Productive Laziness
As a Project Manager, have you ever been challenged to answer the question, “what do you do at work as a Project Manager”? If you have, then rest assured, you are not alone. Project Managers often struggle to put into words a response to this question. From working with contractors to build buildings, to getting a plumber to fix a toilet, there are no limits to what a Project Manager does on a daily basis. The role is in the title “Manager” which means to “Manage”. Throughout projects, Project Managers are managing things and trying to accomplish tasks while staying on track to achieve the goals within time and budget.
What is "productive laziness"?
Productive laziness is a concept tailored by Peter Taylor, our speaker for the April Chapter Meeting. We as Project Managers, are always working hard to be effective. Yet, Peter tells us that we can be just as successful by being "lazy".
Now here is the million-dollar question, but how is it even possible?
First let’s look at a few traits of Project Managers:
1) Always justifying our presence: We are always doing work like calculating, documenting, graphing, etc. Most of which might not even be useful to the projects.
2) Lack of communication: While Project Managers like to stay up-to-date on projects, it is the opposite, and we communicate less to the involved parties. We try to keep things within reach and do everything on our own.
3) Always ready for a meeting: When Project Managers are called for a meeting, we are always ready to join. PM's love meetings, sometimes even eating up the time when we could actually be working on the project.
Peter suggests in his book, “The Lazy Project Manager” that the key to being a lazy Project Manager, is to know that you can work as hard as other PM’s but still leave the office early. When you see that as a win-win, you work towards being lazier. In this scenario, lazy is not being lethargic rather it emphasizes smart productivity. Peter describes this concept as doubling your productivity by following a focused approach at both work and life. He teaches us simple techniques such as breathing normally, filtering and prioritizing and working effectively to achieve that work-life balance. The idea behind this approach is to conserve effort when it is not needed and apply it in a situation where it is much more useful. This approach will allow Project Managers to stand out among other professionals in the field as they continue to accomplish more within less time and with less effort.
What went on in March…?
In our March Chapter Meeting, Pauline Johnson taught us the do’s and dont’s of project updates and helped us understand what information is needed and why. She emphasized that while delivering project updates is a discussion about what type of information a project Sponsor needs and why, it is also an opportunity for Project Managers and Coordinators to learn about the most common errors made during project updates.
UP NEXT
Join us for our annual networking event "CLIC", on Thursday, May 20, 2021 and wow, do we have a treat for you. This year's event, hosted by the Volunteer Team, features a special lightning talk by our very own President, Ranjini Cassup, followed by our feature networking event, Battle Trivia.
For comments or inquiries, do not hesitate to reach me at [email protected].
—Ammara Mahmood, MBA
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