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From the Editor:

Here we are, in a month that will be remembered for swine flu, Eurovision and dodgy minister expense reports, and what lies at the top of Tipoff minds? That's right - the most important element of project management: the people!

OK: We don't want to presume what is on your mind when the fifth month rolls around. Hopefully the weather has been agreeable enough for you, and the bright sunshine of summer are to follow. But we are big on the people element.

This month, we're just a little bit more hung up on that which makes us human. As one of our articles below surely reminds us, the manner in which we value each other and their contribution is something any leader worth their weight in mayflies can bring to the table.

That's why our valued candidates deserve better when it comes to tracking down the best project management jobs out there. It's always a good time to ramp up your project management knowledge, so keep reading Project Management Tipoffs!

Dan Strayer, Editor

By Karine Simard

Project Management is about managing the resources you have to meet the requirements that were agreed upon at the beginning of the project. While project management started out in the construction business, where material resources were an integral part of the project, today's projects are different.

Most projects conducted today are based on knowledge rather that materials. Building software, implementing complex systems and developing a new product are all dependent on one type of resource: the human one.

Humans can't be managed like pieces of wood or inventory supplies in the warehouse. People have emotions, needs and are unpredictable. However, your project depends on the productivity of your team.

Here's the kicker: happy people are more productive. Hence, the best strategy for managing human resources is to keep your project team happy.

So, how do you keep your team happy?

Keeping your project team happy is actually simple:

1. Remember they are human. Programmers are people too. Keep in mind that they have emotions, likes and dislikes. You should respect them for who they are. If your star developer really hates to fix bugs, keeping him working on new code may boost the overall team's productivity.
2. Observe. It's usually easy to spot unhappy people. Just watch and listen to what they have to say. When you spot someone on your project team who is negative and does not contribute to the project, chances are they are unhappy.
3. React quickly. As soon as you spot an unhappy person on your team, sit down with them and try to understand why they are unhappy. If it's work-related, see with them how you can improve their morale at work.
4. Believe in your team. As humans, we need validation from others. Make it clear to your project team that you believe in them. Don't be shy to give them praise and tell others in your organization about them.

By Helen Moore

As Editor of pmlifeline.com, I get to speak to lots of people connected with Project Management – training organisations, software companies, recruiters, academics not to mention project managers themselves. And of course the topic which is at the top of everyone’s list is 'the economic situation'.

Well, I'm glad to report that there is a mood of tentative optimism and definite signs of those much talked-about 'green shoots'. Since the New Year, more companies are talking about project work than in the last quarter of 2008 – recruiters are reporting that there is a definite interest in clients checking out the availability of people for future projects.

There are also several large scale government projects out for tender which be a significant feature on the Project Management landscape for the coming years.

Generally speaking, companies are still recruiting Project Managers and the sector has stayed remarkably buoyant with New Media and Telecoms being the vertical markets that have seemed to be most resilient.

Talking of media, 2009 seems to be the year that the Project Management industry has really embraced social media – project managers are being very active on Twitter (follow us at PMLifeline) and LinkedIn.

From the messages that are flying around, there does seem to be a lot of underlying confidence in the market.

Internationally, it seems to be a similar story – things have slowed down, but it's certainly not dead. And the Middle East that saw growth drop off as well, has returned to form, with many clients seeking experienced staff.

So 2009 looks full of opportunities, and whilst the market is still slower, things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Helen Moore is the editor of pmlifeline.com and has been a regular contributor to the Arras People family of newsletters.

Dispensing the Finest in Ales and PM Advice Since 2009!

QUESTION: Does the project management job market change once you find yourself on the wrong side of age 60? - Anonymous

PM BARTENDER: Thanks for your email. Tough question to deal with, inasmuch as it deals with one's viability based on nothing more than the cruelty of time. In essence: Was age (blatantly or inadvertently) emerging as a factor in mid-level project management decisions? I've pulled many a pint for project management bar folk in my day that have pondered this conundrum.

For that reason, I polled several different project management professionals at LinkedIn and other discussion sites for project management. By no means is the answer definitive and absolute – primarily because I came away from reading the responses as thinking that with responses coming down on both sides of the fence, there simply is no absolute answer. Except, perhaps, this: What is important is not how old you are, but rather, how fresh and relevant you are.

One American respondent told me of his 63-year-old friend who had found permanent work across a variety of high-level consulting firms. When, working independently, a client needed to cut costs and requested that he come work for them in house, he felt compelled in a weak economy to "jump" at the opportunity. The respondent said that he is now managing the company's help desk, a far cry from his earlier days.

Age may not be a singular issue when it gets down to it. As you may have noticed, the economy is seeing more red than a goalkeeper mauling the striker as the last defender. As such, most firms simply aren't taking people on at the moment. The same respondent is fighting the effects of the economy as much as his 64 years.

"Several firms...love my skill set and want to bring me on board as soon as an appropriate project is signed," he told me. "I have discussed joining one of the large firms as an independent contractor when a project hits, but not one has hit yet. (All the consulting firms are doing their best to keep from laying off existing consultants. They have no need for additional consultants in this market.)"

"I may have to follow my friend's lead and settle for something significantly lower than what I have been used to and what I know I could still do very well."

Here's another sign that it's not ageist, but rather, downturn-ist: A 52-year old PMP Practitioner who has worked on a senior level as a programme and project manager. He wrote: "My last assignment was to have turned into a permanent hire (or re-hire in my case, as I had been a permanent employee previously and gone through a layoff), but a hiring freeze hit and so I got frozen out. And I'm not yet at the point where I'll work for 40-50% of my last consulting rate, which is all that many contract houses are offering now, simply because there are enough folks desperate enough to take it."

Some highly experienced project professionals aren't so sure that age isn't a factor, though. A Production Project Manager in his 60s told me he was having a hard enough time getting an interview. "A lot of that is due to the employment situation we're currently in. However, I can't help believe that some of it is due to my age."

He is exactly right, but in a roundabout way. Oddly enough, the earlier notion I raised about how relevant and fresh you are was confirmed from someone on the other side of the interview desk.

"I've interviewed and hired several project managers that are (age) 50+," one hiring manager wrote. "To me, as a hiring manager, the real question became whether or not the candidate looked like he or she could fit in the environment, with the environment usually being project teams made of younger resources...if a candidate passed all of the screening criteria (PMP, domain experience, etc.) and we brought him or her in for an interview, often their physical 'presentation' was the key to the job offer. While that may be true for most interviewees, I think it's especially important for 50+ candidates. If the candidate acted (and looked) 'old', he or she got less consideration than someone who was energetic, and looked like they fit with the rest of the team."

In essence: Advanced age can serve as a strike against you. But if the Hiring Manager walks away from your interview think, "Boy, he/she seems energetic", you're in business. Ah, the good old 'energy' factor – this is the freshness we're talking about. You've probably heard the question at first from someone willing to lie about their age (I'm a bartender – I should know), but it takes on such importance in this case: How old do you feel? This is the question that separates the "My CV speaks for itself" crowd from the crowd who gets the job.

HR professionals and career advisors recognise that the lack of work available at the moment does not mean your hope should be lacking as well. "Network Network Network," said one HR Strategic Support advisor. "Statistically businesses find their best new employees from employee referrals – so...WHO DO YOU KNOW?"

Moreover, age is something that never has to come up until hiring personnel actually set up the interview. Arras People recommends that any details that might suggest a person's age need not be included. Why volunteer information that only an energetic performance at an interview would negate?

If you're on the wrong side of the age discrimination chart, never forget this one important thing: There are too many good things an experienced project manager can do to show they are getting better. And for all the amalgamation of project management talent out there, nothing shines through better than enthusiasm combined with experience, a good CV and an open mentality for the times we live in.

This one's on the house. Cheers!

E-mail careersadvice@arraspeople.co.uk with your questions for the PM Bartender.