Martha didn't deserve this (she was a good PM)

Martha's heart rate abruptly jumps up when she takes her phone in the morning. There's a meeting invite from HR with an obscured title, "Important Update."

Her boss is also invited and has already accepted the meeting. She starts to feel uneasy. Her gut feeling tells her it's not good.

Martha immediately logs in on her laptop. Is there a complaint from the customer? Have they found a critical defect? But there are no urgent emails or messages.

Typically, she spends the first 30 minutes in the morning planning her day and checking emails and messages. But today, she can't seem to focus on anything. Her mind is racing with possibilities of what this meeting could be about.

As the clock approaches 9:15 AM, Martha's anxiety reaches its peak. She takes a deep breath and clicks on the meeting link. Martha's worst fears are confirmed as soon as the HR representative starts speaking. She is being fired, effective immediately.

The HR guy goes on to explain that her performance was good. It's just a hard decision that the leadership of the company made.

Martha is in shock. She had received no warning or negative feedback on her work. Her boss had even praised her hard work just last week.

Her account is blocked, and she is left feeling lost and confused.

Unfortunately, there will be a lot of "Marthas" in the next six months. Today, we'll discuss why this happened to Martha and why it may also happen to you.

But before we jump in, I need to remind you what I shared in the previous email on Monday. If you missed it, I recommend you find it in your inbox.

Two hundred twenty-four thousand five hundred three people were fired during recent layoffs in big companies. We can expect another wave of layoffs at the start of the next year.

However, these layoffs are the result of bad business decisions. So, they are closing all non-essential projects.

It's clearly evident that companies will also be trimming all the fat. This means they'll redistribute projects to fewer managers. Project managers who don't perform will be fired.

So, how can you tell if you are on the blacklist? Here are three indicators:

#1: Efficiency

Martha's soft skills were over the roof. She could find an approach to any person. She spent a lot of time connecting with each and every team member. Everyone loved to work with Martha.

Unfortunately, Martha relied on her talents. She didn't have a system. She liked to manage projects with to-do lists. Sometimes, they were simple boards with "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done."

Every time Martha started a new project with a new team, it took a while to get up to speed.

Again, she didn't know how to systemize and plan projects. Undoubtedly, she was getting things done. But it often felt like she pushed harder on the acceleration paddle while holding the other foot on the brakes.

As a result, you could often see several task lists with hundreds of items. Moreover, lots of them were always in the "In Progress."

Working hard through a to-do list doesn't equal efficiency. In project management, efficiency also encompasses the predictability of the project, transparency of the progress, and continuous improvement of processes.

Moreover, you shouldn't have to invent a wheel when starting a new project. You need a structured approach. My motto is: Projects are unique, but project management concepts are the same.

This translates to the second critical point…

#2: Added Value

Unfortunately, finishing projects on time is not enough in such an environment.

Imagine you have two project managers who perform at about the same level. How would you decide which one to fire?

If personality and performance are the same, obviously, you would assess the impact they have on the organization:

1. Do they improve processes and tools?
2. Do they share knowledge?
3. Do they hire cost-efficient people to finish a project?

Overall, you should ask yourself, "Do I help my company to make or save money?"

If the answer is "I'm not sure" or "No," it's a red flag.

All successful project managers have one thing in common. They have an impact on ALL projects in the organization.

It boils down to having solid knowledge of how project management works. Also, good leadership skills to drive the improvement of the processes. But it's the topic for the next emails, so stay tuned.

Here's what's even more critical right now:

#3: Achievements

Many project managers believe that their hard work and dedication will be noticed (passive voice😢). Their boss knows about the efforts they make by default.

Or even bigger nonsense. The boss will remember a particular moment of your late-night work. He will note it down until the performance review five months later.

It doesn't work this way. It won't work in 2024 as well.

Now, imagine you have two project managers who perform at about the same level. But your salary is 20 or 30% higher than that of your colleague.

How does a company choose whom to fire to improve efficiency?

Without question, you must prove that you deserve a higher salary. Moreover, you need to do it continuously.

It's clearly evident that many organizations will conduct a performance review behind the scenes. That is to prepare for trimming the fat. They might be doing it already.

Your goal is to ensure that your boss knows about all your achievements up to date. But you need to do it in a way that doesn't sound desperate or bragging.

In the next email, which I'll send on Friday, we'll discuss exactly how to overcome these three imminent challenges:

1. We'll talk about how to improve the efficiency of your project management skills.
2. Different ways you can generate more value for the organization. (literally how you can make or save money for them).
3. How to talk about your achievement without bragging. How to show the impact you have in the organization.

Stay tuned on Friday. But before you go…

I want to ask for a favor.

Please click the reply button and let me know what area you want to improve the most.

Thank you in advance!

🇺🇦 Dmytro Nizhebetskyi

IT PM School

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P.S. On Friday, we'll discuss specific action items you can take to improve your career safety. But I would like to ensure I cover all the bases.

So, please click the reply button and let me know what area you want to improve the most.