Marko Gasic - Managing People and Final Advice

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Marko Gasic shares his expertise on managing the people aspects of projects and offers crucial advice for engineers involved in digital transformation. He emphasizes the importance of change management, which is inherently about people, and advocates for early involvement of individuals in the process to enhance outcomes. Gasic highlights the significance of communication, suggesting proactive strategies to engage stakeholders. For digital transformation, he advises engineers to adapt to evolving business needs and enhance their skills beyond technical expertise, focusing also on soft skills and perseverance to thrive amidst challenges.

Highlights

• Involve people early in change management to understand their needs and improve project outcomes 🌟.
• Communication is key—overcome busy schedules with clear, proactive communication methods 🗣️.
• Embrace the messy, ever-evolving nature of digital transformation with flexibility and openness 🚀.
• Develop a well-rounded skill set, emphasizing both technical and soft skills for comprehensive success 🧠.
• Perseverance through project ups and downs ultimately leads to rewarding experiences and solutions 🔄.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace change management by involving people early and understanding 'what's in it for me' for each participant 🌟.
• Effective communication is pivotal; don't assume emails are read—engage in proactive, in-person interactions 🗣️.
• Engineers should embrace ambiguity and adapt projects as business needs change, going beyond technical solutions 🚀.
• Soft skills like communication and perseverance are essential alongside technical expertise for success in digital transformation 🧠.
• Stick to the plan, have faith during ups and downs, and achieve great outcomes with perseverance 🔄.

Overview

Managing the people-related aspects of projects can be quite the challenge, as Marko Gasic points out. It's all about change management and understanding the human element. Engaging individuals early and getting them involved in the process allows for better outcomes. Remember, everyone participating in a project has personal stakes, whether it's a smoother workflow or achieving valuable goals.

Communication—or often, the lack thereof—is another common hurdle in project management. Marko emphasizes the importance of proactive communication. Don't rely solely on email; make the effort to communicate in person. This ensures everyone's on the same page and increases the chances of project success. It's astonishing how much of project management boils down to effective communication.

Digital transformation projects are not for the faint of heart. They're filled with ambiguities and ever-shifting priorities. Marko advises engineers to adapt and stay flexible. While it's tempting to zero in on technical solutions, the reality is that thriving requires a balance of technical prowess and soft skills. And never underestimate perseverance—sticking to the plan and riding through the rough patches can lead to remarkable achievements.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:30: Challenges and Strategies in Managing People The chapter titled 'Challenges and Strategies in Managing People' delves into the complexities and challenges encountered in handling the human elements of a project. It suggests that the process involves understanding and addressing various issues that arise when managing people within a team or project setting.
• 01:30 - 03:30: Key Components for Successful Project Management The chapter titled 'Key Components for Successful Project Management' focuses on the vital role of change management in project success. It emphasizes that managing change is fundamentally about people and often presents a significant challenge. The speaker stresses the importance of involving people early in the process to facilitate smoother transitions and better buy-in. Understanding and addressing the common concern of 'what's in it for me?' can be pivotal. By stepping into the shoes of others, particularly operational team members, and aligning project benefits with their roles and interests, a more effective implementation can be achieved.
• 03:30 - 05:00: Advice for Engineers in Digital Transformation The chapter titled 'Advice for Engineers in Digital Transformation' discusses the importance of recognizing personal and collective benefits when participating in a project. It emphasizes that individuals involved usually seek valuable outcomes that affect their roles positively. The author advises having a structured approach when working with a varied team who may not share the same background or past experiences, as it facilitates better collaboration and success.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Conclusion The chapter titled 'Conclusion' emphasizes the importance of strong project management and proactive communication. It acknowledges the challenges of ensuring messages are read amidst busy schedules and highlights that a major portion of project management involves communication. The chapter advises against assuming that emails are noticed, underscoring the value of in-person, proactive communication to effectively engage team members.

Marko Gasic - Managing People and Final Advice Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 so so how would you describe the challenges of managing the people related aspects of the project we've been kind of leading to this uh in the last couple of questions uh but what issues did you face in managing the people aspects and and how did you address those yeah there's I guess there's many different ways you can address that question but you know from a from a project level
• 00:30 - 01:00 um uh perspective I guess you know I mentioned already change management that's it's all about people right it's always a challenge um and so you know what I mentioned bringing people uh people in early making them part of the process um you know always helps to put yourself in their shoes and uh you know the one question that often comes up is what's in it for me right and it really it really does make a difference right if uh if you're an operations person you'd like to think that whatever you're
• 01:00 - 01:30 participating in is somehow going to make your your life easier your job better to do uh you know will achieve um you know outcomes that matter to you and your role and you know you never want to forget that uh you know everybody who's participating in your project uh usually needs and wants to get something out of it as well so um if you're working with a diverse a group of people that don't have a shared background or experience or haven't worked together in the past it's important to have good structure so
• 01:30 - 02:00 strong project management is is important and lastly I'll say that it's difficult to over communicate you know people are busy don't assume that your emails are getting read in person proactive communication goes a long way to bring people on board yeah they often say that uh 75 or a similar number of project management activity is communication and
• 02:00 - 02:30 uh you know you're I think reinforcing that uh that uh that emphasis uh so I just have one more question it's a broad question uh have you any further advice for engineers on their own uh involvement in digital transformation yeah it is a it is a big question I guess you know some of the highlights uh is you know these are challenging often messy projects with a lot of moving
• 02:30 - 03:00 Parts uh people management changing business needs and priorities uh you know you do have to get comfortable with ambiguity it's it's okay you know having that willingness to adapt the project as you go sometimes as Engineers we tend to get you know focused on a technical solution but uh the real world complexity doesn't often allow for a very linear uh process to be had there um you know in order to succeed it's really important to develop a diverse
• 03:00 - 03:30 and well-rounded set of skills technical expertise will get you so far but communication change management and other soft skills are really critical for uh success in uh digital transformation projects and you know finally perseverance right everybody goes through uh ups and downs I know I certainly have but you uh you have to have faith and stick to the plan and good things happen thank you I think those are valuable words that where the uh the people
• 03:30 - 04:00 watching this would benefit greatly from uh considering very carefully so