Wasted Time

As project managers we are very focused on time. As time passes, we often find that our project and personal objectives aren’t being achieved. We look back at our project or personal goals and see ways we could have done things differently that would have saved us time. We agonize over the loss of time, and look for ways to do more with less, or look to find additional resources to help make up for the lack of time.

I was recently sent a link to a website that brings the topic of time to the forefront. It has significant meaning, especially when applied to our personal lives. Be sure you have your sound turned up on your PC and give the link a try.

Hopefully in will enlighten you about the concept of time, and its importance in your personal as well as your business life.

Check out the site at: The Time Movie

The Project Manager as Planner

I think everyone agrees that the first responsibility of the project manager is planning. The project manager's main responsibility is to build the high-level plan, but it is the responsibility of the line/functional managers to build in or provide the details. We know that the project manager does not or should not control the resources that will ultimately do the work, but the project manager is responsible to see that that work is done right, on time, and on budget. There are some tips that will help the project manager create a better project plan and keep the project on track.

Some items to consider are:

• Define your tasks using non-technical language, and include descriptions or notes detailing the work involved
  
• Create milestones in your schedule to help track progress and use them as quality gates
  
• Ensure you have agreement with the line managers about the skill sets required of his or her resources
  
• Define up front how you will measure performance
  
• Define up front how you will measure quality
  
• Ensure you have a strong project sponsor that is engaged and supportive
• Use Communication plans to keep everyone informed
  

Doing the above (and lots of other things) will help ensure that everyone involved with the project will better understand their roles and have a vision of what the end product or service will look like.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management

Organizations have a lot of knowledge. This knowledge is critical to the organization’s success and is housed in many places. Knowledge transfer among employees is always a challenge, and most importantly most organizations do not have processes in place to ensure that timely knowledge transfer takes place.

An organization’s culture can inhibit effective knowledge transfer. Ineffective knowledge transfer can cause knowledge to be lost or be unclear when and if it is transferred.

Some ways to overcome ineffective knowledge transfer are:

• Face-to-face meetings


• Create an environment that is conducive to collaboration


• Set performance objectives around formal and informal knowledge transfer mechanisms


• Establish regular knowledge transfer procedures (meetings, documents, reports, etc)


• Hire people that are flexible and open to good knowledge transfer practices


• Conduct brainstorming sessions and document the what is learned/transferred


• Reward collaborative efforts


• Use failures as a way to create new knowledge

A common language is important for effective knowledge transfer to take place. Glossaries, scope statements, project objectives and project assumptions will help you to begin the process of knowledge transfer in the early stages of your project.