Human-Centered Project Management

How to lead people even when you have no authority

We spoke to project management expert and the leader of the human-centered project leadership movement Daniel Hemhauser about his flipped system for managing projects. Instead of focusing on systems and efficiency, he concentrates his efforts on the people who do the work. 

We asked him to explain his methods, what skills are necessary to this effort, and why this approach boosts project success rates and makes for happier teams.   

How do you define human-centered project management, and how does it differ from traditional approaches? 

Human-centered project management flips regular project management on its head. Ordinarily, when you think of project management, you think of frameworks, methodologies, tools, and things like that. These are just a small piece of the job.  

People deliver projects. So, I shift the focus toward helping people enable the delivery of the work. I align with the people, provide psychological safety, bring emotional intelligence, and motivate them to drive the best success for the project. I use tools, sure. But I consider the people the more important part. 

This is why, when someone brings a new project to my desk, the first thing I do is start building relationships. 

In your experience, where do projects most often fail from a people standpoint? 

There is so much data about project failure: 70% of projects fail; 50% of projects fail. No other product would survive that level of failure. Obviously, there is a problem in project management that current systems don't specifically address.  

The failure is with communication. PMs are afraid, or not allowed, to speak or aren’t listened to. It might be because of a cultural mindset or the hierarchy in the organization. But it can be overcome by focusing on the people. Reading the room, empathy, and all the skills associated with emotional intelligence – when leveraged the right way – prevent this communication breakdown. 

Start at the beginning of the project to develop trust. By leveraging that up front, and of course, throughout the project, the PM aligns themself with the team. The team knows you're with them, that you stick up for them, protect them, and are always talking to them. This way, if something happens with the project, you can easily find out what. 

How can project managers balance structure, deadlines, and governance with empathy and flexibility for the humans doing the work?

It's all interrelated. You have governance, competing priorities, structure, and you have a schedule. You have to maintain and monitor these things to deliver the project. 

But that's the process stuff. Pay attention to the people who are doing the work.

I build human-centered KPIs and OKRs into my project plans.

People think I'm nuts, but my projects are always on time, and the people working on them are happy. 

For example, in a team meeting, I don't get into the work until I know how the team is doing. If someone is acting strange – and I see this because I’ve built relationships – I find out what’s up.  

It’s also important to celebrate small wins. And make sure you're always moving the project forward, a smile on your face.  

When they see you acting that way, it flows through the team. The team absorbs the good or bad of the project manager. If it's usually good, that will get brought into the project, which makes it easier to manage. 

What role does psychological safety play in successful projects, and how can PMs actively foster it within their teams? 

It’s necessary. If people feel psychologically safe, they come to me with problems. They won’t yes me to death. They will say, “Hey! What you're saying is off the wall! We should be doing A, B, and C.” If the team, or a person, needs something, people tell me.   

I make sure everyone knows that if there's a problem, they can come to me. And I've heard so much that I should not be talking about at work: I broke up with my boyfriend. My wife and I are having problems. Still, I listen. 

If you do this successfully, by the time the project is completed your guys are popping champagne bottles and celebrating. And not only have you delivered value for the stakeholders, but you’ve also created a team that wants to continue working together. 

Many project management frameworks prioritize efficiency. How do you ensure efficiency doesn’t come at the cost of burnout or disengagement? 

My approach does require skill. Some people inherently have these skills but mostly you acquire them through training and experience. And at first, it feels like this approach requires more time and energy. But that gets easier. 

Clients don't want you to have one-on-ones with your people. They don't care if the team is falling apart or burning out. But you have to find a way of leveraging your experience to build that into the project plan. Before you acquire the skills and processes, you will have to put in the time, but it pays off. 

When you create an environment where everyone believes in the shared value and the wins of the organization and the project, everyone wants to be part of that. If someone fails to pull their weight, you might not have to say anything. Someone else will, because everyone wants to win together.  

How should project managers adapt their communication styles to different personalities, roles, or levels of seniority on a project? 

A big percentage of this job – 80% or 90% – is communicating with people. That’s not only the things you say, but it’s also the way you say them and the way you plan your communications with different groups. I actively listen, not just with my ears, but with my eyes. But I have different modes for different situations. 

I create a power-and-influence chart and a stakeholder management plan to put people into different groups. Maybe one group likes updates once a week, another doesn’t care if they ever get an update, still another wants a slide deck at a precise day and time. 

But don’t forget the human-centered stuff. There are influencers who may have sway on the project but little involvement. And there is always one person who never speaks but who everyone looks to whenever anyone asks a question. 

If you're constantly paying attention to what every human is doing, building and maintaining a power and influence map is easier. 

What signals tell you that a project is technically on track but humanly at risk? Then, how should leaders respond when they see those signs? 

Projects sometimes go on and on and on and feel like they're never ending. At some point, I get burned out. The team gets burned out. Everyone gets burned out. I might come into a meeting and every status is green. Everyone's telling me, thumbs up. But I can see they don’t look happy. 

This is where actively listening with your eyes and not just your ears is so important. 

I've had a lot of meetings – all green boxes; no problems – where I knew half the team is one day away from quitting. I only know this because I have relationships with everyone and they talk to me.  

Finding out why is as simple as sitting down with them. Speaking with them for ten minutes can bring the temperature down, solve the problem, or at least show you the solution. 

How do you see AI and automation changing the human role in project management? 

Everyone's scared of it. It is big, we can't escape it, and it is just getting started. But I see it as opportunity.  

I see AI and the automations in a tool like Moovila as a chance to get back 20% of my days.

Let’s say there are 400 applicants for a position. Everyone has similar work experience. How do you differentiate yourself? Learn AI, sure. But not many people understand the emotional side of Project Management. And it is a better way to lead projects.  

While everyone else is worrying they're going to lose their PM job to AI, I see AI and the automations in a tool like Moovila as a chance to get back 20% of my days. That gives me more time for one-on-ones, to talk to the team on my next project, and to develop relationships.  

What skills do you believe will matter most for the next generation of project managers as work becomes more distributed and complex? 

AI, of course, 100% is on that list. But the set of skills under the umbrella of emotional intelligence: Self-control, emotional empathy, and active listening are next on the list.  

You can work those two things together by using emotional intelligence skills to keep an eye on the AI portion. We need to put human guardrails on the systems we build.  

I've seen a lot of project managers starting to study psychology and similar subjects as well as leadership. And according to the World Economic Forum report that came out last year, many companies are investing in leadership and emotional intelligence training.  

If you could give one piece of advice to organizations looking to improve project outcomes, what should they change about how they treat people on projects? 

A lot of companies don't understand the value a good project manager can bring to the table. They understand PMs deliver projects. But if they work with the PM as a partner, sharing strategic visions and goals, that project manager can bring that insight to the team so they understand how this project fits, makes or saves money, or will save their jobs. That way the team will work their butts off to get it done. 

The minute I find out who I'm working with, I start teaching them how to work with a project manager to be successful.  

Once you start doing it this way, you build a legacy that can continue down the road. If you work with people that have never dealt with this side of things before, or in cultures that are stoic and scientific, as opposed to emotional and social, this side of things is not inherent. You can help them build those skills. 

I try to walk away, once a project's done, leaving behind a team that feels they are better off for having had me in their life. I want to – hopefully – feel that I have taught them something. 

Projects are run by people, not spreadsheets. Check out how Moovila brings structure, clarity, and a little humanity back to project management by visiting our MSP tour here.