Project Management seems simple enough, but the role is like being in a sporting match—when you are on, you are on.

Project Management seems simple enough, but the role is like being in a sporting match—when you are on, you are on. Your continual task is to catch and strategically hand off projects to the team – just like balls in sports! Catching, saving, volleying, deflecting—just like in tennis. Ever go up against the automatic ball launcher? Some days project management can feel just like that.

Managing projects vs. tennis matches

Like in tennis, matches and projects both come in various forms and are riddled with complexity: 

• Contract negotiations and amendments, 
• Managing communications, 
• Resource assignments and management, 
• Changes in scope, 
• Moving deadlines, 
• Changing and sharing resources, 
• Client delays, 
• Reviewing deliverables, 
• Juggling projects, 
• Shifting priorities,
• Upselling, 
• Managing conflict, 
• Delivering the product, and more.

No two tennis matches are the same. Managing two different projects is never the same either.

As a project manager, people often ask me, “How do you do it? Superpowers?” Only if those superpowers are organization, collaboration, and communication. In my professional opinion, these are the keys to success, and I’m sure any tennis coach on the court would agree.

Project management key to success #1: Organization

After a game on the courts, balls are always put away for next time. Even during the match, the player and the coach always have backups ready to go. 

In project management, organization in emails and notifications is just as key. I don’t have an inbox with 10,000+ emails unopened. I use my inbox as my to-do list. If something is still in my inbox, it means I still have an action to take. As soon as I take that action I file the email away. When I download items they go into specific folders instead of all on my desktop. This helps me keep the team organized and accountable, and ensures I’m not missing any important changes.

Project management key to success #2: Communication

In sports, you must communicate info clearly and concisely. Talking for the sake of talking or adding unnecessary detail will typically result in losing the point. Games move fast, and you are in the last match before you know it. Every minute counts in communication and gameplay. 

In project management, it’s not always easy to be concise without seeming harsh. But if your heart is in the right place and you aren’t beating around the bush, you are more likely to be heard and understood. Transparency is key, and one of Initiate’s core values.

I communicate with empathy and zero judgment by standing at the net, viewing both sides, and making sure both sides of the court are heard. Acknowledging someone’s frustration doesn’t mean there needs to be blame or finger-pointing, or that you agree. it is making sure a voice is heard. Listening and validating are key in great communication, even in email form. 

My communication approach has three steps: Listen, acknowledge, and relate. 

Only after those three steps are taken can you determine a game plan that meets the needs of players on both sides of the court.

Project management key to success #3: Collaboration

No game is won alone, and success is accomplished as a collective. Projects at work are no different. Team members need affirmation, recognition, and to be told they are doing a great job. Mistakes happen, but we need to learn from them and make sure we’re not frequently mis-hitting the shot.

If you want your team to be emotionally engaged and help them relate to the bigger picture, answer the question, “Why is this project so important?” “Why does this project matter to me?”

Get them excited, motivate them, and inspire them with enthusiasm. 

No one is perfect, everyone will make mistakes, and that goes for both leaders and team members. Failure is part of the game, accept it. There is no other way to learn and grow than to appreciate your failures. Knowing that will help you extract and reach the greatest potential in yourself and your team. 

A day in Initiate Marketing project manager’s Life

My approach as a manager is to always pause for cause since the day-to-day can get busy. I try to pause and connect with each team member, step into their shoes and role, and view their perspective. 

I make sure to get curious about their frustrations and challenges, and remind them that they are not alone on an island I have their back, we have their back, and that any frustrations they encounter are challenges we as a collective can help them with.

I believe inspiration doesn’t come from a great speech or pitch deck. It is an energy, and it comes from an inner place of authentic belief that your team is truly great and can achieve great things. You can’t fake it; you need to believe 100% that your team are all superstars. I make a conscious effort to remind my team of that, because they are superstars, and so am I! Don’t forget that you are leading your team, and great coaches also need great coaches.

People can do more as a team than on their own. The tennis balls coming at us are not from the enemy, and we are not the targets. View these projects as opportunities for growth, for challenges, and for learning. View them as chances to strengthen the relationship between ourselves and the client. We all have needs; the tennis ball is someone’s need, and we handle and fulfill the need as if it were our own. 

I hope that you’ll get something out of this for your team. If you are already implementing these superpowers in your project management system, great! If you haven’t learned anything new, then perhaps we have at least inspired you to play tennis?!