Warwick KowalczykEngineering Manager| Scentre GroupNorth Ryde, Nsw, Australia
I recently saw a job advertisement which said "in your cover letter, please outline the key strategies you would adopt to ensure successful delivery of a customer project."
I thought this was a brilliant tactic by the recruiter to sort the wheat from the chaff, and provided candidates with an opportunity to really sell themselves.
It did get me thinking though, what is my number one strategy for successful delivery of a project. What's the one thing that I HAVE to do.
So I'd like to pose this question to the forum. In your opinion, what's the most important strategy in your role to getting things done successfully? Saving Changes...
I am not PMP certified AND I am extremely new. However, I would like to express my thoughts if I may.
To me a project LIVES. It grows. It shrinks. It changes. It's lives because of people.
I am learning the established PM processes on a daily basis; using one at one time, another at another time, because I'm learning that not one size fits all. I read as much as I can about the PM discipline and have A LOT to learn trust me. I'm using documents and templates when needed.
But what I'm learning is that if you take away the templates, if you take away the GANTT charts, if you take away the 'paper' you still need people to do the job.
A manager (irregardless if they're a project manager or the manager at a fast food restaurant), must get the most out of the people that they are managing. They need to communicate to them. One doesn't need a document to communicate. One can pick up the phone and talk. You can meet with the people. (Heaven forbid if I took away someone's email capability).
A manager must treat people with respect. A manager must be a stand up person and when the need arises, take responsibility for others' failures because ultimately the PM has been put in the position to get the job done. By doing these things, people will respond. It may take time for some, and they still may not like you personally. After all, not everybody will like you. That's life.
You values must steer you and one of the most important values that one must possess is to treat EVERYONE with respect.
Sorry for being so philosophical this early in the a.m. :-) Saving Changes...
Hans RobbersSenior Director| SalesforceVlissingen, Netherlands
Warwick
Provoking question. Kept me thinking for a while. You do a lot of things when you start a project or take over a project but what are the key strategies you apply.
After ample thoughts I would say:
- People strategy
In line with what Paul says people are the most important asset you have as a project manager. However I would extend this. People are all stakeholders to the proejct, thus, consumers, end-users, key-users, steering committees. sponsors, venodrs, opponents, IT department and last but not least the project team. The strategy focus on communication and setting expectation. I call it people mstrategy and not communication strategy since in expectations I also include what I do expect of all those people in terms of deliverables.
People strategy is also tightly linked to Organisational Change Management.
- Product Strategy
Focussing on what we need to deliver, which approach to take and when it will be delivered. This takes into account the speed of adoption of the organisation but also the requirements from the users and stability of the requirements.
- Acceptance strategy
The product can be great and it can be communicated widely if the people who have to work it do not accept it it will be a failure. This strategy is focussing on accepting and embedding the solution in the organisation. The main focus is on Organisational Change Management
Eager to find out what others think
Hans Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Hi Warwick,
Great interview tactic..! As far as the most important strategy for achieving project sucess, my vote would go to "Communications." I hesitate to suggest that any one strategy is the most important, all things considered, but communications would rank right up there as perhaps first among equals. Saving Changes...
Ketan KarkhanisKetan A Karkhanis| CiscoSunnyvale, Ca, United States
If I have to answer this question in one line, I would say my number 1 strategy is
"building and maintaining relationships"
Saving Changes...
Warwick KowalczykEngineering Manager| Scentre GroupNorth Ryde, Nsw, Australia
Great responses - thanks all for your input.
I have to say that my initial reaction to this question was the communications angle is most important, and I still think this is the case.
However I think another important piece of "knowledge" that you must have is a road map for your project. And by this I don't just mean a plan or schedule. I always have an idea of where the project is heading in terms of it's development. At what point can I demo features to a client? At what point are issues going to surface? Saving Changes...
Michael WellesManaging Director| EdWel Project and Risk Management TrainingChicago, Il, United States
