Building a Solid Project Foundation

 

Recently at a project management training class, the instructor faced his students and with a straight face said, "As project managers, we manage projects." Although the participants laughed, his point was not lost on the class--project management is often lost in the cacophony of the project itself.

Project managers face the daunting challenge of defining, planning and managing projects in complex work environments. Stakeholders often send conflicting signals as to the importance and benefit of the project. Project managers need a way to navigate these waters so that the project progresses and customers receive maximum value at each project phase. Three key elements form the foundation of a project--the underpinnings from which a project can be successfully managed. The elements are 1) a common understanding of purpose, 2) executive support and 3) a sense of urgency about the project. Through understanding these critical components, project managers and team members can quickly cut through the morass of stakeholder issues to identify and resolve problems that could jeopardize the project. Consider the following factors:

1. A common understanding of purpose. Stakeholder alignment is the underlying theme. Project managers are usually concerned with defining deliverables and scope. Our stakeholders want to know how those deliverables will coalesce into their desired…

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