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Hear Susan
Speak
Listen to her
20 minute interview with David Wolf on 9/28/07
(.MP3 format, 14.5 MB)
Susan Junda
Dynamic Solutions
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 888-4786
the Dynamic Solutions Electronic Newsletter
February 2008
What's
Going On Out There - a message from Susan
Times seem to be getting tight, from a time AND a cost perspective. Companies are cutting back, either in their work forces and/or in their budgets.
This is a time for project management and focused, high-performing project teams to shine!
This is when it is critically important to have teams that run super smoothly together in what I like to call "co-ordinated action" so that the projects can be run in an efficient manner from a time, cost and performance perspective.
Not to do so can waste SO much of an organization’s money - because what IS the most expensive item in a project budget besides the purchase of capital equipment? The project team members’ salaries!!!
Every time an unexpected "hiccup" happens in the project execution ("unexpected" is different than planning and documenting assumptions, which may or may NOT be true...). it affects the project budget because it affects the extra time team members have to take to respond to the "hiccup." Whether or not you even track project cost, it is still costing the organization because other "things" are not getting done!
This problem, and solution below, addresses the "project running you" issue.
And once again, please feel free to send me YOUR most pressing issue or challenge, using the "Ask Susan" link below. Your issue may be addressed in a future newsletter!
So read on!
All the best,
Susan Junda
Project Management World
The Problem...
Are you running your projects?
OR are your projects running YOU?
Many times project managers tell me they feel out of control of their project, even if they have a signed off project plan that they and the team are executing to. What are some of the reasons that projects seem to "run away" and take on a life of their own?
- Constantly changing requirements
- Scope continuing to morph and grow ("scope creep")
- Projects not having a clear, concise endpoint (so they go "on and on")
- No baseline plan for the project (which makes it easy to add to!)
- No clear process on how to create new options to carve a new project path
- Team members that do "favors" for people, adding features and enhancements here and there
Any of these sound familiar?
Scroll down to see the solution from all three perspectives or jump to the Senior Management, Project Manager, or Team Member perspective.
The Solution...
From the Senior Management (or boss) Perspective...
Project Managers and teams need your help in keeping the signed off Project Management Plan valid. Sure, we live in an ever-changing environment so some things are bound to change. But know that if a team plans the project well, and you and your colleagues sign off on it , it should NOT be easy to change the project plan!!! You have given the teams the time to plan; now help them keep the plan valid.
Here are a few things you can do to help support the team and minimize changing requirements, scope creep and the like:
- Be willing to have the project
manager interview you for your thoughts and ideas on the project
during the Project Definition Phase (i.e., start of the project life
cycle) so what is viable can be included in the plan, from the very
start!
- Do what you can to minimize, if not
eliminate, changes to project plans due to random, fly-by hallway
conversations, or the wishes of one or two stakeholders.
- Understand that changes
will often affect the deadline and budget of a project. Do NOT expect
"something for nothing" or assume that "cracking the whip" or coming
from a "just go do it" mentality will make it happen!
- Be willing to get an honest assessment of
"reality." When things do go "out of whack," let the project manager
develop and present options to you that get the project back on track.
- Do not shoot the messenger! (It
hurts!)
- Create some type of "Project Control and Review" board that meets regularly to review, with the project managers, any changes that might need to be made to project plans and revise as necessary - TOGETHER with no finger-pointing or blame!
To reiterate, your project managers need your help in keeping the plan valid, by minimizing random changes and approving the valid ones in a timely manner!
From the Project Manager Perspective...
I tell the groups I teach that the most important job of a Project Manager (and team) during execution and implementation is to keep the Project Plan valid, which is sometimes easier said than done!
Here are some tips to help you out:
- Do NOT start working on HOW you will
do a project until you figure out WHAT you are doing (i.e.
developing the Project Definition or Charter). To do so is asking for
trouble. It does not matter HOW urgent a project seems to be at the start,
you will minimize time (due to less "hiccups" or changes in the future)
by getting a good definition at the beginning.
As one of my "hero" clients stated, "my manager and the business partner realized the importance of bringing everyone together. There were some requirements that came out that hadn't been considered and they realized that the task of building the solution was not going to be as simple as they had originally thought." This up-front work saved her a lot of time and pain in the future!
- Once you have a valid plan, do NOT
sabotage it by saying "yes" to changes without analyzing the impact to the
committed "time, cost and performance" of the original/current plan. It
is perfectly okay to go back to a stakeholder and say "Yes, we can do this
but we need 2 more months and another $200K." If you give them something
for nothing, you have set a precedence which might be hard to change in the
future.
- When the project plan seems out of whack, do some analysis before you panic! Are you behind? If so, can you catch up? If so, how and when? Or do you need to totally re-plan the project, develop options (with the team members, preferably), and present them to stakeholders to make a decision on which option to pursue?
Understand that keeping the plan valid and knowing what to do when it is not is one of the most critical jobs of a Project Manager when the implementation of the project is underway. If you do this well, you will gain the respect of your managers, stakeholders and team for being a person who is direct, organized and truly "in control" of the realities surrounding the project!
From the Team Member Perspective...
Nothing can be more crazy-making than being on a project (or projects!) that feels like a runaway train! Having a Project Manager who is in a panic, randomly issuing orders to seemingly correct a situation without explaining the issue thoroughly to you or listening to your input or perspective, can put a serious damper on your enthusiasm towards being part of this team!
So what can you do, as a team member, to prevent runaway projects?
- Send anyone who requests a change of
you directly to the Project Manager. Refuse to make
changes due to "favors" that are asked of you (in the hallways, over
coffee, at your desk) by co-workers, just because you are a "nice"
person and might not say "no" easily.
- Hopefully, you know what tasks you signed up
to do on the project, know how long it should take to get them done and know
what date they need to be done by. If the Project Manager asks for a
change, don’t respond immediately. Ask for a bit a time to just check to
see if the change is still viable in the work/effort and duration estimates
you initially gave him/her.
- Resist saying "yes" to a Project Manager or stakeholder that wants a change in a "hallway" conversation. In a crisis, learn to ask key questions. First, try to calm him/her down. Ask them what is creating the sense of urgency. Ask clear, concise questions about what they think needs to be done and why. Then, as above, ask for a bit of time to do the analysis on the request.
Remember, you and your team are the subject matter experts, the ones that REALLY know how long a task takes to do. Don’t let a "runaway" project (or "runaway" Project Manager) force you to make commitments that are NOT valid! This will not help your reputation OR help the Project Manager keep the project plan valid!
Ask/Tell Susan
If you want more information on what we can do to help your Project Teams be more successful, please click here to visit my Project Management page.
Do you have any questions, comments, suggestions for improvement? If you do, I'd love to hear them. Your feedback will help make this e-newsletter better. To send me your feedback, .