Great Project Managers Make the Best Integrators

In our February Newsletter, AJC announced that we are offering the NEW service of “Fractional Integrator,” and last month in our March Newsletter, we described what a Fractional Integrator is.

In this article, we discuss how you know if someone could be a terrific Integrator (Fractional or otherwise).

Have you ever been part of a great project team?  Everyone knew their responsibilities, and what their particular scope was.  Team members communicated regularly and collaborated on solutions.  Everyone got their action items done on time, and felt comfortable asking for help when they were stuck or behind.  People helped each other and the final product, solution, or implementation was delivered on time, right the first time, and with enthusiasm by all team members that they had accomplished something great, and were each a valued member of the team.

Think back to how this was possible.  Who was at the helm of this type of project?  Who kept the ball rolling, kept people focused, and paid attention to the details? Was there someone who made sure that what people said they would do was documented, discussed both in team meetings and offline, cleared roadblocks, and followed up until work was complete?

Probably that person was the main Project Manager.  

Great Project Managers know how to facilitate, delegate, discuss the “elephant in the room,” and have an experience-based instinct for knowing what it takes to get work done.  These selfless people know that the real heavy lifting is done by “Subject Matter Experts,” and they dedicate themselves to serving those people for the sake of the greater cause.

This is the mark of a terrific Integrator.  I like to tell people that EOS is like “Project Management, on steroids, for a business.”  Just as at the helm of most successful projects is a good Project Manager, at the helm of a successful business will be a good Integrator whose characteristics, behaviors, and methods parallel that of a good Project Manager.

Integrators will tend to be Servant Leaders; they will find a way for amazing work to be accomplished and lift others up who do it.  This will be deceiving if the Visionary or Leadership Team is looking for a strictly charismatic leader.  That may happen, and it may not, to me it is not the essential ingredient in an Integrator.  Look instead for the person who brings people together, who listens to all sides of any discussion or debate, who finds a way to help others clarify their responsibilities and complete them in a timely manner, and who others say they enjoy working with.  So often that is a terrific Project Manager, who has the potential of being a truly great Integrator.

If this makes sense to you, and you would like some help evaluating current personnel for their skillsets as an Integrator, finding a full time Integrator, or working with a Fractional Integrator in any way, the first step I would recommend is to discuss with your EOS Implementer.  He or she will be able to best advise you on this course.  If you do not have an EOS Implementer, be sure to check out the online resources for Integrator searches, and if you are in the Portland, OR area, please feel free to reach out to AJC.