IT Project Manager Type A is good. They work really hard. They are smart, they manage the budget, know the PMO process, connects with stakeholders, etc. They do an excellent job of reporting status of how things are going.
Project Manager Type B is Great. They do everything Type A does, but they go the extra 5%. They fix problems. They proactively manage risks and if issues blow up, they work with the team to fix them.
Put another way, Good IT PMs tell me “the house is on fire”.
A Great IT PMs tell me “the fire trucks are on the way”.
Working really hard on the 95% is good but what really matters is the crucial 5%.
For example, on a recent project, the 5% for my sponsor and users was system response times. That’s what mattered most.
If you’re working really hard and not seeing the results you want, it’s because you’re doing the wrong things with a ton of effort.
Don’t confuse effort with results.
