Does Your Project Have a Fan Club?

Last month, I was in Milwaukee teaching a business analysis class for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Of course, any self-respecting social media participant (blogger, Twitterer, et cetera) couldn't really claim a trip to Milwaukee unless he spent some time with the indomitable (in a warm teddy bear kind of way) Phil Gerbyshak.  And even better (if that's possible) is spending time with Phil AND his girlfriend, Ellen Winters.

To say that Ellen is a great singer would be like telling da Vinci that the Mona Lisa is a "cute drawing."  She is utterly amazing with the vocals in multiple genres, especially jazz.  I've already almost worn out her latest CD.  Besides performing, Ellen also teaches music in both Chicago and Milwaukee.  She shared with me that one of the things she tells her students is to appreciate those who CAN'T sing (like me), because every performer eventually will need fans.  To paraphrase her comments, "For every one of us who is able to perform well, we need the other nine to come to our concerts and buy our CD's."

So true.

And her comments apply to project management as well.  A lot of project managers just plow through the scope and schedule of their project without much regard to those who need to support it... financially, socially and psychologically.  If a project manager is supposed to spend 90 percent of his time communicating, then a substantial portion of the communication should be building the fan base.  Just because somebody isn't sharing the stage with you does not make them any less important to the success of your performance.

Ask yourself the following:

1. Do you know who is impacted (and who just thinks they are impacted) by your project?  What is their vested interest?  Make a list of the top 20 people who need to be excited about your project.
2. How are you answering the WIIFM (What's In It For Me) question?  Do you know the value proposition your are bringing to those not on your project team?  Check your project charter or business case; this should be addressed.  If it isn't, add it.
3. How are you building excitement for your project?  Are you holding lunch-n-learns?  Do you have a Web site or a newsletter or a blog or a Facebook page or a Twitter account?  Have you unveiled a prototype so people can visualize what you are doing?
4. Are you living it?  Are you spending all your time trying to get others excited, but maybe you're not feeling it yourself?  People have a strong BS-o-meter and if the person at the top isn't excited, others won't be either.
5. Are you creating fans or evangelists?  Are the people you're trying to excite going to turn around and excite others or does the passion wane quickly?

Sure, you can ask all of the basic start up questions that are required to begin a project.  But as Ellen deftly pointed out, you can be the best performer in the world, but if nobody is there to "buy it"... does your performance really matter?

Comments

[Todd Razor]

Great post. I've been thinking more and more about the importance garnering "buy in" on projects lately. And I love the fan photo. Classy.

[Timothy Johnson]

Thanks, Todd. We all eventually learn this lesson. The question is whether we learn it the easy way or the hard way.