Project Manager | Reading the Room

Leading a project team requires project managers to have the ability to read the room, know what idea to pitch, when to deliver the message, and how to say it so that the message can be well received. Several tips on how to handle this situation. 

Is the team ready for the ask? Things happen when we take the opportunity at the right time. This means the stakeholders (customer, team, management, partners) are willing or incentivized to accept the requests, have the bandwidth (time and energy) to follow0up, and can be convinced that the ask can lead to successful results.

Do you have the support? New ideas will have an impact on the ecosystem surrounding the project team. Proper assessments are required of the effect. You can analyze the tone of the discussion and the meaning of people's comments. Who will be impacted, and will they support the change? If not, what they will do or react to these Changs. Hold back your ideas until you fully understand the situation.

Do we have better options? The organization has a narrow focus. You need to find out and align your idea with the direction. Otherwise, friction happens, and you will have to compete for resources and attention. 

An idea can't be adopted if they are not brought out at the right moment. So be patient and flexible. Read the "room" to sense the moment. ​​

Interview Question: Tell me you successfully pushed a new idea to your organization one time. How did you make it happen? ​ The answer requires a deep understanding of the impact of your proposal and analysis of the situation with timing consideration, evaluation of the organization's current status/focus, the market condition, people's attitude, etc.