Jerry Manas is the author of the best-sellers Napoleon on Project Management and Managing the Gray Areas, and a recognized thought leader in organizational project and resource management. His latest book is The Resource Management and Capacity Planning Handbook (September 2014). Jerry's work has been highlighted in a variety of publications, and he has appeared on radio programs nationwide.
The quotes from Napoleon included in this series (including Part 1) are taken from Napoleon on the Art of War (by Napoleon I, Emperor of the French--selected, edited and translated by Jay Luvaas) and Military Maxims of Napoleon (also by Napoleon I, Emperor of the French--translated by George C. D'Aguilar and revised by David G.Chandler).
In these quotes, you will get a feel for the principles that led to Napoleon's successes: exactitude, character and simplicity and above all, an inherent belief in the value of planning.
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Effective Communication
"Reconnaissance memoranda should always be written in the simplest style and be purely descriptive. They should never stray from their objective by introducing extraneous ideas."
Simplicity is a key concept often mentioned by Napoleon, Patton and more recently Jack Welch, and is worth exploring in more detail. Simplicity is critical in communication. Think simplicity versus complexity. If something is complex, you must find a way to make it simple (i.e. through charts, analogies, eliminating extraneous thoughts, etc.). One element of simplicity is focus. Napoleon wanted his people to do write-ups of their reconnaissance missions, by listing "just the facts." He didn't want them to include campaign ideas or strategy, merely a very detailed description of the environment.
Don't confuse simplicity with lack of detail. Napoleon still wanted detail--exhaustive detail. But the detail needed to be focused, descriptive and easy to understand, not using complex jargon that leaves room for error. The same applies to all project management documents, be it a scope definition, functional or technical specifications or the project plan itself.
The project plan is one of the most critical forms of communication that will be used throughout a project and therefore deserves special mention. It is used to communicate the status to stakeholders and to act as a roadmap for the project team. Because of this, while it's important to plan in exhaustive detail, it's equally important not to include all of that detail in the project plan. This is a subtle art, and can be accomplished with the use of work packages. Low-level tasks that do not need to be tracked individually can be rolled up onto the plan as a high-level deliverable (which would be the lowest level tracked on the project plan).
For each such deliverable, a "work package" can be given to the individual or team that needs to accomplish the deliverable. This work package, which should be developed with the responsible team's input, is a document that indicates the objective or approach, each resource's time commitment, input requirements, output deliverables, risk assessment and work estimates.
The responsible team could then break this down into an activity list, detailed task list or even their own work breakdown structure (which they would track independently). In this way the main project plan can be made simpler, which is critical as nobody will read a large, complex project plan and--worse yet--nobody will maintain it.
"The conduct of generals is more delicate after battles than before because then, having been able to pursue only one course, they find themselves criticized by everybody who favored other alternatives. In military operations I consult nobody; in diplomatic operations I consult everybody."
By this, Napoleon is stressing the importance of soliciting all stakeholders' input early on. If this isn't done, you'll have a thousand critics once your project is complete.
He also points out that, while he consults everybody when it comes to diplomatic issues, when it comes to military operations he consults nobody. He was very much in favor of "management" leaving the operational tactics to him, not having them dictated by some higher-up who wasn't close enough to the action. Of course, when he became Emperor, he didn't need to worry as much about that.
"I do not believe that I am bound to wait until the last moment to let you know the plan of campaign adopted by the Emperor. It is well that you are instructed fifteen days in advance so that, in the greatest silence, you can take all your measures, and when I will have transmitted the Emperor's final orders to commence hostilities you will be prepared to play the important role that His Majesty has entrusted you in his vast plans..."
It's important to give people enough notice to at least study the project goals and do some preliminary planning. Don't wait until you've attended all of the planning meetings and completed the entire project plan to share with your team what they will be faced with once the project gets under way. Give them an advance heads-up.
"All combats must be fought according to the rules of war, that is to say, with your line of communication secure."
Although Napoleon is primary addressing the issue of logistics (ensuring supply lines, replacement troops, etc.), which is also relevant to project management, the root of all this is to ensure that you can communicate when needed, and that the communication will be heard and understood. It's been said that 90 percent of a project manager's job is related to communications in some way, be it with the project team, stakeholders, contractors, the client, etc. To ensure adequate communication, it's critical to have a communication plan up front in your project, to determine in advance who needs to know what, when and how. Then it's equally important to maintain those lines of communication in accordance with the plan.
"...he forgot about troops who were not under his command."
This is an excerpt from one of Napoleon's many critiques on various generals of the past. The point is that all too often we forget to include all of the stakeholders in our communications, using the "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy.
Rewards and Recognition
"We must encourage soldiers by every method to remain with the colors: this will be accomplished by demonstrating great regard for veterans...It is a great injustice not to pay a veteran more than a recruit."
There are many forms of recognition. Napoleon here refers to one example, the recognition of veterans for length of service. It's equally important to recognize those who perform a great service through deed. Recognition of achievements motivates people to continue achieving and gives others a vision for the future, a goal to aim for and someone to emulate.
Up Next: In the next article we'll explore Napoleon's thoughts on Motivation and The Value of Historical Data. Then, in the coming articles, we'll discuss Planning, Risk Management, Post Project Evaluation, The Value of Historical Data and more.
Jerry Manas, PMP is a project management consultant and client manager with Lever8 Solutions, a Safeguard Company. Jerry is an IT professional with over 24 years of consulting and employment experience with a focus on project management, team building, training, and product development. Most recently, Jerry has been assisting his client, an $11 billion specialty chemical company, with the rollout of a new project management framework.
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When someone is lying, is it true that their pants are actually on fire? - Jerry Seinfeld |
