I've been a W2 IT Project Management contractor for a company for about 15 months now (I've been a PM for 11 years). I got chewed out today and I think it's partially my fault and partially lack of scope/direction/what they want to do.
The project is basically to improve the performance of part of a website ordering system, investigating and finding ways to make it faster. The director has been very involved in the project and comes to every meeting and gives direction. We made some progress finding things to address early on, then it lagged for like 4 months while they were working on something else.
I've had a hard time with this project plan from the start. There was some testing, which was easy to plan and track. Buy my boss is like "set up a meeting and let's investigate this." It's so piecemeal and changed all the time. So I would put "investigate x" and give it a due date. They kept on changing their mind about things and some of the work done my boss didn't even tell me about. How do I create a Jira story for "investigating things"? They would then change their minds. I've so used to being a software development PM and having project scope, requirements, etc with different apps, each with a product owner who knows what they want and there's a defined process. I had asked for example templates, stories, etc, what they're asking for, but was given nothing.
They are going into a different direction and "relaunching" the project. On the project call today, the director, his program manager, and a couple others all of a sudden pointed to finger at me. It was sudden. That there is no schedule and they need someone to drive the project. Frankly, I'm not that technical and, from my point of view, they *were* "investigating x". That's what I was tracking. They're not building or testing, so I struggled with how to create stories from that. Still not sure what type of detailed schedule they want. I think they need a technical program manager, as I don't understand architecture, etc. I'm feeling very down and would like some advice. Saving Changes...
This is not an uncommon situation and why building and managing a detailed schedule can be critical assets as a PM.
You do need to create a schedule that shows how your major activities get you to the end goal, and significant constraints like "We can't start this until we finish this because it's the same people doing both." The schedule helps you yourself as a way to focus and plan the project in detail, as well as a communication tool to others. By documenting the baseline plan, you can show the impacts of "go investigate x". When you don't have that clear picture, it generally comes across as hand waving and excuses.
I often work program level efforts integrating the work of many different project managers into higher level projects. The PMs who when I ask how things are going, pull out their own schedules usually need much less attention than the ones with a mental plan but nothing on paper. Saving Changes...
While it is important to have some domain knowledge of the work being done, you need to be able to rely on your team to plan and deliver the work - if they are not doing so, then this might be a problem of capability, capacity or commitment which you should address so that you don't find your lack of knowledge becoming a risk to the project.
Is there a charter for this project? It sounds like some of the basic guardrails which should help to ensure it doesn't just become an "off the side of the desk" activity might not be there.
I'd expect with a performance improvement project that there would be a backlog of prioritized potential causes for low performance which would be investigated one or a few at a time. Having and tracking to that should help you put some structure around the work being done.
I agree with Kiron and Keith.
My advice is just to focus on the main topics and plan ahead accordingly. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
"they need someone to drive the project" is for me the key sentence, indicating a lack of leadership.
There is no schedule, for what, and which scope? What is the measurable target? You can be agile but you need a north-star and guardrails.
'Driving' is a perception by your sponsor (director and program manager?), team, and users. If they keep coming in every week, micromanaging, and not delegating and trusting you, that is an issue. You seem not to drive and lead the project, the progress, and the stakeholders.
The best would be for you to track what YOU planned and committed to, not what others planned for you. Maybe you were set up as a scapegoat, someone to blame when the leaderless project goes aside.
My advice would be to stick to the PMI wisdom on how to initiate and kick off a project… and focus on stakeholders next time. Saving Changes...
Markus KopkoAI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.aiHamburg, Hamburg, Germany
The situation you describe is familiar to many project management professionals and can present a challenge. Here is a structured approach to address the concerns and improve the project's trajectory:
Clarify Project Objectives and Scope: Initiate a meeting with key stakeholders to define and clarify the project's objectives, scope, and deliverables. It is essential to understand what constitutes 'improved performance' for the ordering system and how success will be measured.
Re-establish Governance and Roles: There is a need to clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities within the project, especially distinguishing between the project management and technical leadership roles. Please advocate for appointing a technical lead or architect who can provide the technical direction needed.
Develop a Project Charter: If not established, develop a project charter with clarified objectives, scope, roles, and an initial high-level timeline. Obtain formal approval from the director and all key stakeholders to ensure alignment.
Adopt an Agile Approach: Given the iterative nature of investigation and development, consider adopting Agile methodologies that can handle changes and incremental development better. Stories can be created for investigation tasks, but they should lead to tangible outcomes, such as a report, a decision, or a prototype.
Communication Plan: Establish a clear communication plan that outlines how updates will be communicated, who will be responsible for various communications, and the frequency of updates. This should include regular status meetings, project updates, and a method for documenting and communicating changes.
Utilize a Project Management Framework: Implement a framework for managing the project that includes clear milestones, deliverables, and check-ins. This may consist of sprints for investigation phases, where each sprint has a goal and deliverables.
Engage in Risk Management: Identify potential risks, including the lack of technical understanding, and develop mitigation strategies. Engaging with a more technically oriented colleague for insight could be a part of this strategy.
Build a Traceable Plan: Break down the investigative activities into smaller, traceable tasks that can be scheduled and tracked. Each task should have clear criteria for what 'done' looks like, even if it's research-based.
Personal Development: Address the technical knowledge gap by seeking relevant learning opportunities. This can be done through formal training or by partnering with technical team members to gain a better understanding of the technical aspects of the project.
Request Feedback and Support: Ask for specific, constructive feedback on your performance and where expectations were not met. Also, seek guidance on what type of schedule or detail the stakeholders expect.
Remember, as a project manager, your expertise is in managing the project process, not necessarily the technical content. It is reasonable and professional to require clear direction and support from the technical experts to manage the project effectively. Lastly, could you reflect on this experience as a learning opportunity to enhance your adaptability and resilience, both of which are valuable competencies in the project management field? Saving Changes...
