Formal project management techniques -- what drives you to use'em (or not)?
Frank WintersPhotographer and ConservationistSandwich, Ma, United States
If you use formal project management techniques, what prompted your use of them? What pressures or perceived benefits drove you down a formal, structured path? Have formal methods and standards helped you in your career and/or project performance or is it really more like professional window dressing? If you don't use them -- why is that? Are you lazy, or do you believe that using informal methods -- just winging it -- is better? Or do you have a unique approach -- maybe a hybrid or something based on the "agile" approach to IT projects -- that you might not call formal but that works well for you? As you express your opinion, what evidence can you offer that you've on the right path? Saving Changes...
The company I work for (Verdandi.co.uk) uses a formal method. It's a set of guidelines on both "What to do" and "How to do". Why do we use it? 'Cos it works and our clients agree. Three keys: project objectives are derived from anticipated benefits rather than the other way around; delivery (of each bit of project work) is promised or there is a risk; delivery promises are kept or an issue is escalated until it is resolved - slippage in any sense is not an option. Saving Changes...
I have to agree that they get used because they work. But if that were completely true, all projects would be sailing along smoothly.
I find that I end up using the techniques which will emphasize to various stakeholders their own accountability within the project. For example, with a client who is always trying to "sneak in" new requirements, ensuring that formal change requests are documented, with clear articulation of the impacts to the cost, schedule, quality, etc., drives home the point that these need to be conscious decisions.
Having said that, there are times when I just completely drop a formal technique -- because the risk(s) that need managing are better dealt with by another technique.
It's a constant dodge and weave, one thing that is clear -- is that it's never straight-forward. Saving Changes...
Frank WintersPhotographer and ConservationistSandwich, Ma, United States
I agree with the dodge and weave characterization of the way PM's walk (reminds me of the ministry of silly walks from years ago). The degree of formality isn't the key -- its having some kind of structure to dodge and weave around in, seems to me. If you don't have guidelines you will never know how far off in the weeds you might be. Saving Changes...
