Are You A Project Manager or A Project Driver

Greetings leaders!

In mentoring other project managers, I noticed there is a distinct trait that distinguishes those that are successful, and those that struggle in managing their projects. That trait is what I’ll call the ability to drive versus the ability to manage. Are you a project manager or a project driver?

So, what distinguishes a Driver from a Manager? Let me illustrate with a scenario. Suppose you are working with another group within your company and you can’t get them to come to the table and participate. You then document the issue and escalate it to the next level and you don’t get a response. A Manager will sit and wait for someone to come and resolve the issue. After all, you followed the process and now it’s out of your hands. You sit and watch. You fret and complain, but nothing gets resolved until you miss your deliverable and then someone notices and finally steps in to help. That is the path of a Project Manager. A Driver on the other hand, takes ownership of the issue and pushes it until it gets resolved. If you don’t get a response, the Driver continues to push until the issue is resolved, perhaps ruffling a few feathers along the way. A Driver gets results! So which one are you?

All the best!

All the time!

jt

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