Is there a consultative project manager, with a collaboration twist?
Viktor Michaelsson* is the new breed of project manager, Project Manager 3.0 - if you will. He comes in the morning, and he doesn't turn on his computer before 1030am. Why?
He knows his projects are on time, on scope and under budget. He understands he has maximized resource usage and he is on his way to the annual bonus. Most of his team members and colleagues value his open approach and his ideas, and he was even invited before the holidays to speak at a communications workshop.
How does he do it? What is the secret sauce which makes Viktor special?
He combines consultative communication skills with expert collaboration features to keep on top of activities. A consultative sale is a process of understanding the needs of the customer, developing relationships with customers and clients, and confirming your organization is doing all the right things. It is used by salespeople around the world in several industries, including telecommunications, technology and services.
A few examples of questions Viktor asks in weekly customer conference calls:
"So, what kind of value would you receive, if we completed the project before time? "
"How would your company benefit financially if you could now see this information more clearly?"
With these and similar questions, Viktor is building the linkages between customer value and things his team is doing in the field. After a while, the customer is explicitly stating what he wants done and what the value of the relationship is with the PM.
Plus, he uses advanced online collaboration tools to keep in touch with team members and customers, allowing key stakeholders in delivering project success. Now if you are the owner of Viktor's company, or in the sales/marketing department, this must be your #1 project manager, right?
What do you think?
How many VMs are out there? How would your customers benefit from significantly strengthened relationships? How would your company benefit from this type of communication?