The Socially Intelligent Project Manager: Soft Skills That Prevent Hard Days

by Kim Wasson

Overview

This no-nonsense guide to social intelligence for project managers gives you a step-by-step process for building a bulletproof project team—no matter what gaps exist in personality, geography, culture, or communication style.

High-performing teams don't happen by magic. You need processes that are designed in a socially intelligent way if your team is going to overcome the modern world's tough challenges with coordination. To be a star project manager, you have to communicate with people in their individual learning styles, provide accountability in ways that won't be demotivating, and run meetings and minutes that people won't tune out. Your processes must be constructed in ways that respect the complex realities of social dynamics step by step.

You have to know your team before you can motivate them, and you have to motivate them before you can manage them. In this book are foolproof techniques to make sure your team connects with you, each other, and everyone they need to get the job done. After all, a team should be more than the sum of its parts—and it's up to the project manager to provide the glue that holds it all together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523087105
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	02/18/2020
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Kim Wasson, CEO of IvyBay Consulting, has over twenty-five years of experience in software development, project and program management, process engineering, and coaching. She has worked with individuals and organizations across industries, including companies ranging in size from start-ups to Fortune 500. Wasson is PMP certified and draws on her deep knowledge of tools and techniques to provide practical, tailored solutions for her clients.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Build Some Bridges; Why Don't People Tell Me Things? 9

2 Ask "Who's Your Hero?": One Unmotivated Person Can Ruin Your Beautiful Plan 31

3 Get Out Your Secret Agent Glasses: Why Aren't They Listening?! 45

4 Get 'Em Coming and Going: Meetings People Show Up for and Minutes People Read 65

5 Find Your Tribe: The Personality of a Team 79

6 Keep the Beat and Put on Your Party Hat: We're Working Well; How Do I Keep It Going? 97

7 Keep Calm and Carry On: Handle Emergencies Wisely 119

8 Be a Tourist; Why Do the Other Locations Seem So Disconnected? 133

9 Feed Your Team: The Magic of Chocolate, the Utility of Pizza, and the Universal Language of Food 151

10 Walk the Line: People, Process, and the Fine Art of Nagging 163

Conclusion: Wrap It Up 179

Notes 189

References 191

Acknowledgments 193

Index 195

About the Author 203

Editorial Reviews

This book gives practical advice on how to identify the strengths of the people on your team and then how to get the most out of those strengths, compensate for the weaknesses, and encourage the team to work together with a common goal in mind.” 
—Patti Gosselin, COO, Waverley 

“This stuff matters a lot to the success of projects and teams, as well as for the happiness and job satisfaction of team members. I had a lot of fun reading it—and at the same time, I kept thinking, ‘Wow, that’s a great tip/insight.’”
—Deb Kelly, former Project Manager, Google  

“Whether you are just starting to develop a team or you are already working with a good team that you want to make into a great team, this book provides a succinct yet comprehensive blueprint of how to achieve your goals.”
—David Summerville, Supply Chain Business Process Manager, Safran Electrical and Power

“Processes can be standardized, but people cannot. Kim Wasson suggests simple and effective methods to get the people involved in your project on board and motivated. I'd recommend her book to both new and seasoned project managers.”
—Cheryl Velasquez, Project Manager, Snap-On Tools

From the Publisher