I’m writing this the day after THAT night before.
England lost the final of Euro24 to Spain, and while there’s a weird kind of hush in the office (58 years of hurt never stopped us dreaming, and all that!) – there’s also lots to be proud of. In fact, we were consoling ourselves by listing them, when a colleague exclaimed, “Actually, Southgate would make an amazing IT project manager!”
This post will show how and is a tribute and a thank you to, arguably, England’s most successful manager since 1966.
As I write, there’s no confirmation about Gareth’s future. Stoneseed is hiring though, just saying!
HAVE FAITH IN YOUR STARTING LINE UP
Picking a team and giving it your full support is essential for IT Project talent confidence and while perhaps some of Gareth’s substitutions have been, let’s say, fashionably late, I think his faith in the players he picked to start is to be admired.
Similar faith in your colleagues is vital for IT Project success! Having recruited, hired, and onboarded talent, and then set them about a task – it’s often best to let them get on with it!
IT Project leaders can run the risk of micromanaging their talent which sometimes leads to a reduction in creativity and calculated risk taking. A friend works for an organisation where they’ve coined the phrase “C-splaining”, the CIO and other C-suite executives rose through the ranks, but have found it hard let go of the more hands-on aspects of previous roles. They will often chip in with observations about how they’d do things!!! No!!!! Trust them to do the job you gave them!!!!
GARETH MAKES TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES FROM THE BENCH
In IT Project Management, you don’t tend to have a transformational talent like Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins sat on the sidelines, waiting to be called into action – not as part of your inhouse team anyway.
Fortunately, you can always choose from our bench of superstar talent.
Project Management as a Service, or PMaaS is an innovative way to procure IT project management resources and services that gives you a project talent subs bench (and an alternative to traditional permanent hires or using contractors.)
Having project professionals, resources and tools at a flexible and predictable cost, a true end to end service (from IT Technical Advisory, Business Analysis Services and PMO Services through to Programme & Project Delivery) and access to a team with a wealth of experience across multiple technology solutions, sectors and industries can be as game changing as Ollie Watkins was against the Netherlands.
Stoneseed’s talent have worked on all types of projects and programmes such as Business Change, Transformation, Infrastructure, Digital and IT Project Delivery. All Stoneseed’s PMaaS services are available onsite or remote.
CREATE A CULTURE OF SUCCESS (THROUGH RESILIENCE!!)
Those of us who have watched England play football for a long time, and those of us who have ever managed an IT Project, know the importance of “digging deep”.
The number of times in this tournament where England have conceded the first goal but shown the resilience to fight back and win, rather than allow their heads to drop or panic, is impressive. While England didn’t quite manage it against Spain, I think this resilience is Gareth Southgate’s legacy – that is his culture!
It is one that IT Project leaders should aspire to because IT Projects have a tendency to go a bit wrong (have you noticed?) and we can’t allow our heads to drop either.
GARETH HAS A GAME-SPECIFIC GAME-PLAN
Southgate’s formation has changed to suit England’s opponents, a 4-2-3-1 formation for the first four games, with Kane as a lone centre-forward, switching things up against Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In a world where one project lends itself to waterfall and the next to agile, it’s essential that IT Project leaders choose the right game-plan too. Most understand this and these days there are fewer teams so devoted to a methodology that they won’t pivot for the benefit of a specific project. Having said that, many miss out on the extra value that can be gained by deploying a hybrid approach to methodology, for instance adopting waterfall for their overall project but an agile approach to tasks within it.
GARETH TAKES THE HEAT OFF THE TEAM
After the penalty shoot-out heartbreak of 2021, Southgate said “It is down to me.”
“I decided on the penalty-takers based on what they have done in training … Nobody is on their own … In terms of penalties, it is my call and it totally rests with me.”
I love that!
The best IT Project leaders adopt the same approach, while lessons are learned and acted upon by their teams in the wake of a challenging project, ultimately the buck stops with the leader.
GARETH HAS EXPERIENCED THE WORST OF TIMES
It’s been 28 years since Gareth Southgate missed THAT penalty. Who better to coach talent through the hardest moments of their career than someone who has been there, done that and got the tear-stained T-shirt.
The best IT Project leaders lean into their worst moments too, that is how they become the best leaders! It is often said that you learn more lessons in adversity than you do in victory and triumph, so it’s time to reframe all those cringe moments from your career, and see them as the learning opportunities they were. What’s more, when your team messes up and wants the ground to open up and swallow them, you’ll be better placed to put a calming and reassuring arm around their shoulder if you’ve had a few scrapes yourself!
GARETH’S COMMUNICATION AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Effective communication with players, staff, and media is a daily requirement for someone like Gareth Southgate. In IT projects, clear communication with team members, stakeholders, and clients is critical for ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.
Stakeholder management is key in football, managing expectations and ensuring their satisfaction. IT project leaders similarly need to manage stakeholders, ensuring their needs are met and maintaining their support throughout the project.
What better display of stakeholder satisfaction is there than the Football Association confirming, ahead of the final, that win or lose they’d like Southgate to be in post for the next World Cup!? Imagine your project sponsors signing you up for the next project before you’d delivered the one you’re working on now! Something to celebrate! Talking of which …
GARETH CELEBRATES SUCCESSES!!
I’ve loved watching Gareth Southgate’s joy when things go England’s way, often after long periods of anxious, nail-biting game-play.
It’s a lesson we can learn too. Complex IT Projects deliver some nail-biting moments too, but amid the angst there are moments to celebrate, like a milestone achieved or a sprint completed, even having a fully resourced IT Project can often feel like a big win these days! We should take time to celebrate, punch the air in glee, and offer round high-fives when these moments occur.
PASSION AND COMMITMENT
One thing you can’t criticise is Gareth’s deep commitment to his teams, the FA and the people of England. The concept of service is clearly high on Southgate’s list of priorities, I imagine him working long hours and always showing a high level of dedication away from the media gaze. This level of commitment is also important for IT project leaders, who need to be dedicated to the project’s success.
A passion for the game obviously drives football managers like Southgate and a passionate IT project leader can inspire their team and drive the project to success.
In summary, the skills and attributes that make a football manager successful—leadership, strategic planning, adaptability, communication, stakeholder management, performance analysis, and passion—are directly transferable to the role of an IT project leader.
Thank you for indulging us! We feel better about the Euros final compiling this – hope you’ve enjoyed reading it and perhaps found it cathartic too.
Finally, Gareth Southgate, the most successful England boss for a generation, thank you for the highs.
As I say, Stoneseed is hiring.
Perhaps you’ve got what it takes too? We’d love to hear from you.