Integrity in Project Management

By Sherrette McCarthy | Managing Partner

Andy Garcia once said, “It’s important, when going after a goal, to never lose sight of the
integrity of the journey.” When navigating your personal journeys to become the best version of
yourself in any sphere of life, you encounter formidable obstacles that intensely test the mettle of
which you are made. That has been my experience over the last 20 years as a project
management professional. Each project came with its own set of goals and challenges, but
executing with integrity at the forefront has always been a key part of my formula.

Project team by definition involves people of different moral persuasions. Sometimes you may
uncover unsavory business practices and behaviors. I have found that staying grounded and
true to my own moral compass, creates the environment for successful project management. It
bolsters the project team’s credibility. I had a manager who is famous for stating emphatically,
“my integrity must always walk in front of me.” This is a mantra she lives by and thrives to instill
in her teams. Quite a few colleagues and former colleagues of mine can attest to having heard
her vocalize this statement at one point or another and can also attest to her actually abiding by
it in her day-to-day execution of project activities. She effortlessly maintains transparency in
project reporting and communication; at times softening the delivery of “not so good news” to
stakeholders but ensuring that these are communicated with appropriate impact assessments
and recommended strategies to lessen negative impacts, if these are inherent and cannot be
eliminated totally. Ultimately providing the level of transparency needed to support a well-
informed decision-making process. Lessons learned. I have undoubtedly adopted this
principle, adding it to my project execution pandora box of precious gems for successful project
management.

In summary, integrity in project management goes a long way in building your brand reputation.
Having a solid reputation means adhering to strong moral and ethical principles in all
professional dealings. It means executing project roles and responsibilities with honesty and
transparency that build trust with stakeholders. These augur well for a project management
professional who is keen on achieving better collaboration, decision-making, and overall project
success. Key to note is that regardless of the nature of the project, the size and complexity, the
industry within which it is being executed and so many other parameters, it is a known fact that
stakeholders respect and follow a project manager who has proven to be of high moral integrity.

So, as you journey onwards in the profession, word of advice, “walk with your integrity in front of
you!”