Project Management is a simple process once the buzzwords are removed:
risk logs, probelm logs, work force charters, training, and empowerment.
Here are the basic things management should do:
- Empower the project.
- Empowerment comes from getting sponsorship at the right level
of the organization.
- Empowerment comes from getting a suitably sized budget.
- Avoid letting others muscle between you and the project sponsor.
- Three levels of work organization:
- Resource Allocation. This is about priorities (what should
people work on), risk (dare we reduce the focus on daily business)
and politics (nobody gives up staff unless the task is important).
- Work stream design. This is about dividing work into managable
chunks and assigning responsbility to each chunk. The work stream
charter usually includes:
- Objective. Measurable, relevant, achievable.
- Timeframe for delivery and key milestones.
- Team membership. a team leader responsible for delivery, a
senior manager responsible for quality, giving political power
to the team and team members who are skilled and empowered to
complete their objectives.
- Key dependencies. what the team needs from the rest of the
business and when.
- Generate output. This is usually done with something like MS
Project, but this is (intentionally) intimidating. It can easily
be put on a white board using Post-It notes. The Post-It approach
is more friendly and is typically visible to all; making it more
relevant than a computer-generated GANTT chart.
(:commentable:)