PM Superpowers

Hi Bonnie,

Someone asked me what super-power I would pick so I could be the best project manager on the planet.  That’s what I want to be, so I don’t want to get this wrong. What one PM superpower would you choose?

Thanks,

Project-Superman

Dear Project-Superman,

First, I would obviously cheat and give myself three superpowers. If project sponsors can demand a “quick win” that ends world hunger, restores the environment, and delivers the next killer app, why should I pick just one magic trick?

First up: The Vulcanizer
No, not someone who burns everything down in a spectacular inferno (tempting, though that is). I mean the Mr. Spock type of Vulcan. I would transform all wildly unrealistic stakeholders into rational beings. The person who just asked me to “triple the project scope without changing the timeline” would blink, raise an eyebrow, and say, “Wait, that would be illogical.”
Otherwise, I’ll have to persistently drag people back to what realistic deliverables are with persuasion, charm, and irrefutable data.

Second choice: The Time Alterer
You’ve heard of Doctor Who? Meet Doctor Undo. Because time is apparently an optional concept for everyone but project managers, I could rewind time whenever a vendor swears they’re 95% done but somehow needs six more weeks. This power would also help me uninvite people who take an hour in a meeting describing their plan for avoiding the 10-minute delay on our 28-month project.
Since I’m unlikely to get a magic TARDIS, I’ll settle for collecting lessons learned, selecting vendors based on their reliability, and adding buffers to dole out when someone needs a bit more time.

Third: The Truth Extractor.
You remember that movie Liar, Liar, where Jim Carrey couldn’t tell a lie even if it meant social death? I want to be able to force that behavior on every stakeholder who doesn’t tell the whole story, always says yes in meetings and then quietly undermines what they agreed to behind the scenes. Imagine watching them blurt out, “I’m planning to sabotage this because Janet didn’t invite me to the strategy dinner!”
Until I get truth serum, I’ll just keep building good relationships and communication within my team and verifying everything with other people.

In short: why pick one superpower when you can order the entire Project Avengers lineup? 

Cheers,
Bonnie
(My real superpower is surviving all the project madness without losing my last functioning brain cell.)

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My course Project Management Foundations has been updated with several text-based entries in the Table of Contents. You can read up on the hybrid project management lifecycle, get tips on creating a project information system, review a checklist for effective meetings, and more.

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