I'm new to the realm of PM (1.5 years)and I recently started working for the 'pie in the sky' company only to discover there are no processes in place. It's a software co. with no knowledge of QA. The training manuals are outdated and its not uncommon for a conversion to end in a lawsuit.. I'm scared this will affect future in PM by implementating horrible financial software and leaving the clients hanging... what should I do? Saving Changes...
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Anonymous
That all depends on what your employer wants you to do. Do they see the situation as you do? Do they share the same concerns? If not, is there a chance they would come around to your point of view? Are you reading the situation accurately? If they don't or won't share your viewpoint and your appraisal is correct then you either suck it up or find a different place to hang your hat. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I agree with the other posting. Either be an agent for change, which is difficult without a solid background, or get out quickly. There is nothing like a good mentor and you do not have one where you are. If you leave quickly and go to interviews with clear reasons why the previous employer failed then this helps demonstrates you ability. Draw up your own method on how to do things correctly, using resources such as this one, PMBOK (www.pmi.org), books etc.
However if your mgt do listen and let you make changes then it will place you in a strong position , both in terms of value to the company and the opportunity to learn from YOUR mistakes, not someone elses.
The worst course of action is to continue for a few years more and not do anything. You will lose credibility both in the company and to potential employers.
Finally, most experienced PMs agree that all major problems stem from poor communication somewhere. I find that other people solve a lot of my problems for me if I have everyone well informed and focussed on the final objective. Saving Changes...
I've been in the same position in the past. I was working as a Manager of Project Tracking for a software development house that had in excess of 140 commercial software projects on the go at any one time.
With no controls or true methods in place, the majority of projects progressed into the trouble zones on very predictable time frames. Ultimately, I had to leave the organization.
However, as a Project Manager, and now President of my own Consulting firm, I have developed my own documented methodologies and worked closely with my project teams and all other relevant stakeholders to realize that even when there are NO corporate standards, here's how "we" are going to manage our own projects to success.
This is "micro change". I wasn't looking for management to provide direction or support, I was simply imposing my own will in terms of management style and approach on a "local" level. In doing this, my project teams realized that they had better control, better understanding of roles and responsibilities and accountabilities (within our sphere of influence), and strangely, our projects began to show successes where other, non-structured one did not.
This draws the attention of senior management and serves as a model. Oftentimes, your senior management may be completely aware of their failing to provide structure and function, but, may not be capable of implementing it on your behalf, for whatever reason. This is where innovation on the part of the project manager comes in.
I've attached a small "flyer" in ms-word format to this postiing that does something to explain the Tiernon Strategies project management framework.
If you want to talk to a sensitive ear, why not drop me an email at: [email protected] , or call 416-618-4410.
Hope to hear from you Saving Changes...
Andy JordanPresident| Roffensian Consulting S.A.Cherry Grove, AB, Canada
I have to agree with a fellow Torontonian - Bill is spot on. You can only change your own sphere of influence, but it is amazing how much attention you can attract when it works.
I was slightly embarassed at my current position when everyone thought I was so wonderful at project management, when I thought I was doing nothing more than applying the processes that i have learned over countless years of painful experience. We have to realize that what may be fundamental to us, is new and groundbreaking for companies that don't have a PM culture - especially new economy companies that have (in the past) been driven solely by time to market.
Concentrate initially on a small number of high impact processes - change control is an obvious example and get buy in from the team (usually fairly easy with change control). Implement it in a firm but fair way, sell the benefits whenever they occur and you will soon have people championing it. Keep cycling through until you have 20 or so core processes and then build from there. By that time you will probably find that you have a lot of corporate support for your endeavours Saving Changes...
