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Friday, October 14, 2005

Organizational Project Management Best Practices

A good reference book about Project Management is “The Portable MBA in Project Management by Eric Verzuh”. In the book Eric sites a major study that was conducted around what Project Management Best Practices look like in a typical large organization. Perhaps we can learn a few things by looking at the results.

Formal (agreed-upon) Project Management Structure

Companies that successfully implement and use project management have a formal structure in place. These organizations have repeatable project management processes, and executives of the company are engaged and accountable for the success of project management and the project’s that they sponsor.

A Repeat Project Management Process

Repeatable processes that are aligned to PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Guide’s Nine Knowledge areas have been shown to increase the probability of project success.

Alignment of Projects to the Organizations Strategy

Projects that aren’t aligned will probably not be given a high priority (or proper support) within the organization. Projects that are aligned will have an executive sponsor that is engaged and measured against the project’s success.

Use of Tools

Project Managers need tools to do their job just like any other profession. The tools can be project management software, templates, and other items. The tools need to be closely aligned around the organization’s project management processes.

Experienced Project Managers

This was found to be the single most important success factor in the companies studied. The skills that successful project managers exhibit were:

Experience in Project Management
Ability to see the big picture
Excellent communications skills (verbal and written)
Willingness to do what it takes
Leadership and organizational skills
Problem solving skills
Collaborative and cooperative
Positive Attitude

The book is a great Project Management reference, is well written, and contains a wealth of information that will help you to be a better project manager.

For more information go to: http://www.pcigroup1.com/home_frm.htm

Thursday, October 06, 2005

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

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

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.