I’m a project manager in a matrix organization.

I manage the world around me based on a model of an ideal solution.

a.The world around me is represented through stakeholders.

 
b.The main parts of the model are:

- A specification.
- A plan with tasks, milestones, deliverables, durations, work and resources.

 
c. If I do not have a decent specification I am directionless and I will lose a lot of time, quality, and accuracy in my “solution”.

d.If I do not have a plan or if my plan does not represent “a” reality I will not be able say anything about the future of the project and I will not be able focus resources, time or energy to a specific point in time for a specific realization.

I use my hammer, screwdriver, saw,...

The tools to manage the world around me are defined in project management methodologies. They are my hammer, screwdriver, saw … Nothing more, nothing less. They do not guarantee good results. I know when and how to use them.

They include things like:
a. Risk management
b.Issue management
c.Status reporting
d.Quality management
e.Communication management
f.…

The lens through which I measure the world has several facets

a. Scope
b.Planning
c.Time
d.Resources
e.Quality
f.Risks
g.Budget

I’m obsessed by tangibles

I'm obsessed by anything I can see, put my hands on, count, wrap up, give to somebody else in the chain or give to a customer...  tangibles.

I’m obsessed by risk mitigation.

a.The further in the future the more insecure, so I divide up the work in such a way that the chance to predict/manage the future increases.

b.After a period of work (action, tasks, phase, stage, …) I expect a validation.

c.I log things that can damage my success as risk or issues. This helps me to focus on the right problem first; to communicate about the problem and increase awareness.

I’m obsessed by quality.

a.The sequence of: expectation - execution - validation -  adjustment is my guarantee for quality.

b.I manage this sequence in a chain of events between the different players in my project. Everybody is somebody’s customer, everybody’s somebody’s supplier.

I know that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

When something needs to be done I look for:

a.Smallest iteration in a series of spiral activities to solve a problem that brings value.

b.Next Incremental iteration bringing value.

I help technical people.

Technical people tend to lose themselves in technology. I respect that because without them I would not have this nice technical stuff to work on. I, on the other hand, help them to deliver real things that people want to pay for. This requires focused activity.

Most of the time I’m the only one

... that sees the end to end process, the chain of activities that lead to tangible, value adding results.

I operate remotely, from a distance.

I only intervene if I have no other option. This means that I will do everything I can to make sure that the parts in the chain operate together, from my desktop. I only stand up and walk to somebody’s desk if there is really nothing else I can do. And even then I try to make my intervention a generic one so that I build a basis for continuous improvement. Most of the time this will be: a checklist, a form, a process step, a communication, a sign off, a check in/a check out, …

I am not the most beloved person in the company.

Do not expect loud cheering. This will be compensated by the good feeling that you made the organization deliver results.