Calling Project Managers of geeks, nerds and techies

If "can't live with them but can't live without them" or "they speak another language" or "I just don't understand them" is something you face every day with some of your project team then you might want to spend a few mins reading this blog post about how to manage geeks nerds and techies ...

The article is more specifically

Geeks, Nerds & Techies and Inspiring Next-Gen Mobile Solutions

Enabling next-gen mobile apps means meeting technologists on their own turf.

http://www.enterprisemobilehub.com/blogs/marc-b/geeks-nerds-techies-and-inspiring-next-g

I like to because it underlines why we need to give these often brilliant but misunderstood or totally incomprehensible "inscrutable and eccentric bunch" what they need.

The fact is that if you find the right people as in the Jim Collins Good to Great approach “The right people (even techies), are self motivated and will not need to be fired up, and because of their inner drive will produce enduring great results,”

What this means if you don't have to closely manage these people - you have to hear them, really listen to what they are saying (even if you don't understand it all - ask intelligent questions to get the information into terms you can understand - you never know how much you'll learn by listening and developing your pseudo-tech talk. Give them the time of day and your respect for what they do.

Above all give them space to do what they need to do. It might look like nothing to you — thinking usually isn't accompanied by steam pouring out of their ears ;-)

Yes, there will be slackers but they are not the right people,  and you'll see that in their (lack of) productivity,  their (not) belonging, and their inability to baffle you with technical enthusiasm for what they are working on.  You'll know.

"Consider this assertion: Technology professionals are one of the most valuable populations of human talent in any organization – public, private, for profit, not for profit.  If you agree with that, then we as leaders must make a study of how best to motivate, influence and inspire our technologists. The burden is on us.  Many believe that technology professionals are extraordinarily valuable as I do, and yet very different from other people and therefore require us to meet them where they live as a matter of necessity."

Sometimes diamonds take a lot of polishing.

Ok so if you really are having trouble with the people, here are 5 excellent articles to help

Harvard Business Review has some of the best articles around when it comes to general management issues and this compendium of 5 is no slouch if you are in need of tips how to manage difficult people.

• Three Ways to Deal with a Passive-Aggressive Colleague - Give feedback. Focus on the work, not the person. Ask for commitment.  "How to Deal With a Passive-Aggressive Peer" by Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins.

• Keep Your Composure, or Walk Away - acknowledge and manage your feelings first  "The No-Drama Rule of Management" by Peter Bregman.

• Three Tips for Resolving a Conflict with Your Coworker - Find common ground. Hear what they are saying. Propose a Solution.  "The Right Way to Fight" by Amy Gallo.

• Turn Your Competitors into Allies - first understand where they are coming from."Managing Yourself: Stop Holding Yourself Back" by Anne Morriss, Robin J. Ely, and Frances X. Frei.

• Stop Being So Nice - Reflect. Get feedback. Experiment and evolve "Is Your Culture Too Nice?" by Ron Ashkenas

If you are going for your PMP certification this year read this...

There is a very helpful blog post from PMChampion about the changes to the PMBoK  (version  5 has been released) and the exam change that follows this.
( http://www.pmchampion.com/blog/pmp-exam-prep/new-pmp-exam-dates-released/  )

If you are taking any of the exams in July or August (this year 2013) this blog helps you identify which PMBoK is being used for the exam (remember PMP is a knowledge based qualification so you need to be using the right body of knowledge).

The blog also lists the changes to the PMBoK between versions 4 and 5 - more on PMO, up from 42 to 47 processes. stakeholders are in, communication has been revised, time-cost, scope and cost also updated.

Happy studying folks.