14.2 Be on the Lookout for Specific Management Traits

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Chances are, as the project manager of a large or complex initiative, your immediate supervisor is a career manager. They may have a technical background, but it is probably dated not only by the passage of years, but also by the churning of technology and changes in the project world as well. What we now deploy, how it is done, and the sensitivities a good project manager must have to be effective, are likely unknown to your supervisor. This is because they have been behind the lines for so long they can no longer tell the caliber of a bullet whizzing by their ears like we can, simply by the sound that it makes.

I have a list of attributes I apply to the process of acclimating myself to a new boss, much like I use the Big Thirteen to get up to speed on the environment. My "boss-o-meter" provides clues as to how best to interact with my boss, who in truth could be a far greater liability than asset when it comes to me doing my job. These are the key characteristics I recommend you observe in your supervisor, and formulate a relationship management plan once you have him or her pegged.

Management style
Problem-solving skills
Political style
Procrastination
Conflict avoidance
Risk aversion
Grasp of theory and detail
Communications skills

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