Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM

Project leadership support for organizations that need better planning, stronger alignment, and smoother execution.

[Donna Franklin West @donnafwest]

Day 96 | Straight, No Chaser

That’s a reaction. Replacing people may fill the role but it doesn't replace trust, relationships, judgment, or institutional knowledge.

What are you doing before your best people decide to leave?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 91 | Straight, No Chaser

People ready to listen, coach, give feedback, handle conflict, and ready to be responsible for more than their own performance.

The title may give you authority, but readiness determines how well you carry it.

Do you want to lead people or a title?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 88 | Straight, No Chaser

A new person may fill the role.

That doesn’t mean they know the history, risks, or decisions that got the team here.

The bigger loss is often the knowledge that walked out with them.

What knowledge is your org depending on one person to carry?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 87 | Straight, No Chaser

Yes, strong people can carry a lot. That doesn't mean they should.

Eventually, the person who always figures it out becomes the place where broken systems go to hide.

Who in your org is holding things together that leadership needs to fix?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 86 | Straight, No Chaser

A title may give someone authority but it doesn't automatically give them influence.

What are you influencing right now that has nothing to do with your title?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 85 | Straight, No Chaser

More responsibility doesn't mean more maturity.

More visibility doesn't mean more self awareness.

More leadership language doesn't mean real growth.

What has actually changed in you, beyond your title, workload, or visibility?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 84 | Straight, No Chaser

Hardworking people can spend months giving their best to work that never should've been prioritized in the first place.

Where are good people spending energy on work that should've never been at the top of the list?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

I’m stepping more intentionally into speaking, training, coaching, and advisory work.

Not everyone wants to lead, but everyone needs to grow.

I help strengthen communication, self-awareness, decision-making, and workplace alignment.

Keep me in mind!

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 83 | Straight, No Chaser

A lot of leaders get trapped there.

They become the fixer, the answer person, the one everyone depends on.

It feels valuable until it becomes a bottleneck.

Are you building strength in the team, or building dependence on you?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 82 | Straight, No Chaser

You can change the system, update the tool, redesign the workflow, and still keep running into the same wall.

That's why people work and project work can't be separated.

Are you trying to solve a relationship problem with a technical fix?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 81 | Straight, No Chaser

Everybody says they want transparent communication.

Few people know what to do when the truth is uncomfortable.

You can't ask people to be honest and then make them pay for it.

Do people feel safe telling you the truth?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 80 | Straight, No Chaser

People can’t fully commit to what hasn’t been clearly defined.

When the goal shifts, the message changes, and the priorities are muddy, what you get is hesitation, rework, and frustration.

Have you clearly defined what people are being asked to do?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 79 | Straight, No Chaser

Some teams aren't overwhelmed because they are lazy.

They're overwhelmed because too much is going on at the same time.

More effort isn't always the fix.

What needs to stop so your team can get work done?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 78 | Straight, No Chaser

Orgs are full of capable people doing real work every day.

The question isn't only whether the work is getting done.

It's whether the work being done is actually the work right work.

Is your team doing busy work, or work that matters?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 77 | Straight, No Chaser

It can also mean fatigue, fear, confusion, or learned helplessness.

Leaders who only listen for loud disagreement miss a lot.

What are you assuming silence means, and have you checked whether that assumption is true?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 76 | Straight, No Chaser

Some of the strongest voices aren't the loudest ones.

Influence is built through credibility, timing, insight, and steady follow through.

Are you trying to control the room, or learning how to influence it with substance?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 75 | Straight, No Chaser

A lot of leaders think communication is talking, presenting, updating, and explaining.

It's also remembering, responding, circling back, and doing what you said you would do.

Do your words build confidence, or has inconsistency cost you trust?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 74 | Straight, No Chaser

People are burning out trying to compensate for poor direction.

Working harder isn't a strategy.

Neither is piling more onto already stretched people and calling it commitment.

Is more effort really the issue, or is it lack of direction?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 73 | Straight, No Chaser

People know when priorities are fighting.

They know when decisions are shaky.

They know when something feels off even if nobody says it out loud.

What truth do you need to name before it gets bigger?

[Donna Franklin West-The Virtual PM @TheVirtualPM2]

Day 72 | Straight, No Chaser

That's why paying attention matters.

The signs are usually there. Confusion that keeps repeating. Dependencies nobody owns. Late decisions. Tension in the room.

What early warning signs are you seeing right now that shouldn't be ignored?