Herding Cats and Other Animalian Project Management Analogies

Let’s take a cue from our elephant friends. Not only are they excellent listeners, they send each other clear, succinct signals when action must be taken. Imagine if elephants wasted time on details. “So, there are these humans hanging around in the bushes. I wonder what they want? Anyway, I just thought I’d let you know. Hey, wanna meet for lunch by the watering hole on Friday?”

They get to the point because they have to. “Crazy humans with big pointy things! RUN!”

As a project manager, I should:

• Keep it short and to the point (bullets are super helpful, as I’m demonstrating here)
• Ask questions up front. If I make someone read through an entire email before they finally find my request at the bottom, I’ll not only annoy them, I’ll be wasting their time. In project management, there’s no greater sin than wasting others’ time.

Keep Watch Like a Hawk

A hawk’s vision is equivalent to 20/5. This means that what most people can see at 5 feet, the hawk can see with the same clarity, from 20 feet away.

What does this mean in project management?

• Attentiveness. Pay attention. To everything. All. The. Time.
• Foresight. Recognize upcoming search trends, and take action before the volume reaches its peak
• Be a surveyor. Know exactly what each person on the project is doing. When they’re doing it. And when they’re delivering.

The hawk is a predator. That’s no secret. I don’t intend to create a perfect analogy here, because let’s face it, if I walked into meetings with talons on full display, ready to claw my co-workers into submission, I wouldn’t gain a whole lot of allies. Instead, I try to think of project management as a leadership position in the forest that is internet marketing. I survey the forest floor for opportunities and potential blockades. Then, I use my vantage point to address them with the same authority our feathered hunters project.

Commit Like a Penguin

Ever see March of the Penguins? If you have, you know where I’m going with this. If not, I’ll get you up to speed.

Emperor Penguins literally work as a team to look after their incubating egg. Once the female lays the egg, using her feet she carefully transfers it to the male, who in turn keeps it warm by holding it tucked between his belly and the tops of his feet. The lady penguin then takes off for two months to feed. When she returns, the egg has likely hatched and the male penguin returns the baby to the mother’s care.

Why does this matter? Here’s the deal: marketing projects won’t work unless everyone involved is fully committed and shares an equitable role in ensuring a successful outcome.