Lee | The Practical PMO

Overwhelmed at work?
Try a task intake list.

Start with a spreadsheet with:
- Task
- Who assigned it
- When they assigned it
- When it needs to be completed

This can help you have data to help you (or your boss) prioritize your ad hoc requests.

Easiest way to meet a project timeline?
Reduce quality (but selectively)

How?

Maybe instead of glossy PowerPoint slides you make a simple word doc for updates.

Maybe an internal training is a screen share walkthrough instead of a polished video.

Focus on fancy only where it gives value.

Don’t launch big process changes on Friday.

Foreshadow the change you will launch Monday - along with the training and support you will provide to help them learn.

Then everyone has a good weekend.

People RARELY read meeting minutes.

How do I manage this? An action log.

It’s literally a shared spreadsheet called an action log with a tab for:
- Actions
- Decisions
- Blockers
- Meeting minute links

This way if someone forgets what happened in the meeting they aren’t searching their inbox.

Underrated skill:

Reducing the costs of making decisions.

- Meetings have an agenda and pre-read
- Emails have a clear ask and context
- Timelines are not missing tasks
- Wikis are regularly updated

Do not confuse:
“time to complete a task” with
“time available to complete a task”

Friday email pro-tip:

If it can wait until Monday, wait to send.
If it cannot wait until Monday, why?

Friday email pro-tip:

If it can wait until Monday, wait to send.
If it cannot wait until Monday, why?

The best emails are reader-centric.

1) Ask for what you need
2) Give context for your request
3) Confirm your deadline is realistic

Every email needs a goal. Do you want to:

1) Share information with someone?
2) Get them to do a task?
3) Ask a question?

Build your message based on your goal.

The best meetings feel like a well-curated dinner party where every wants to come back.

I love the “host” part of hosting a meeting.

Project Management is about empathy.

Answer these ?’s before changing a process:
1) Why is my job changing?
2) Why wasn’t I consulted?
3) Does my boss know about this?

Meetings are better than emails when:

The person presenting gets a chance to shine in front of someone who can promote them.

You can’t guarantee the email will be read.

Minimize tasks everywhere possible.

You want to optimize the ROI of your time.

How to be an empathetic project manager:

- Ask in advance for a team member’s time
- Explain why their skillset is needed
- Share why the project matters
- Ask if it aligns with OKRs
- Always say thank you

Good decisions require great prep work.

I help execs make better choices by explaining every choice with:

- What they’ll gain
- What they’ll lose
- How long they have to decide
- Who else has already bought in

If I think about work on the weekend I:

- Set a 10 minute timer
- Write everything I’m thinking about
- Once timer goes off return to weekend mode

Before you write a work email, think:

“Would I like this email to be forwarded?”

My favorite part of project management is helping people with their exec presentations.

90% of the time it’s about:
- Fewer slides
- Not just reading the slide
- Clear reason why exec should care

Good: We need an SOP

Great: We wrote an SOP

Incredible: We automated the process instead of documenting the confusing steps.

Deadlines need to be practical.

I am not frantically refreshing my email at 11:59PM to confirm something arrived by EOD.

I make things due when I have time to take action on the results - like by 12PM next day.

“By EOD” is such a vague deadline.

I make things due when I have time to take action on the results - like by 12PM next day.

Projects can help you get promoted.

But they also can be a huge waste of your time and cause you to miss your day job metrics.

Project Management Tip:

The best meeting titles give CONTEXT.

People are busy, let them know in the meeting title how you plan on using their time wisely.

Meeting names are a missed opportunity.

❌”Meeting”
✅ “45-min Project X Brainstorm (+Preread)”

Sitcoms tell an entire story in 22 minutes.

Your meeting is probably too long.

How to maintain work life balance:

If you get a new project added, say:

“I can make time for this if we deprioritize X. Does that align with your goals for me?”

Before scheduling a meeting, ask yourself:

“Is this the best use of everyone’s time?”

Before rolling out internal changes, answer:

Am I asking the team for feedback, or am I telling them what is changing and when?

Hint: Asking is always better than telling.

I help people filter my emails.

Subject line: “Project Name” …..

It’s the little things that show I care.