I am trying to come to terms with my employer avoiding formal project management activities, at almost any cost, for large pieces of work which are obviously are projects. Thinking about this, I came to the conclusion that the more risk aware a business is the more likely it is to use project management as a way of minimising risk and enabling proactive management. On the flip side, if a business is only paying lip service to risk management, then project management will be ignored in favour of the "Our project managers are all honest individuals who are totally devoted to their projects (despite their day jobs) and are happy to tell the truth about progress even if it does mean highlighting a serious problem to the senior managers." Has anyone else come to this conclusion? Saving Changes...
The situation you describe is one of the most challenging facing project managers. Just the other day I spoke with a friend who is required to manage a project in an organisation that gives lip service to Project Management, and where sponsors contribute virtually zero to project governance in a practical or positive sense.
I would give two pieces of advice to an aspiring project manager. Firstly if you aspire to be a professional, hang out with professionals. If you have a choice of jobs, at interview ask the penetrating questions about corporate PM culture, standards and processes. This should give you a guide as to which will be the most rewarding to work for. BUT, If you end up in a tricky situation, working with PM 'turkeys' then don't compromise your own standards. Regardless of what else is happening around you, practice good personal PM standards and treat your project owner, sponsor, client, director whatever as if they were part of an effective governance structure. Communicate with them in professional project terms, even if you have to water down some of the jargon. Use scope management, risk management, issue management and change management systematically. Ultimately it will be your professional sword and shield.
Regards
David Hudson, Australia Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Hi David,
Thank you for your reply. I am not a project manager in the organisation, I run the programme office! My assumption is that I wasnt made redundant during the last cost cutting exercise is because our parent company has made it a requirement to have a programme office. Due to personal circumstances moving jobs is not an option but I do make sure that I keep in touch with professionals through contacts made in other jobs. So I am happy that I am able to maintain my standards, etc.
Someone has to take the up the challenge to promote project management here and that falls within my job description. As you quite rightly point out, in order to make it more acceptable I have had to simplify all the terminology so that the poor managers who have been given projects to do on top of their day jobs dont feel as though they are using the correct disciplines. This all makes for a thoroughly demotivating and unsatisfying job. Saving Changes...
