In this episode, I talk to Matt Kastberg, who is the Regional Division Manager of Community Building for the Puget Sound Offices of Parametrix Inc., about how engineering managers can use their knowledge of past projects to inspire their team. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Matt: What is the people side of project management and what are some of the things you have learned about managing people while managing projects? How do you deal with adversity, for example, when someone decides to leave your firm? How would you say one can develop consistency in the workplace, especially when it comes to project management? In addition to managing people, you also had more than 10 projects that you were managing this year. With so much going on, how do you decide what to work on each day? What are some of the things you do to help motivate the people you manage, to ensure they also achieve success in their careers? Can you share one project management lesson you have learned that you try to implement on the projects you work on? Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How Your Knowledge of Past Projects Can Be Your Biggest Driver of Project Success:                                         Most PMs want to be successful. They work very hard and manage projects successfully. There are, however, specific reasons for things to not turn out well like underestimating the budget, lack of communication, lack of mentorship, and team members not having the right tools, processes, procedures, and guidance that they can follow to succeed. Succession planning is critical to being prepared for inevitable changes. You must always be ready for changes. Succession planning provides opportunities for people to grow, develop their opportunities, have mentorship-mentee relationships, and gain project experience. As supervisors or leaders, you can create consistency in your firm by ensuring SOPs are made that can be used firm-wide and by making QA/QC procedures with good practices. You achieve it by continuing to invest in training, mentorship, engagement, and connecting with your team. Some of the strategies for managing a lot of projects at the same time are not being afraid to ask for help, delegating responsibilities, making sure you have a good team that engages and support you, having a positive interaction, and providing proactive planning. Even if you are busy, overwhelmed, or stressed, do your best to maintain a positive attitude that can keep you and your team motivated. Some ways to help your team be motivated are to: Have an understanding of what people are facing, Providing support, being transparent, Providing insights, Making sure that people understand why specific goals are set, Setting strategies to achieve those goals, Providing opportunities to grow, Recognizing and appreciating people, Having fun, and allowing socializing, connecting, and relaxing. Implementing project kickoff meetings correctly and ensuring good communication throughout the project are always good lessons to be learned by any project manager. More Details in This Episode… About Matt Kastberg Matt is the Regional Division Manager of Community Building for the Puget Sound Offices of Parametrix Inc. The PSO Community Building Division consists of approximately 60 team members spanning six offices and three states in the Northwest region. The team makes up four distinct groups (Program Management/Construction Management, Owners Rep, Survey, and Community Development) that work collaboratively to provide various professional services helping our clients and partners create vibrant, sustainable communities. Sources/References: