Every class I teach, I write my name, a welcome message with the course title, and the following two words on the board:
Manage Expectations
Take a moment and think of every good project manager you ever have worked with. I guarantee these folks communicated to you what is occurring, when things were changing, and what is going to happen; in other words, they managed your expectations. They may not be the ones with the prettiest Gantt charts or the best dressed or the most entertaining (though I must admit those things could help). Rather, they are simply excellent at telling accurate stories — verbally and nonverbally.
As long as you’re wearing a PM hat, if you’re not managing expectations, with very few exceptions, I’m not really sure what you’re doing then. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your daily priorities. Every meeting you run, every requirement you capture, every email you send, and every report you create, you better be managing expectations.
If you can remember those two words, your job will be much, much easier. Trust me on this tip: paste those two words on top of your monitor so you can see them all day long. It will provide you with a constant reminder of what your job is all about. Everything else is gravy. And you know, gravy without the turkey is not all that tasty.
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