I work for a rather smallish company (30 + people) that is owned by a multi national. I have only recently started and was hired with the understanding that the company was tired of having projects manage them and wanted someone that would manage the projects instead. I might also add that the position was open because the parent company stated that my company needed a project manager and stated the lack of one as a lessons learned from a failed project that the smaller company did for the larger company.
My challenge is that right now I have been placed in charge of managing a program that completely changes the structure and content of the business (a web site). My boss is a VP and he has stated that he wants to manage the projects to "my exacting standards". So, he is actually the program manager in name and I explain what I would do in his place. The biggest challenge is that the three main executives state that they want to "manage the hell out of this project\program" but they do not follow my advice. I've been trying to get a signed off program charter for the last two weeks and am rebuffed by statements such as, "we don't need that, we need the requirements documented" - Which by the way is another challenge. The executives themselves are authoring the requirements document. They do not see a need for hiring business systems analysts or information architects to do the documentation and eliciting of detailed requirements that the developers will need to create the systems.
I’m also questioned constantly about my contact with the parent company. I had recently scheduled a meeting (at the request of a project manager at the parent company that is responsible for a similar project at the parent company, our project is the POC) to meet with the parent company project sponsor, product manager and project manager to review the draft program charter that I have to date and to make sure I have the project stakeholders listed correctly and to understand communication needs and expectations. Never before has anyone cared what I have done while in the parent company office (in fact, when I first started, I was forced to go there for days at a time even without an agenda so as to make my presence known sort of speak) Now however, the executives found out I was meeting with the project sponsor at the parent company and they want to review agendas and did in fact tell me to cancel the meeting. They do not want to share any draft documents… (I thought we were all on the same side but apparently that is not the case)
We have a high level schedule that my boss created but there is nothing behind the schedule that states what we get as deliverables on a week to week basis. There is a spreadsheet that another executive created that lists out the resources he believes we will need for this project but with no documentation behind it stating what deliverables those resources will be tasked with nor the deadlines or dependencies behind those deliverables.
In my mind, this whole thing is a disaster but I don't know how to better explain why they should follow a project management framework. I've tried stating that the charter is the basis of knowing exactly what the project is and isn't and how to understand if it is a success. I've tried explaining that you need a detailed communication plan to explain how things will be communicated (this program is further complicated by the fact that we are in actuality a proof of concept for the larger company and they are VERY interested in what we are doing), that you need a WBS with dependencies, LOEs and resources in order to create a baseline schedule to manage to as well as a resource management plan, that you need weekly status meetings with substance that cover what got done this week, what is happening next week and what are our outstanding issues and triggered risks, that we need a risk management plan even if its for only the top ten risks... and that you need an issues management plan in order to know what to escalate to the project sponsor as well as to keep track of what needs to get resolved
Almost everyday I want to quit but I also see it as an awesome challenge that I know will make me a much better project manager in the long run... if only I can survive.
Any suggestions would be MOST welcome.
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Long but insteresting read. Whenever an attempt fails by an earlier proponent, the next guy to take it up is always in the line of fire. At times or most of the times, there would be a resistance if you want to bring a huge change. So start working on developing a guiding coalition who would actually support your best intent for the project and the organization.
Visibility to the top management is the first thing you should look into when you set out to give a solution. From whatever you have written, looks like your bosses are keen to get a handle on the actual day-to-day execution of the project and from my personal experience, you can never please them with a few spreadsheets.
Have you thought of proposing the usage of a web based tool that would manage the problem at hand and bring all the stakeholders on the same plane ? i.e., Portfolio and Project Management in tandem with Software LifeCycle Management and IT business processes management ? Do find sometime to surf www.digite.com and discuss with your chiefs if they would like to invest in tools of Digite genre. You would encounter low tolerance for overhead imposed while using such tools in the interest of longer-term IT efficiencies but as a project manager, its your challenge to mobilise your team -- peers as well as bosses.
Good Luck !!
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Anonymous
Yes, I understand where you are going with the using of tools - however, I believe that is getting far ahead of myself. Using a tool does nothing if you don't understand the methodolgy of project management first. It's like saying you need a calculator when you can't even admit that you need to add... Know what a I mean?
To even get to the point of using software would be a miracle. Right now I'm just trying to get the multi located team to use Share point and am coming up against resistance... Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I think your real problem lies in what you describe at the very beginning of your post.
1. You are the new guy brought in because of a previous failure, i.e. an outsider.
2.Execs want to manage the program. Wonder who manged the previous failed projects? :)
3. They are trying to save face and regain stature with the parent company.They see you as a threat.
4. In other word, it's business as usual,and that is why they are not interested in your PM philosophy.
So this is what you are really trying to overcome. It's not about proper PM methodology, it's about them maintaining control.
I think you have a hard road in front of you to try and change the mentality of the upper management. If you do not get exec level buy in for PM practices, you will never get lower level participation. I can only wish you luck.
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Anonymous
couldnt agree more than this. 2 tips I can think of:
1. Work out a long term plan and have a list of probable questions that will be asked.(ofcourse have the answers as well, atleast for most of them)
2. Enlist some of them as the few things you can do quickly (short-term)to kick-off with. Despite your best effort and intent, if people dont bite into it, dont feel bad and never be insecure about the job (this brings down the morale and enthusiasm to do something meaningful).
KNOW THE WAY, SHOW THE WAY, GO THE WAY. Good luck and keep coming here for any help you might need. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, very nice post and replies. Perhaps I am a bit old school, but I tend to advocate the Situational Leadership model. You can Google "Situational Leadership Model" and find a number of good ref sources. Different readiness levels as measured by ability and willingness calls for different leadership approaches - Style 1 through Style 4. And leadership flows both ways; from manager to employee and from employee to manager. You need to Style 1 your boss. That is, put your boss on notice that the job is not getting done. Typically, the best time and place for an employee to Style 1 his boss is after work and over drinks some place very private and respectful. Here's how to do it. You call the meeting, you pay for the drinks, and you ask if you can speak candidly to your boss about how things are going. When he says yes, which he will, you need to say, "boss, we are not getting it done". Notice the "we". Then, you need to pull out a single piece of paper from your coat pocket that has on the top half a very net summary. On the left hand side, show the "as-is" state and on the right hand side, show the "needed" state. Then, underneath this, on the bottom half of the page, list out the actions that you recommend need to be taken to go from the "as-is" state to the "desired" state so that you, your boss, and the others can get the job done. Your analysis and recommendation, be it a couple of key actions or a road map for systematic improvement, should be convincing and obvious. After you finish, ask your boss if he supports your analysis and recommendation. If yes, great. If no, then ask him to help you understand what parts of your analysis and recommendations he supports and what parts he does not. At this point, just listen and take note until he finishes. If there are some going forward areas of agreement, confirm those and tell your boss that you are pleased with what he has to say. If there are no going forward areas of agreement, thank your boss for his time, his ear, and his advice, and call it a night. Keep it professional, keep it net, and keep it non-confrontational. Make sure your boss knows that he has your loyalty as well as your talent. Toward that aim, you should be the one telling your boss and the other execs (if necessary) about key meetings with the parent company, rather than having them find out. That is within your control, so manage to it. Lastly, remember that Rome wasn't built in a day, so there is no need to think about quitting. And you are quite right. You have an awesome challenge and opportunity in front of you to both give and contribute what you know and to receive and learn from others what they know and what they face vis a vis the dynamics and constraints of the organization. Good Luck..! -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Two things - to the anonymous poster that posted 10/06 at 10:27PM - THANK YOU SO MUCH! You clearly stated what my real challenge is. Regarding point 2 - the person that managed that failed project was my boss (ouch) - What I really need help in understanding is how I can possibly be viewed as a threat (I'm agreeing with you, that is how I'm perceived especially by one of the SVPs) but I don't understand why. My purpose is to deliver the project successfully on time and within scope. How can that be a bad thing?
Someone else mentioned that I need to get buy-in but I'm not sure how - like where do I even start? and I believe I have been explaining the benefits but obviuosly I haven't been doing a good enough job - any suggestions in explaining the value of PM...
Somebody else talked about developing a long term plan but I'm not sure what I'm planning for - the program itself, organizational change to believe in project management, my career path and how to get out of here? (which strange as it may seem, though i want to quit almost everyday, i really truly believe that if I can make this work, I will be much better off in the long run)
And lastly, thank you Mark Perry - I think you had a really great suggestion and I am going to try it. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes...
thanks all!
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Anonymous
Okay -
So, I followed Mark Perry's advice (we didn't do drinks but had a meeting at the office during my normal weekly one on one). To some degree it has worked. :) I still have my days where I want to quit and where I think this is going to be a huge disaster but…
We have identified one BSA resource that we had on staff from offshore, one new contract resource that is here through the end of November and we are using a Product Manager that was recently hired that has experience with writing requirements (though why a Product Manager would want to write functional requirements is beyond me but I'm not complaining, he's really good at it). I believe we are still short about six BSAs but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
I still do not have a signed program charter (but parts of it were used by our president to present to the parent company's SVPs - haha) and I told my boss (in a nice, non confrontational way) he was being too optimistic regarding the work and duration for getting to final functional requirements (he came to me the other day with the revised estimates (they were supposed to be done a week ago) and it was all I could do to hold myself back from saying 'I told you so.'), but overall some things have improved. Not as much as I believe needs to happen but change is incremental right? We should have been introducing the risk management and communications plan weeks ago but we will get there.
I still think this program is going to be super painful and the end result is not going to be what management started off wanting but I think it is a step on the path to better managing of projects within the small company.
So, I continue my challenge - I've been creating schedules for the various sub projects with the team members and so far so good. I’ve revealed that we need 16 more of a particular resource and I had the numbers to back me up!
Thanks again everyone and I will keep you posted.
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Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Congrats..! The President is using your work and your boss is starting to pay more attention to realistic estimates. I am sure that it must be frustrating from time to time, but this company needs you and you have already made more contribution and progress than your predecessor. Wow and well done..! -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Thanks for posting this issue. It is a really interesting read, be assured you are not alone! Mark's advice is excellent. A further hint which came to me in a 3am moment of clarity during a similar project: I realised that the persuasion, cajoling and explanation that I was investing my effort in was all based on my motivating factors.
By this I mean that I was using a mass approach to try to convince people of the value of structure and methodology, without really working on understanding why they disagreed with me. It all seemed so logical, I just couldn’t imagine why they would think any differently.
In short - I just hadn't analysed the underlying reasons for their objection, or the potential benefits which were important to them. Oct 6th Anon 11.38 touches on this by saying that you should think about the questions you will get – if you expand this to also cover the objections and benefits, you will get a stronger picture of the interests and motivations you are dealing with.
Once I took a step back and analysed what each of the parties would gain from the project's success, I was able to use a tailored approach to bring each person into the process and had much more success. This becomes especially useful when you get into 'process change.' Business owners can become very territorial and objectionable unless you understand how best to bring them onside. I guess the point is that you’re not really fighting the whole organisation, just a bunch of individuals. Figure out how to win over each individual and you will slowly start to win.
You’ve already made huge progress, hang in there dude, you’re doing well! :)
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Anonymous
Hello,
Thanks Karen for your posting. You were spot on. I'm really trying to work on that aspect. It's funny because I just did my six month end of year review and realized just how much I suck at that skill. For the past four months or so, I've been pretty negative in my attitude because senior management doesn't see the obvious. But then I realized, it's not obvious to them and I need to correct my attitude and approach to help them understand.
I have an update - yesterday my boss received approval to hire a business systems analyst FTE!!! This is the first time this company has ever approved of this notion (on my current program, i have two contractors and one product manager filling the role of bsa but never before have we had an FTE - in fact, this program is the first time they have ever had someone actually write requirements.. ). So, it was a little victory. Personally, I think we need at least six more but hey, it's progress. Of further note, my boss finally said I was right! Which, I know, that's being a little catty of me to feel that way but it was nice to be acknowledged. Even if it was only by him in private and the senior management is probably crediting him with all my ideas but hey - I'll go with it for now.
Additionally, remember when I said he wasn't scheduling enough time for requirements gathering and documenting? Right again, we are still gathering and documenting. The high level schedule (based on an .xls with NO dependancies or concerns for resource plans - big no, no in my book but hey, we are still working on this) is now showing requirements going out thru January. I raised concerns because they are only allowing two weeks for design and the architect has not even glanced at our functional requirements yet, nor will he til the first day of his getting here (3rd party resource that is part of implemetation of new CMS we are doing). To me, it's like so stupid to even think a design can be done in two weeks but I made my arguments for what I beleive in and will continue to do so in a nice, non threatening, take into account what their reasoning is way ...
Anyways, just wanted to give you all an update. More progress has been made (not fast enough for me but I'm trying to restrain myself :) )
Thanks again to everyone's post for helping me through this.
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