It's Official: Best Practice Project Management Requires EQ

A recently published White Paper from two highly regarded Project Management academics and researchers affirms the critical importance of adding emotional intelligence (EQ) to best practice program delivery >> Emotional Intelligence and The Project Manager By Harold Kerzner, Ph.D. and Elissa Farrow, Ph.D. <<.

“The best Project Managers and Leaders involved with projects must not only understand Emotional Intelligence (EQ), but actively demonstrate their use of EQ within their teams and with those stakeholders connected to successful delivery.” [ Dr. Harold Kerzner & Dr Elissa Farrow]

Its also great to see the role of coaching being highlighted as a key way to help professional Project Managers use their emotional intelligence to better fulfil project goals and achieve outcomes that add value.

The past score card for legacy project delivery practices has never been spectacular. The CHAOS report has found that the success rate of IT projects remained relatively unchanged over the past 25 years. In 2022, the report found that only 31% of IT projects are successful, while 52% are challenged and 17% fail.

Kerzner and Farrow highlight in the paper; as traditional project management methodologies have been challenged by increasingly complex and uncertain ICT deliverables or expanded by more creativity & innovation Digital requirements, Agile & Hybrid methods have emerged. These iterative approaches have needed more effective collaboration with stakeholders and team members and a more continuous delivery of value and change. This means an increased importance for the more behavioural and emotional aspects of project delivery and it has exposed gaps in service quality for PMs and PMOs. While modern HR functions are starting to introduce new OB developments like wellness indicators and cultural awareness training, project practitioners are often struggling to adapt the paradigm of checklists, templates and guidelines.

The future of leadership in a project environment is only expected to be increasingly focused on social project management leadership.

“one of the things that makes the biggest difference and future proofs people, is to commit to building your own EQ and support that growth in others. “[ Dr. Harold Kerzner & Dr Elissa Farrow]

So what does that mean for PMs and PMOs and enterprises relying on project management services to deliver value? It means action must be taken to integrate the development and application of EQ skills into existing project management practice. The insights and research verifying this important link between EQ and PM performance come from Organisational Behaviour, so it’s expected the HR departments or the Talent Development offices will be the first to roll-out training. They can implement wellness indicators, or promote an “energised change culture” or deliver cultural awareness training. However this external training alone will not successfully incorporate applied EQ skills into real project delivery practise for busy project managers.

Project Management is a professional practice. It requires ongoing learning, it requires context-specific skill building and it requires teamwork collaboration skills. To successfully integrate applied EQ skills with quality PM practice there is a need for on-the-job coaching and mentoring and professional development to become part of routine project management operations.

And by structuring this coaching to align with a PM's existing review tasks, like preparation for governance and steerco reporting means that an existing weekly time-slot can just be repurposed without piling on yet another time pressure or conflicting distraction.

Are you an enterprise leader, directing a Digital Transformation or a complex ICT Transition or a strategic CiP program and you're wanting to assure project performance? Are you are a PM or PMO leader who’s interested in developing your own and your team’s EQ? A coaching program can be a valuable instrument for that professional development.

When applied EQ is too often missing from projects and there’s interest in improving the quality and success of ICT project activity please contact Applied EQ Services to discuss bespoke online coaching, mentoring and consultancy services. We optimise skill sets and deliver a sense of assurance for Project Managers to confidently conduct the "orchestra" for their own projects.