PM ADVISORY:

Sense of Urgency – The Missing “Project” Link

By Donald A. Pillittere

Introduction

Maybe it's due to my Type A DNA, but I've noticed something very disturbing about project teams recently, they just don't have a sense of urgency anymore. This is not the uncontrolled running from the burning house urgency, but the drive to kick the competitor's backside! In fact over the last couple of years it has become obvious that the sense of urgency amongst my project team members has taken the path of Jurassic Age dinosaurs – a future as compost. It's as if they've lost the battle before the very first team meeting. What was once a vibrant group of people, like fans at an NFL game (Raider fans excluded), has transformed into high school seniors at a library. Individuals struggling to complete homework, while waiting for the bell to ring so they can escape and do something more enjoyable.

Has project history with its inherent propensity for delays taken the edge off of teams? Has the frustration of the typical project journey that traveled 25 miles to transverse a mire 10 feet after missteps and redirections pushed team members to reserve energy to survive? Has the constant threat of layoffs and the desire for self-survival, fostered an environment where workers know that hard work doesn't always pay? Well, as US teams crawl at a steady pace throughout a project, global competitors outpace us to market with superior products and services.

It has become so bad at times, that team members in close proximity fail to meet face-to-face to discuss issues. Instead sending the occasional email that ends up being unread until it's on the critical path. Even the functional barriers that 1980s business books tried to mitigate have come back into fashion. Everyone is waiting for someone, anyone to tell them what to do, when to do it and how to do it? Independence of thought, creativity, and tenacity, has been lobotomized from team members. There is just no energy to speak of when it comes to project teams. 

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About the Author Donald Pillittere Author Donald Pillittere, is a Subcontract Manager with ITT Space Systems Division, LLC, where he manages activities related to the design, manufacture and deployment of space system products. He previously worked as the Director of Product Engineering and Program Management with Transonic Systems Inc., where he managed R&D activities for the development and launch of a medical flow measurement product portfolio as well as the Phases and Gates process for adherence to health, safety and EMC regulations. Mr. Pillittere has consulted on a wide range of projects including the launch of a new CD-authoring product and the redesign of a factory site. As Worldwide Product Manager for the Eastman Kodak Company's Professional Division until 2004, Mr. Pillittere managed the development and introduction of numerous award-winning products that exceeded sales projections and profitability goals. With Kodak, he also held positions in the Health Sciences Division and with Kodak Health Imaging Systems, Inc. Mr. Pillittere has taught graduate courses in Operations Management, Manufacturing Strategy & Tactics, Managing Manufacturing Resources, and Supply Chain Management as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) since 1999. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in Electrical Engineering; and an MBA from RIT in the USA. He can be contacted at dpillit1@rochester.rr.com.