PM ADVISORY:

Emotional Intelligence! Key Differentiator for Successful Project Managers

First in a series on Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers

By Marge Combe

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

• A ‘blame controversy’ arises between a project manager and a customer about who was at fault in misinterpreted requirements.

• Although a project manager captured the requirements the client requested, the client is unhappy because he didn’t really get what he wanted.

• Poor interpersonal relations between some members of a project team threaten to undermine the success of a project.

Project managers need to interact favorably and clearly with project sponsors, stakeholders, and project team members. Success in this endeavor is sometimes compromised by stress-creating deadlines, changes to project requirements, ambiguous requirements, frustrated or unengaged project sponsors/stakeholders, and differences in opinions in the project team.

When project managers react to this common stress in a way that is deemed unprofessional, they damage their reputations and the reputation of the entire project management organization. When project managers fail to effectively read and respond to emotions and ‘wants’ of their clients and stakeholders, they may be viewed less as leaders and more as order takers.

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About the Author Marge Combe Marge Combe is a coach/consultant with Vernal Management Consultants, LLC (VMC), a firm specializing in the professional development and effective business practices of leaders and leadership teams (www.vernalmgmt.com). VMC currently coaches a number of leaders and business owners in the project management profession, including some in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. Marge joined VMC in 2008 after more than 35 years in portfolio management, strategic planning and large-scale change management for Northwestern Mutual and Whirlpool Corporation. She has leveraged that experience and a passion for coaching and mentoring into a consulting and leadership coaching role with special focus on her roots: the people side of change management, planning, and project management. Marge is a former PMI board director and Chair of the Strategic Planning and Program Alignment Committee. She was instrumental in shaping and leading a Fortune 500 Project Management Benchmarking Forum. She is certified in coaching through Lominger International and in emotional intelligence through the Institute for Health and Human Potential. She was the 2007 recipient of the Woman of Influence Award for mentoring. Marge can be contacted at mcombe@vernalmgmt.com). For information about Vernal Management Consultants, visit www.vernalmgmt.com.

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