Succeeding With Best Practices and Methodologies

Business priorities can change depending on the paced that the industry is in.

Now that the year is almost coming to an end your organization should have a list of projects that it wants or needs to undertake.

But how do you prioritize if everyone saying that their project is important and needs to be done?

There has to be a Laser Focus on what projects are important to the business. Meaning all have to agree on number one - numero uno - project and the next ones after it.

Some of the pitfalls a business could face:

Having no clear view of the status of the projects or even the anticipated benefits.

Lack of due diligence in updating the status of the projects.

Projects being driven by resource's availability instead of project's strategy alignment to the business goals. Resources are available for the projects - let the project roll. Not enough resources - the project is put on a back burner, together with the business.

Business has to not only priorities projects at a strategic level but at an operational level as well. Not doing so can mean the difference between success and failure for the business.

I have over 20 years of experience in prioritizing, selecting, and managing projects. In that time, I have developed a simple framework that I call "Laser Focus." Main points of Laser Focus:

Goal:

What is the goal that the organization is pursuing? What is the vision statement for supporting this goal?

Triple Constraint:

Scope, Cost, and Time. And in the middle of the Triple Constraint sits Quality.

Operational and Strategic Project List:

What is the business's immediate and long-term projects?

People:

Without people there is no business. Do you have the right set of people to accomplish the projects? Do you have a plan to make sure that your people have the necessary skill set and a chance to grow new ones? Do you have a succession plan to take someone’s place when they are promoted or leaves the company? Do you have a moving up the ladder plan?

Communication is the key. Executive team needs to clearly spell out what its business purpose is, and its business's values and goals are. Executive team needs to communicate how the projects that the business undertakes gets organization closer to its goal. Departmental heads need to instill in their teams the correlation of the value of how each of the teammate’s accomplishments in a the project brings the organization closer in realizing its business purpose.

By applying the Laser Focus executives are able to better handle priorities changes. And, if communicated properly they'll be able to manage projects successfully and lead their organization into prosperous future.

Last week was not only the celebration of 4^th of July. It was also my work anniversary.

I am blessed to come to America as a refugee when I was a little boy with two small suitcases. And to be propelled to the pinnacle of my profession. The companies that know the true value of it’s employees pay the right price to them. Companies that don’t. Well, the employees leave for better opportunities. Sure – company’s culture, your boss’s management style – whether they micro manage you, health benefits and stock options also play a role in whether you stay with the company or not.

I want to know in the in what country you live and what are the opportunities available to you. And how the company compensates you on the projects that you are on.

First Friday in March is an Employee Appreciation Day.

Organizational biggest asset is its employees. Without them there is no company.

Most organizations know that a highly motivated employees are more productive employees. Thus, recognition and appreciation are key to keeping those employees continuing to be top performers.

Employees are not dumb. If they hear their leaders and managers just give lip service and don’t mean what they say. The result will be more of a moral problem. So, leaders and managers remember what your mom used to tell you: “Mean what you say. And say what you mean.”

Does you organization give lip service. “We care about our employees.” Wink emoji ;)

Or does your organization say, in more or less like: “You’re lucky to even have a job in this economy.”

Or does your organization on go all out and provide:

Lunch with CEO!

Time off!

Company stock options!

What are some of the creative ways how your company shows appreciation to you?

#EmployeeAppreciationDay