Project Management in Real Life

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Do you remember when you were required to show your work in a math test to give the instructor an idea how you arrived at the answers. They had to see the approach that you used to solve the problems. Showing your work demonstrates that you understand  how you arrived at your answers.

Connecting the dots

The Work Breakdown Structure in Project Management is the decomposition of a Work Package that is a basically a large task that needs to be broken down as far as you can to create work packages that are smaller tasks. When you breakdown a large work package into smaller tasks it gives you a better insight on the work that needs to be done. It will give you a chance to provide good estimates on the time required to complete the entire work package.

The value of the WBS

The work breakdown structure is a valuable technique to get a better understanding of the components in your project. Showing your work on how you will deliver your project will provide clarity. The better you are at showing your work, the better your chances on delivering tasks on time.

The Symphony Orchestra Conductor interprets a composer's score to set the tempo for the Orchestra. The conductor stands most of the time on a raised podium with a baton, but also uses hand gestures and body language to convey the emotions of the musical score to the orchestra.

Will an orchestra function without a conductor?  Yes, the show will go on with some inconsistent interpretations of the score. Will there be a good review of that Symphony? Highly unlikely unless they get lucky.

Being a Conductor is an art. Just because you can play beautiful music does not mean you can conduct. The Symphony Orchestra needs a Conductor to be successful on their delivery of music.

The Project Manager is that point person that guides a team to complete tasks on time. The tasks can be completed independently of each other or they need to be completed in a defined order of dependencies to accomplish a deliverable. All the tasks make up a project with a defined scope to deliver results.

Being a Project Manager requires the ability to have a vision on how you will deliver a project on schedule by guiding your team members to stay focused on their part in the project. Every team member plays an important role no matter how small they think their part is. No room for slackers or weak links that will comprise the team's rhythm.  

Will a team function without a project manager? Yes, it's done all the time. Will the project be on time within a budget? I don't recommend taking chances without a project manager because you might be lucky to have some good team members that can guide the team to a successful delivery of a project. That might not be the case all the time.

Being a Project Manager is an art too. The delivery of projects on schedule within a budget is like a Symphony Orchestra Conductor that delivers a beautiful Symphony with a standing ovation at the end. That's why the Project Manager is the Symphony Orchestra Conductor of Projects. They deliver results. No standing ovation, only pure satisfaction for the team delivering a successful project.

(Note - this article was originally written by Drake Settsu and published on DrakeSettsu.BlogSpot.com in April 2017)

Leaders are born and made, they rise when they have the calling. A good leader will embrace the respect of the team not having to force their leadership skills on the team. The bad leaders are the ones that try to force their leadership and just do not connect with the team wasting everyone's time with a dog and pony show they put on to call attention to themselves. 

Something to remember on how you conduct your leadership. Put yourself in your teams shoes and step back and look at yourself and see if you like that person.

Qualities of a good leader:

1) Vision - Have enthusiasm by conveying to your team what we are going to undertake and deliver.

2) Good listener - Let others speak their view point to get a good understanding of them.

3) Approachable - Create an atmosphere that you can be contacted anytime.

4) Confidence - Believe in yourself without portraying an arrogant attitude.    

5) Credibility - You must have the trust of your team.

6) Keep one's word - Deliver what you promise.  

7) Accountability - The Buck Stops Here. 

8) Charisma - Inspire your team.

9) Decision maker - Must have confidence to make tough and critical decisions.

(Note - this article was originally written by Drake Settsu and published on DrakeSettsu.BlogSpot.com in January 2014 and was modified on this post)

The main reason PMO's are not setup is the time and investment it takes to set it up right. The current focus is get the project done now. With that type of approach you are exposed to potential problems as soon as you start the project. The PMO might be looked at like a guardian watching over us and slowing us down with red tape. 

A PMO is a big investment that takes time to evolve into the right tailored fit that meets the companies needs. A PMO will alway's be a work in progress that needs to be continually tuned to maintain it's value. The company will achieve a ROI by delivering projects on-time and controlling the project budget and scope. Management buy in and patience is required to setup your PMO. Be willing to suffer growing pains along the way it will be worth it in the end. Management will have a "Stop Light Report" showing the status of all the projects being worked on in the company using green, yellow and red to indicate the health of the project with a brief summary of the progress being made.

Start slow using the "Project Management Body of Knowledge aka PMBOK" the book of standards to guide you on managing projects. Review all your current processes and standards. Get together with all the Project Managers to agree upon a standard to be followed by everyone. Just think if you have no PMO and three Project Managers you will have three methods on running a project. It might work now, but as your projects get more complex you need to have all your project managers following a standard guideline allowing them some deviations. 

The goal is tracking your projects to deliver them on-time within the budget. Project Management is an Art and Science don't make it so complicated to implement in your company. Keep it simple and evolve with time so everyone can get onboard and not be frightened of it. 

What I look for in a Project Manager:

- Continually improving processes

- Willing to jump in and help

- Cool under pressure

- Keeping your word

- The Quarterback

- Never give up

- Approachable

- Dragon Slayer

- Learner for life

- Good listener

- Leadership

- Thick skin

- Charisma

- Follow up 

- Tenacity

- Teacher

- No Fear

- Humble

- Friend 

I can add more, but I will stop here. You get the point I'm making.

(Note - this article was originally written by Drake Settsu and published on DrakeSettsu.BlogSpot.com in February 2018)

I had an experience of a flaming email years ago from a contractor Mr. PMP type. He was an arrogant you know what. That contractor sent out an email to a distribution after hours to slam me on something. I was out of the office already having dinner. I had a smartphone and was composing a response and before I could send my response out I received an email from a team member responding to that flaming email defending my position on the issue. She slammed Mr. PMP with facts that put the arrogant Mr. PMP in his place. She made it easy for me, all I had to do was thank her and concur with her email and case is closed. By the way Mr. PMP did not respond back. Silence is golden. When you gain respect from your team and have a reputation people will defend you and stand by you. It's a priceless good feeling that you are making an impact on your team.

Mr. PMP never spoke to me again and avoided me. What a cry baby he can only dish it out, but when he is proven wrong he won't admit it. We don't need Project Managers that behave this way to discredit the profession by acting arrogant and unprofessional. Mr. PMP was an older gentleman that should have known better on how to exercise people skills. 

(Note - this article was originally written by Drake Settsu and published on DrakeSettsu.BlogSpot.com in April 2014)

* This incident happened a long time ago. Please use email responsibly.