I'm currently managing a project where we are gathering requirements through workshops. The workshops are a full day commitment and are draining to say the least.
The workshops are extremely detailed and me sitting here is not adding any value to anyone. My feeling is that all I need to know as project manager is the outcome of each session.
Sometimes it's more important for the PM to be in a team meeting or workshop to show support or gather those "nuggets" of information, rather than for the outcomes. Sure, you need to know the outcomes. But you also need to lead by example! If YOU don't think it's important enough for you to be there, why should your team members???? Saving Changes...
Anonymous
That’s a good point. I used to let my team members run the projects and would receive the regular updates. They are good and pretty much know how to do their jobs. When problems arose they would get me directly involved. But my newer boss runs things through micro-managing and wants his administrators to do the same.
I think it comes down to what your boss wants and how you think best. My way of thinking is, “Hire the best people and let them do their job”. I know this is the best way but I also know this threatens some people and they try their best to stifle the ones they are afraid of….
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You can show support and commitment by doing the introduction and then handing over to your experts.
This shows confidence in your team, but also your commitment to the project. You could have regular review points where you make an appearance to check that things are on track and answer any questions that have been noted during the previous session. Then you come back to handle the wrap up and thank everyone for their contribution.
Hope this helps Saving Changes...
Mitch KraytonPresident| Krayton SeminarsDenver, Co, United States
If you are facilitating this project, you have to be there to steer the conversation on course and be sure that you are discovering the findings you need.
If you are not facilitating the project, why are you even there in the first place?
Like a judge in a courtroom, you may be disinterested in the details but as facilitator, you have to be there to keep the order in the room.
I like delegating as much as possible, but your role can't be delegated if you are the facilitator. You provide the objective flow and make certain that the findings are recorded objectively as well.
If you can, however, chunk down the project into smaller activities, then you can delegate leaders for each of those activities and then have the results presented to you and the group as a whole for verification and recording.
Digging a ditch is draining work too, but if you have been given that task, you must be in the game and play your import role in the process. Saving Changes...
Richard HowProgramme Management Consultant| How Associates LtdHarthill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Personally I get involved in the requirements gathering to ensure we clearly capture what is in scope and more importantly what is out of scope. This is your best chance to interact with the project sponsors and those that will sign off your project as fit for purpose at the end. If you build the relationship from this point they will still be with you at the end. If you don't then when you are seeking signoff they mayl tell you that you dont fully understand the requiremenst as you weren't involved in the requireent setting workshops Saving Changes...
My reading of this post was that they were working on the detailed requirements and in my experience, usually the project sponsor is not involved in the capture process for this level of detail.
They will delegate to their operational managers and team leads. As a project manager I don't want to be at that level of detail either, high level requirements, yes, definitely, as they define scope, but the detail level is for the operational arm of the business to define with the help of the business analysts.
The proviso on this is that in the organisations I have worked in the project sponsors have been at the executive or senior manager level, not the operational level. Things may be different if the sponsor is more "hands on". Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I think it depends on the environment you work in. As a highly experienced Lead Business Analyst, I never took the project manager into the detailed requirements workshops. I agree that high level requirements are important as they do relate to scope, but I do not think there is a need for a PM to sit in on a workshop for a whole day discussing lower level requirements (if they really want to be familiar with them, they can read the requirements documentation afterwards!).
Working in a commercial environment where time costs money also needs to be a consideration. Is the client willing to pay the rate for a PM to sit in for the whole day? I've found it very frustrating working with consultants who insist on bringing a number of attendees to a meeting and charge you for the privilege only to find that the majority of them are not active participants! Are your internal stakeholders happy for you to book this time to the project when you could be focussing on more value-add activities?
I don't think sitting out of requirements workshops is indicative of a lack of PM commitment. I would agree with Julie that a presence at key points in the day is sufficient to show support both for the team and to the stakeholders and will allow you to check that all parties are achieving what they set out to. Saving Changes...
Gary CarlsonManaging Consultant| PM Solutions Inc.Glen Mills, Pa, United States
I think that all too often the PM is regarded also as the Subject Matter Expert (SME). I firmly believe that things like requirements gathering should be delegated by the PM to the SME who has hopefully been selected by the PM to be part of the project team and that the PM would ensure that the SME would have the required skill set for this task. I include in that skill set both the technical knowledge that might be required as well as the soft skills that would be required such as communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. I strongly believe that PMs need to focus on managing the project rahter than getting bogged down in detail that others can do better. i see examples everyday of PMs that spend their time managing pm tools, trying to understand a technology that they are not familiar with and a host of other busy work instead of managing the project. Saving Changes...
Richard HowProgramme Management Consultant| How Associates LtdHarthill, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
From the orignal post
"we are gathering requirements through workshops"
"The workshops are extremely detailed"
from that I determined that they were doing the initial requirements gathering but were getting bogged down in the detail. This is why I said the PM should be there because the PM should be facilitating the meeting and ensuring they stay at the high level and not get bogged down in the detail. As has been said when it gets to the detailed requirements the PM doesn't need to be there as they should be managing the project.
If the PM doesn't take control of the of high level requirement gathering workshops they rapidly descend into detail and never recover. Saving Changes...
Wayne MackRetired| RetiredSouth Riding, Va, United States
I feel it is highly important for th eProject Manager to be involved in the requirements gathering process. Two issues that come to mind are:
* The project manager needs to understand the scope of the project and the requirements define the scope.
* The project manager needs to know and understand the various stakeholders involved with the project. This is a chance to meet them, understand their concerns, and be in a position to negotiate later when the time comes to control or even scale back project scope.
The project manager should be active and visible during the requirements gathering sessions. The project manager should be opening and closing the session each day, and networking during breaks and over lunch. Requirements gathering can make or break a project and the project manager needs to both be there and be involved.
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