I recently sat down with Jo Reid, Senior Project Manager at
The Boeing Company, to talk about the ins and outs of leadership. Today, leadership is a hot topic among the
project management community because a project manager’s role goes far beyond
task-related deliverables. Although the project manager must be able to
effectively manage goals related to time, scope and cost, the work does not
stop here since the project manager must also be able to manage numerous issues
and goals, and be able to lead the people performing them.
Reid is speaking at the upcoming
ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business
Analysts 2014 conference in Seattle. He will be presenting a session
entitled, “Requirements Management Best Practices at the Boeing Company.” This
year, PW&WCBA combines professional training alongside real world
practicality for richer, more holistic leadership development. It's no wonder
it's become the actionable playbook for advancing PM and BAs for over a decade.
Check out what Reid had to say:
IIR: How do you,
as a leader, stand out in a crowd in this competitive business world?
Reid: I do
multiple activities to build and maintain my brand.
> For any project I am managing I make sure that all the
homework has been done. Risk & Mitigations, all the finance, all the
stakeholder relationships, etc. I make sure my presentations are clean and
crisp, and that I have more answers than there are questions.
> I teach, I support workshops, and I coach.
> I chair steering teams. I take minutes and publish
them. I delegate, and praise my delegates for their successes. The more I
try to make other people successful, the stronger my brand.
IIR: What are
characteristics of a GREAT leader?
Reid: Lead the way,
but know when to get out of the way!
IIR: How does a
successful leader communicate?
Reid: With a constant,
consistent message, tailored for stakeholder needs.
IIR: Can you name
a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who
has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
Reid: Judy
Churchill. I was a member of her PMO, and helped her define the organizational
Project & Portfolio Management Strategy. She was smart,
knowledgeable, committed to standards. She as fair, tough, and always had her
PM’s back. She had high expectations for performance, but was always there is
you needed help. High bar – I miss her. She died of cancer about seven
years ago.
IIR: What are the
most important decisions you make as a leader of your organization or team?
Reid: Scope, cost,
schedule, and risk.
IIR: As an
organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the “institution” to
dampen the “inspiration.” How do you keep this from happening?
Reid: Keep the
other PMs engaged and encourage constant process improvement.
IIR: How do you
encourage creative thinking within your team or organization?
Reid: Lead them
though the process of defining the problem, not the solution. I tell them they
are the experts in their field and challenge them to find solutions. They never
fail me! I also make sure EVRYONE knows it was them that created the
great solution!
IIR: What is one
characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
Reid: Integrity.
IIR: What is the
biggest challenge facing leaders today?
Reid: Unrealistic
performance goals.
IIR: What is the
one behavior or trait that you have seen derail more leaders’ careers?
Reid: Lack of
Integrity. Putting themselves first at the expense of others.
IIR: Can you
explain the impact that social media has made on you as a leader?
Reid: The
industry I support has not embraced social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). We
have tried to introduce forums and tools, but use remains sporadic.
People prefer daily standup meetings – even if it’s across 12 time zones.
IIR: What advice
would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Reid: Find a
leader you respect and ask them to be a mentor to you. Leadership is a
journey, and having someone who can be a sounding board or help remove
roadblocks makes the journey less arduous.
IIR: What are you
doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Reid: Talk to my
mentor on a regular basis. She challenges me!
Reid will be speaking at ProjectWorld & World Congress
for Business Analysts 2014, taking place in Seattle, Washington September 22-24th at
the W Hotel. The 2014 program is designed with courses for all training levels,
a robust agenda, and most importantly tangible lessons which you can begin
implementing the day you return to your office, making you even more valuable
to your organization. PW&WCBA offers attendees 36 PDU/CDUs - that's
more than half of the required credits necessary to maintain your certification
in just one place.
