PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Management

Project Management

Introduction

Any strategy formulation session worth its salt ultimately distills vision into critical business issues, and, if the organization is really serious, these issues then get translated into projects, with discrete deliverables and back-up plans. Project management is the discipline that often gets unseen when attempting to precede strategy from the boardroom to back offices and the marketplace.(Anderson, 2008, 411)

In working with organizations both large and small, in the public and private sector, in the U.S. and offshore, in manufacturing sites and corporate headquarters, and in strategic and operational task situations, we have discovered that there are seven conditions that are essential for task success.(Cooper, 2004, 12) These conditions apply both to all projects, if related to top-level strategic business issues or operational ones. Perform badly against even one of these conditions, and you risk shelving your strategy, although brilliantly formulated it may be.

Basic Conditions for Implementing Strategy

Make the convincing business case for task management

All too often, task teams are asked to carry out their work in the vacuum. They are notified what must be finished, but not why. Not understanding how their efforts will assist achieves the organization's strategic goals or what impact they will have on the base line typically breeds the “this too shall pass” syndrome. Not surprisingly, many teams lack the motivation to stick with it, losing oomph long before the task is completed.

Make task management practical, relevant, and beneficial from day one

Project management is often associated with technical tools and software. The vaunted Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) contains the wealth of literature and training material, dealing with every aspect of task management: from scope command to financial management, from estimating to team construction, from communication to contracting, and more. These materials contain many of the lessons learned by task teams over the past couple of decades. They also supply detailed, step-by-step guidance through the task management process(Holland, 2005, 79).

Unfortunately, much of the existing material is far too technical for the novice task leader and team. Too many, next each and every step in the process seems tedious, and the benefits don't appear to justify the investment of time and energy. And, as good as the training materials may be, learning the concepts from the publication or in the classroom don't guarantee that persons will be motivated or able to use them on the job.

Effective task management tools are not the replacement for sound judgment by task managers. The key function of the task manager is directing the use of the concepts so they assist rather than hinder the team's progress.(Anderson, 2008, 411) Before getting down employed, each constituent of the task team needs to agree that the process they will be next is realistic and practical.(Holland, 2005, 79) In particular, they require to understand the intent of the concepts and tools well sufficient to understand how much of each to apply.

Make systems and procedures task management friendly

Ideally, the process for conceptualizing, approving, initiating, sourcing, applying, and closing projects ...