Mantras for Success - How to Keep your Project Lead happy


In Software Projects, your lead is the face to the manager and it's his feedback about you that matters the most in your appraisal. You might be a technical hotshot, a great problem solver but if your lead doesn't think right about you, you might end up achieving nothing for your personal growth. 

Be Proactive

If something holding you from completing your work, escalate quickly. Try to find the solution asap. If you need to communicate with other teams, keep your lead in confidence and start communication yourself.

Take extra responsibilities

Don't confine yourself to the work you have been assigned to. If you have any design suggestion, go and let your lead know about it. Arrange for technical and project discussions and involve team members. Talk to other teams yourself. Help others wherever you can.  

Never Complain about Work

This is the worst engineers do when they are on project. "I don't like this technology", "I am not comfortable with this development methodology". Lead's objective is to complete the project once the business requirements have been finalized and technology set has been identified. He would only like people who will help in proceeding him towards his goal and not those who would become the obstacle. 

Never simply Say "No". Say "Let me try"

If you simply say No to any task, people take the impression that you are not interested in it. If you think that its difficult to be done or cannot be done, Say "Let me try", then give your best shot before saying No.

Don't brag about your Skill, Prove it.

Leads like Engineers who talk big about technical stuff but it will even worsen the impression if you cannot prove it later. First prove your skills and then talk big about it. 

Seek less assistance, Minimal work contact with him.

Likewise any human , they will like you if you disturb them the least. Getting to your lead for little things will only spoil your impression. Give your best shot before taking any help. Don't even go to him for giving status very often. Let him come to you for status rather than you keep going to him.

First impression is the last impression

This is the biggest mantra. In Software projects, sometime its hard to guess whether its the complex task or the incapable resource which is causing the task delay. Very likely a Lead might feel that the task might be complex if he has good impression of you. Give your best effort during the initial stage to have your lead's confidence.