Deliver a Little a Lot (eBook)

And Other Not so Obvious Things I Wish I Knew When I Started as a Project Manager

Mark Broadbent (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2016 | 1. Auflage
126 Seiten
Mark W Broadbent (Verlag)
978-0-9945176-1-6 (ISBN)

Ever noticed that some project managers seem to just be successful or at least seem to have it all under control while others just seem to struggle? Are you new to the project management world and want a bit of the inside running of what it might take to make your life just a little bit easier? There are so many books, courses, standards and certifications on how to run a project. There is so much information out there, it can be all a little overwhelming when you start. These other books, courses, standards, etc. largely stress the process of project management. Just knowing a process though is only part of the job. What are those little extra not-so-obvious things that successful project managers seem to have tucked in their back pocket? Deliver a Little a Lot will give you the extra insider knowledge you need to help you on your way to being one of these outstanding project managers.

All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.

Earl Nightingale

CHAPTER 2 - NOT SO OBVIOUS THINGS ABOUT PLANNING

The fundamental tenet of project management is that it involves planning, followed by a whole bunch of activity based on that plan.

However, you would not believe the number of projects, large and small, that seem to forget this, or probably more commonly, only pay lip-service to this concept.

I’ve seen so much planning done then put aside and the “real work” started (and the project only succeed through heroic effort).

Be clear about what you are to deliver and how it contributes to the objectives of the project owner. This gives you the ability to give better advice when you need to slightly (or drastically) change course.

You will be fixed on the objective. I like to think of outcomes and deliverables and the relationship between them.

I’m certainly not advocating that you need to be a slave to a plan, but as project managers we do the following simple things:

• We plan

• We action

• We monitor, track and adjust

• We clear blockers

• We finish

But there are some not-so-obvious things to think about when you are in the planning phase of a project. Here are a few.

No amount of planning will guarantee success

The plan is not the end game: the deliverables are.

Planning however, enables us to consider through the deliberate intent to think about it, if one thing is dependent on another before we are part way through – and while it is all on paper.

We must be careful of being too sequential in our thinking when planning, remembering to think holistically as we think about the successful delivery of new products.

Planning can be the act of applying dates and order to tasks, as well as making preparations on paper for things that will eventually be done physically. It is important, especially for things that are very complex or very valuable, to work it out on paper and through models or prototypes first.

Good planning leads to effective delivery but does not guarantee delivery. Sometimes things just get too hard. Be prepared by assessing the likely risk of each task in achieving an outcome.

Interim deliverables such as blueprints, models and prototypes help reduce the risk of failing to deliver something. Of course the more innovative the deliverable, the more likely you will need interim deliverables.

Many project managers tend to think – “I’ve planned the project, worked out when we need to have things done, now just monitor and it will all work.” No it won’t. In fact, the only thing you can really guarantee about a plan is that it won’t go to plan.

So to at least set yourself some way on a path of success, start with final deliverables in mind, work out deliverable dependencies, break the deliverables into interim deliverables, plan the dependencies, work out the tasks, and assess risks to each deliverable or task as you plan, add interim risk-minimizing deliverables, and allow for staging. If you want, establish short time-boxed deliverable cycles within the stage so there is a sense of delivering a little a lot.

Deliverables

The plan is not the end game. The deliverables are.

Always remember that as a PM.

“Best Efforts” projects don’t work

Many new project managers (and actually many older project managers), especially those with still some faith in the good nature of people, will plan and start a “best efforts” project. They don’t do this intentionally.

These projects hit you unaware. They are based usually on a request from a senior person: “Mark, you’re the guy who seems to always get things done – can you take on this project for me? It has failed so far and I really need someone I can rely on to get it going”.

You usually are little chuffed that you have been asked. You think to yourself – “Yes, I know I could get this done – it’ll be close to impossible to achieve in the three months left – but you know, I’ve done things like that before – I can do it. Besides, this is an obviously important project, everyone knows it. I will be able to get lots of help. I probably don’t have the budget available to throw resources at it to get it done, but hey I’ve been asked to do it at the last minute, everyone will rally behind us, remove the blockers, make budget available, we can get close to that target. The boss won’t mind if we are a bit later than that target because they know that it’s almost impossible.” Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Often the project is a “death-march project”. It has failed a number of times, the concept is flawed, resources are not capable of doing the work or the work is too innovative and to deliver the boss’s vision is just plain impossible. Working on this project is sure to be a CLM (Career Limiting Move). Really, it simply needs to be stopped.

Or more likely, you optimistically revise the plan, then ask for help and input from everyone; but no one really wants to help. They don’t care that the boss has asked for it: “it’s impossible to get it done in that time. The idea is rubbish.” No matter, you plough on thinking to yourself, “the boss will understand that if it’s a bit late. They knew that it was tricky – so they will cut me a bit of slack”. But it does not work out that way. The boss complains that the project is running late almost from the get go. You try and show that your people are working on it putting in extra hours, trying to get it done using heroic effort.

The problem with these projects is that you assumed “best effort” would be well received. The owner still wants the project done in the original time and scope. This does not work. The owner will be frustrated, the team will be frustrated, and mostly the PM will be seen to have failed.

The better thing to do is to see the project for what it is. Work through the factors that have impacted the project to date. Develop a realistic plan to complete the work. Make no assumptions about the budget left – work out what is really needed to get the job done. Do not depend on “heroic effort” or “best efforts”.

Once the plan is reworked, work out the new cost, the new time, the resource requirements and options for different mixes of scope, cost, resources, and time. Present this to the boss with a recommendation. You never know, they might find the money. Never assume that people will rally around and the owner will “forgive” changes to targets. Only approach this as an alternative plan – as the popular PRINCE24 project methodology would call it – an Exception Plan.

In the end you will be thanked for telling the truth upfront. If the project is canned after telling the truth you will be respected for it.

The real trick here is in seeing it for what it is when you are asked to take it on.

Whenever you are asked to come in and help, think to yourself that this is a problem child and needs careful consideration BEFORE committing to anything. Gauge the level of acceptance of change – perhaps ask the question upfront “What’s the most important thing – the target date, the budget, or the scope?” By asking this upfront you are inspiring confidence immediately and knowing the answer will enable you to re-plan accordingly.

The not so obvious thing here is that best endeavors projects are not obvious upfront. You can be lulled into them without realizing it. Despite taking on a difficult project where you expect “best endeavors” will suffice, that will (mostly) not be enough.

Ask for what you need to finish the project and if that can’t be provided, re-plan accordingly and present the new plan. The project owner may not like it, but you have told the truth to the best of your ability. No one can ask for more than that. (It’s probably more then they got from the previous project manager).

Build a Project Mandate or Brief Document

A way of getting all the disparate ideas and understandings agreed upfront is to develop a written brief overview of the project. This is often known as Project Mandate or Project Brief document.

This often forms the initial account of the project as agreed between the project owner and manager. The project manager will achieve greater clarity by writing down the result of discussion with the project owner and key stakeholders.

The document does not have to be long – one or two pages. It should stipulate at least:

• The agreed name of the project

• A brief description

• Project owner

• Key stakeholders

• Expected start date

• Target end...

Erscheint lt. Verlag	27.1.2016
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Projektmanagement
ISBN-10	0-9945176-1-0 / 0994517610
ISBN-13	978-0-9945176-1-6 / 9780994517616

Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt?

EPUB (Ohne DRM)
Größe: 791 KB

Digital Rights Management: ohne DRM
Dieses eBook enthält kein DRM oder Kopierschutz. Eine Weitergabe an Dritte ist jedoch rechtlich nicht zulässig, weil Sie beim Kauf nur die Rechte an der persönlichen Nutzung erwerben.

Dateiformat: EPUB (Electronic Publication)
EPUB ist ein offener Standard für eBooks und eignet sich besonders zur Darstellung von Belletristik und Sachbüchern. Der Fließtext wird dynamisch an die Display- und Schriftgröße angepasst. Auch für mobile Lesegeräte ist EPUB daher gut geeignet.

Systemvoraussetzungen:
PC/Mac: Mit einem PC oder Mac können Sie dieses eBook lesen. Sie benötigen dafür die kostenlose Software Adobe Digital Editions.
eReader: Dieses eBook kann mit (fast) allen eBook-Readern gelesen werden. Mit dem amazon-Kindle ist es aber nicht kompatibel.
Smartphone/Tablet: Egal ob Apple oder Android, dieses eBook können Sie lesen. Sie benötigen dafür eine kostenlose App.
Geräteliste und zusätzliche Hinweise

Buying eBooks from abroad
For tax law reasons we can sell eBooks just within Germany and Switzerland. Regrettably we cannot fulfill eBook-orders from other countries.