Connect & Communicate: Insights from Lenneage Consulting

Let’s be honest: project management is just adulting, but with more stakeholders and a lot more documentation. If you’ve ever planned a vacation, coordinated a family event, or just tried to keep your life in order, congratulations! You’ve already dabbled in project management. Now, imagine doing all that—only with tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and a team that may or may not read your emails. Welcome to the world of project management!

The Big Picture: Managing Chaos with a Plan



Adulting is all about managing chaos, whether it’s paying bills on time, keeping up with dentist appointments, or making sure your plants don’t die. Project management? Same thing, just with dashboards, KPIs, and the occasional existential crisis when a stakeholder asks, “Where are we with this?”

Much like in life, the key to surviving project management is having a plan. You need to know what needs to get done, who’s responsible, and what the consequences are if it doesn’t happen. In project management, we call this scope, roles, and risks. In life, it’s just making sure your rent is paid, your fridge has food, and your dog gets walked.

Communication is Everything (Even When No One Reads Your Emails)

Remember that time your roommate said they’d take out the trash but somehow “forgot”? That’s poor stakeholder communication. If you think keeping a household in sync is tough, try aligning cross-functional teams with conflicting priorities.

Successful project managers don’t just send emails—they make sure their message is actually received and understood. That means:

• Tailoring the message: Not everyone needs the full project breakdown. Some just need bullet points.
• Following up: Because people have a magical ability to forget anything that isn’t directly affecting them.
• Managing expectations: If your stakeholder asks for a new feature a week before launch, it’s your job to gently (or not-so-gently) remind them about reality.

Risk Management: The Art of Expecting the Unexpected

Life happens. Your car breaks down the day you have an important meeting. Your Wi-Fi crashes five minutes before a virtual presentation. Being an adult means anticipating problems before they ruin your day.

In project management, we call this risk management. Smart project managers create contingency plans for when things go sideways. A well-run project doesn’t eliminate risks, but it prepares for them. Just like keeping a spare phone charger in your bag, you should always have a Plan B (and maybe even a Plan C).

Managing People: The Ultimate Challenge

Being a project manager is a lot like planning a group trip: you set the itinerary, book the reservations, and remind everyone of the deadline to RSVP. And yet, someone will always text you the night before asking, “Wait, what time are we leaving?”

People management is the secret sauce of project success. It’s about:

• Understanding different work styles – Some people thrive on structure, while others need flexibility.
• Keeping the team motivated – Because no one enjoys working on a sinking ship.
• Knowing when to push and when to back off – Timing is everything.

Final Thoughts: Embrace the Chaos

At its core, project management is just adulting at scale—balancing priorities, managing expectations, and keeping everything from falling apart. The difference? A great project manager knows how to make it all look easy (even when it’s anything but).

So, the next time life throws a curveball your way, just remember: if you can manage a budget, juggle responsibilities, and keep people on track, you’re already a project manager in training. The only difference is, in the corporate world, you actually get paid for it!