My step-by-step guide to ensure excellent quality service
even though you no longer perform the tasks
ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Manuel Ancizu
Pamplona, Spain
Abstract
Transitioning from being a team member to lead a team and a portfolio of projects can be both exciting and challenging, especially in terms of ensuring consistent quality in the project, as the leader will no longer perform many of the tasks.
This article is based on author’s experience and aims to support the journey of first-time leaders, who might struggle feeling confident when they are no longer directly involved in daily operations.
It shares valuable lessons learned and provides effective strategies on how to lead teams, balancing leadership and operational excellence.
Body of Article
I had been involved in projects for some years and I enjoyed working in a team, planning, and developing the activities needed to successfully complete the goals of each project.
Suddenly one day, I was offered the opportunity to lead a team as the head of customer service department. Unexpected, but real; not executing, but leading; not one project but a whole portfolio of projects with several project managers and stakeholders involved.
It was my first-time leading teams, and I was certainly excited; one of my recurrent thoughts during those early days was how to know whether I was doing a good job. How to feel confident that the team was adding value and not just executing activities?
I was no longer directly involved in tasks or day-to-day operations, and at that time there were no mechanisms to monitor some important actions taken by the teams. This made me feel that quality was not completely under control as it was not possible to track the level of service in terms of response formats, reviewing deliverables, response times, consistency, and more.
“What can I do in my new position to ensure quality service in our portfolio of projects, even though I’m not the one performing the tasks?”
Interacting with other colleagues, analyzing case studies and my own experience, I came to two conclusions:
1) Leading teams is not the same as doing tasks; establish mechanisms that help visualizing progress
In my new role, the job was to lead teams to deliver excellent customer service. The key word here is “lead” – I would no longer do many things directly, and the challenge was to establish mechanisms ensuring tasks were done properly (even though I would not be involved), while being certain that both the teams and the clients were satisfied with the outcome.
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How to cite this work: Ancizu Beramendi, M. M. (2024). Are you leading a project team for the first time? My step-by-step guide to ensure excellent quality service even though you no longer perform the tasks, Advisory article, PM World Journal, Vol. XIII, Issue X, October/November. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/pmwj146-OctNov2024-Ancizu-are-you-leading-a-project-team-for-the-first-time-1.pdf
About the Author
Manuel Ancizu
Pamplona, Spain
Human leadership, Global Sustainable Projects, Renewable energy, Storyteller, Keynote speaker, Lifetime learner, Risk management, Standardization
Manuel Ancizu is passionate about human leadership, sustainable projects and people’s motivations. Enjoys working in international multicultural environments and wants to have a positive impact in society.
Manuel graduated in Economics from University of Navarra and obtained an MBA from IESE Business School (Spain); he has also studied in CEIBS (China) and University Anahuac del Sur (Mexico). He holds a number of professional certificates such as the PMP by Project Management Institute, Lead Auditor in ISO 9001:2015 by IRCA Association and has also received training in Management of Development Projects and Risk Management by Interamerican Development Bank (IDB).
Manuel has lived in Spain, France, UK and Mexico; he currently works in the wind energy sector leading the quality management of Offshore projects. Manuel has been involved in wind energy renewable projects developed in different parts of the globe with external customers, as well as in internal projects of cultural transformation, IT and global processes.
Thanks to his experience, he has delivered training sessions, lectures and keynotes to a different number of institutions.
Manuel is a qualified member of the Spanish Standardization Body (UNE) and has been involved in the development of Standards and Norms in Projects, Programs and Portfolios; he has also participated in the translation of different ISO 21500 to Spanish language.
Manuel loves smiling, storytelling, dreaming and making ideas come true in a sustainable manner. Manuel lives in Pamplona, Spain and can be contacted at manuel@manuelancizu.com
To view other works by Manuel Ancizu, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/manuel-ancizu-beramendi/
