to Avoid Project Disaster.

Following are 15 lessons focused on the project sponsor and the questions to ask to ensure active, focused, and engaged project sponsorship.

1. Lesson 1 - There was no project sponsor assigned - A non-existent sponsor translates to poor support from a business organization, particularly when higher-priority work emerges. Question to ask: Does the project have an engaged and committed sponsor who feels the pain of the as-is situation?
   
2. Lesson 2 - Sponsor didn't advocate with his organization - A poorly advocated project translates to inconsistent business organization support and confusion as to what the sponsor expects. Question to ask: Has the sponsor effectively communicated the project scope and goals to his/her organization?
3. Lesson 3 - Sponsor lost interest in the project - A sponsor losing interest is usually an indicator of business priorities changing or the sponsor's management having weak interest. Question to ask: Does the sponsor remain committed to the project and his he/she continuing to support the PM and the team?
4. Lesson 4 - Sponsor changed; new one didn’t care - Sponsor change mid-flight can also be accompanied by different priorities or marching orders. Question to ask: Does the new project sponsor care about the project?
5. Lesson 5 - Sponsor wouldn't meet with the PM - Sponsors who don’t make themselves available to a PM typically mean the project is either not important to the sponsor or the sponsor has bigger fish to fry. Question to ask: Is the sponsor cancelling meetings or not making him/herself available to the PM when the PM needs him/her?
6. Lesson 6 - The sponsor kept changing project scope - Unanticipated scope changes from the sponsor typically mean scope is not physically written down and agreed upon or “selective memory” on part of sponsor or PM.  Question to ask: Is the scope statement clearly documented and regularly reviewed with the sponsor and PM?
7. Lesson 7 - Sponsor wanted elegance versus "good enough."- Over-polishing the apple on features can contribute to cost and schedule overruns. Question to ask: Are the features meeting the need without additional bells and whistles that are beyond “good enough”?
8. Lesson 8 - The wrong users were on project - Putting the wrong users on a project can create gaps in capabilities that get discovered after solutions late in the development life cycle. Question to ask: Are people accountable for in-scope capabilities represented on the project?
9. Lesson 9 - The sponsor wouldn’t make difficult decisions - Sponsors unwilling to make difficult decisions contribute to solutions that won’t align to to-be business needs. Question to ask: Are there outstanding issues assigned to the sponsor that are going unresolved?
10. Lesson 10 - Sponsor wouldn’t kill project not needed - Priorities change. A project once deemed important may not be important due to shifting priorities or environmental changes. Question to ask: Does the project still address a problem the sponsor and his/her management sees as important?
11. Lesson 11 - Major policy changes needed weren’t understood - Sponsors who don’t understand and act on mandatory major policy changes can create business failures once the solution is implemented. Question to ask: Are policy changes clearly documented and is the sponsor being held accountable for driving the policy change?
12. Lesson 12 - Sponsor got too overconfident with scope - Some sponsors can get overconfident if the project appears successful by squeezing in additional scope items, causing potential issues with delivery if things go wrong at the end. Question to ask: Is the sponsor asking for additional work to be done late in the project which could jeopardize schedule?
13. Lesson 13 - The sponsor didn’t secure the funding - Sometimes funding takes a back seat to getting something done on time. If the funding isn’t secured by the sponsor, the team risks an overrun or unplanned staffing reduction midflight. Question to ask: Has the sponsor secured the funding to get the project done?
14. Lesson 14 - Sponsor wasn’t clear on the problem - Not articulating a clear problem to be solved can lead to increased scope due to chasing “shiny object” problems. Question to ask: Is there a clear, quantifiable problem statement that clearly defines what project success looks like?
15. Lesson 15 - The benefits didn’t justify the cost - The sponsor needs to ensure that the expected benefits support the cost of getting the project done. Ideally a financial analyst develops and certifies the cost/benefit analysis. Question to ask: Is there a clear cost/benefit analysis that is updated at key project milestones to ensure project makes financial sense to do?
    

Want to know the ten most important attributes of a best-in-class project sponsor? Check out Be a Killer Sponsor.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
See his books on Amazon.

Some time back I was the executive sponsor responsible for developing a facility strategy for a new line of business. I empowered one of my project managers to develop the strategy which we would jointly present to our management. We both had visions of what we expected in the strategy but I didn’t ensure our points of view meshed.. My project manager was very competent in her job; however mind-reading was not one of her skills. The day before we were due to present the strategy, I did a walk-through with her. It wasn’t anything like I envisioned, and I knew the strategy in its current state wouldn’t be well received by our management. We went through a fire drill to get the strategy to a state where I thought it would be better received. We survived the review with our management, but it didn’t go nearly as well as it could have gone, and we went through a lot of pain (including a sleepless night) to rework the strategy.

I don’t fault the project manager one bit for the misstep. It was totally on me that the strategy wasn’t what I was thinking because I didn’t ensure our expectations were aligned at the outset. I also didn’t put checkpoints in place along the way to ensure we stayed aligned. It cost us not only in additional work but in relationship trust. I blew it.

My story unfortunately is just one of many I’ve seen and experienced through the years where expectations were misaligned. Due to my experiences I’ve become manic about setting and aligning expectations, so much so that when I get misaligned it’s like being punched in the gut. It’s at the leader’s feet to ensure clear expectation alignment when empowering someone to get something done. Those leaders who just expect someone to ask the right questions on the what, who and when of getting something done are just asking for frustration and rework. This is a “measure-twice-cut-once” application; a little extra work up front to ensure alignment can save a lot of downstream pain.

Need help to better define and stay aligned on expectations? Consider the following five tips:

1. Be crisp on the what, who and when – Expectation alignment starts with an intentional understanding of what needs to be done, who needs to do it, and when it needs to be done by. Be specific, including specific dates and named owners. Also take time to understand other’s expectations and drive getting to a common vision.
2. Wireframe the deliverable – For a more complex deliverable it may be worthwhile to wireframe out what the deliverable needs to look like, whether it be a table of contents, a picture, or some other means that brings clarity to what “done” looks like.
3. Take regular checkpoints – Develop an agreed-upon follow-up rhythm to ensure that deliverable progress is on track and any deviations can be caught early. See my article on Fostering a Follow-Up Culture for more.
4. Outline clear actions if there is a deviation to the deliverable – It’s certainly possible for there to be a deviation to the deliverable whether it be content, date, or some other factor. Ensure clear agreement exists among stakeholders as to how changes will be communicated, what decisions the deliverable owner can make, and what requires agreement among the stakeholders.
5. Articulate the consequences of misaligned expectations – When expectations do get misaligned, be clear on both the business impact and how stakeholders are impacted. For example, misaligned expectations may mean a date slip which might impact downstream activities. Being clear about the consequence helps keep everyone aligned on the importance of producing a timely desired result.

As leaders, it is your job to take the lead on clearly aligning expectations for delivery. In this “measure-twice-cut-once” approach, well defined expectation alignment means less execution friction. Your team needs it.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
See his books on Amazon.

As a young manager I was on a particularly difficult assignment that had attention all the way up to the CEO of the company. The executive leading the project was a very seasoned and intentional leader who executed as well as anyone I’ve ever seen drive a crisis initiative. His ability to stay on top of the work was like nothing like I’d ever seen from other leaders in the organization. During my annual review with him, I asked what he saw as a crucial attribute of a successful leader. Without missing a beat, he gave me two words which continue to shape me as a leader: follow up.

Through the years I’ve seen how follow-up (or lack thereof) contributed to a team’s ability to successfully deliver results. Organizations that have follow-up in their DNA simply execute more friction-free than those who don’t. The leader stays better aligned with the work happening in the organization, and the followers better understand and execute to the leader’s expectations. I’ve seen it in my own experience as a leader. As my leadership skills matured and my follow-up ability became more autonomic, I saw first-hand how we were able to get things done more effectively. I also saw another benefit--my timely follow-up behavior reduced the number and magnitude of crises I had to deal with. I was more on top of what was happening, was better in sync with the team, and more engaged when the team needed my help to get something done.

Fostering a follow-up culture isn’t difficult to do, it just takes discipline. Get the ball rolling by instituting these seven follow-up tips:

1. Be known as a follow-up fiend – Simply put, when people know you follow up on commitments, they’re more likely to do what they agreed to. Be consistent and timely with follow-ups and do it every time. Followers know those leaders who follow up and those who don’t and are more likely to shirk responsibility if their leader’s follow-up is inconsistent or absent.
2. Establish a follow-up cadence – In my article Intentional Empowerment I talk about the importance of a follow-up cadence when empowering someone to own solving a problem. A deliberate follow-up frequency is crucial to ensuring that you as the leader stay abreast of progress, as well as being available if your help is needed. Make sure you set an appropriate frequency, establish clear expectations on what will be done in each follow-up meeting, and that you live up to the follow-up commitment.
3. Establish singular points of follow-up ownership – Follow-ups assigned to “the team” mean no one owns it and it’s less likely to get done. Ensure any follow-ups you give have a clear, singular owner who can be held accountable for delivery.
4. Get them to summarize the what and when – At the end of a meeting if there are follow-up actions required, ask the accountable person to send you an email describing the follow-up action and when it will be done by. Asking them to do it better ensures an understanding and agreement as to the follow-up action and due date. After you get the email, copy it into your calendar on the follow-up due date for you to do then follow-up either in-person or by email.
5. Acknowledge actions – Great follow-up leaders treat follow-up actions as important and followers want to feel their work wasn’t done in vain. When someone follows up on an action you requested, don’t just be silent. Even a quick “Thank you for following up” response tells your followers that their work was important enough for you to take the time to act upon it.
6. Be real – If a follow-up was well-done, say so. If it wasn’t, say so. Creating a follow-up culture means you encourage good behavior and correct bad behavior. Be courageous and direct with both encouraging and correcting.
7. Walk the talk – The best leaders who drive accountability through follow-up do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it. They do it not only for their leaders but also for their followers. When followers can rely on their leader to live up to a commitment, it not only sets the example of follow-up, but also speaks volumes as to the leader’s integrity.

There’s simply no reason not to establish and foster a follow-up culture. Just take the time to make it top-of-mind and instill the importance of it to your team.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
See his books on Amazon.

Want an energetic and informative keynote to drive and expand followership in your organization? Lonnie's popular leadership book  Why Don't They Follow Me? can be delivered in an engaging keynote that will give the audience impactful tips they can immediately apply to boost  leadership skills and strengthen followership.

Here's how it works:

1. Lonnie holds a one-hour meeting with the sponsoring leader to understand current leadership pain points and how to best address them with the audience.
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Need to see more? Check out a sample chapter from Why Don't They Follow Me?

In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company introduced a new formula for its Coca-Cola product, calling it “New Coke.” Consumer reaction to the new formula was negative, and within three months the original formula was revived and rebranded as “Coca-Cola Classic.” The company was faced with a decision-- keep the new formula and try to change consumer perception or abandon the product. The New Coke product was ultimately discontinued in July 2002. As the company navigated their choices, the alternatives were about how to recover from a bad situation, with its management faced with minimizing a profit hit and negative consumer sentiment.  Their decision path ultimately worked out well (with some speculating that New Coke was a marketing ploy to stimulate sales), but the decisions along the way were painful choices meant to minimize loss. 

A huge part of a leader’s job is making decisions based on informed alternatives which articulate both the positive and negative consequences of the decision. The typical mode of operation is to look at pros and cons and do a pros to cons weight assessment of which alternative’s pros best outweigh the cons. But what about when there aren’t any pros, yet a decision needs to be made? I’ve seen leader decision-making hobbled because there is no good alternative in the decision set, looking for pros in a sea of cons. There’s no good alternative, so it’s about choosing the least-worst alternative.

The mechanics of least-worst alternative management are really no different than looking for a best alternative. It’s all about the mindset decision makers adopt when embarking on the decision. Being overt about recognizing the chosen decision isn’t about bringing benefit, but about minimizing hemorrhaging. It gives decision makers the freedom to make the best decision without the burden of justifying the lack of pros supporting the alternative.

Next time you are faced with choosing between worse and more-worse alternatives, keep the following six factors in mind:

1. Forget about perfection – Perfect alternatives with no downside rarely exist. Don’t put unrealistic standards on decision alternatives that can’t be achieved.
2. Set expectations with decision makers up front – Be deliberate with the decision-makers that the alternatives aren’t optimal and that you’re looking for the least painful course of action. Using the term “least-worst alternative” helps cue decision makers as to the type of decision they’re making.
3. Ensure the right people are involved in the decision making – looking at worst-case alternatives may mean including additional people, i.e. someone from the public relations group in a decision affecting customer perceptions, to provide input. Be clear on whether they only provide information to support decision-makers or are included as decision makers. 
4. Articulate worst cases for decision alternatives – For each alternative ask the question, “What’s the worst thing that will happen if we do this?” Make sure the worst case is reasonable and aligns to the organization’s mission and values.   Also be on the lookout for unreasonable “the world will end” scenarios from pessimistic decision makers.
   
5. Assign a singular accountability owner for the chosen alternative – Alternatives that have fuzzy or undefined ownership most likely won’t get done. Ensure there is a singular named owner of the alternative with clear articulation of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by.
6. Define a follow up rhythm – Define how and when the accountable owner will update decision makers on chosen alternative progress and what the course of action will be in the event the chosen alternative is not working. Also be clear as to whether updates will be via meeting or email.

Navigating through bad alternatives isn’t fun, but having the ability to skillfully and objectively get to a least-worst alternative is a crucial skill the best leaders possess. Keep top of mind whether you’re making a maximize-benefit or least-worst decision and ensure your decision makers understand the type of decision they’re making.

Lonnie Pacelli
Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Autism Advocate | Author | Project Management Expert | Microsoft/Accenture Veteran 
See his books on Amazon.

Want to drive and expand followership for you and your leadership team with a minimal time investment? Turn Lonnie's popular leadership book Why Don't They Follow Me? into a customized leadership team book discussion. Get relevant tips you and your team can immediately apply to boost  leadership skills and strengthen followership.

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1. The sponsoring leader reads the book (1 hour)
2. The sponsoring leader and Lonnie meet to review each lesson and agree on relevant points to be made with the leadership team for each lesson (1 hour)
3. The leadership team reads the book and completes a self-assessment prework assignment (2 hours)
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Interested? Let's connect to help you and your leadership team boost those leadership skills and create an environment where followership thrives.

Need to see more? Check out a sample chapter from Why Don't They Follow Me?