Tag: Project Management

Getting the Call to Action – Taking Over a Project

Written by Martin Fenelon on May 9, 2023. Posted in Articles.

We usually don’t identify projects that we want to take over and make a request. Instead, we are identified as a candidate to assist or take over an ongoing project. How should we proceed?

Our goal is to quickly assess the current situation, focusing on the executive or management level, to help us decide if this is an opportunity that we should take or if we should steer clear. Even if we cannot decline the opportunity, the information gathered here will help us plan our first steps and should help us determine the extent of executive commitment to the project and the way to improve it.

The most critical question to ask is, “Why are we changing the PM now?” The PM may have been moved to a more important assignment, transferred to a different position as part of their career growth, or may just be on extended leave. If one of these is the reason given, there may still be some challenges in taking over the project, but there aren’t any warning signs yet.

There may be answers that raise warning flags, such as “We just fired the PM.” Or “The PM quit unexpectedly.” These usually indicate a project with issues. Another red flag warning is when the customer (internal or external) has demanded a change in the PM. While this may just be a style or personality conflict between the individuals, there are often deeper issues.

Carefully consider the responses you’ve received to this first question before proceeding. Is this shaping up as a situation where you will be the next PM being replaced, potentially harming your professional reputation and career? Do there appear to be political games being played? If so, do you want to join the game? If you have to take the assignment, what precautions are needed?

The next question for the Project Sponsor and Business Owner, is “What does success look like?” If they cannot succinctly describe this, how can the project be successful? Even under Agile or Flow Methodologies, “do good stuff” is never enough guidance. All projects have objectives. While they may be modified through the course of the project (being “agile”), at any given point in time the current objective must be clear and understood by all the stakeholders. If you cannot establish a clear response to this question, this issue must be flagged.

A more difficult question to get a true answer to is, “What is the current status of the project?” The true status may not be known, and different stakeholders are likely to hold different views. At this stage, we want to determine what views are held by the key stakeholders. If negative views are expressed, this is an ideal time to lay the foundation for future requests for help or support.

If there seems to be a consensus that the project is challenged or adrift, an immediate follow-up question needs to be asked: “Should this project be terminated?” Get this option on the table to save a lot of time and effort later. We are not recommending that the project be terminated, though we may do so later after we’ve done a thorough review. We are reminding the executive team that this is an option they should be considering if they haven’t already done so.

If the decision is made to continue the next question is, “If it is not on track, what caused it to go off track?” We will get into the actual reasons as part of our project review later on. At this point, we want to discover the executive view. Do not assume that this initial view is 100% true, there are probably some facts that support it.

The remaining questions are focused on executive commitment to the project and our accepting the opportunity to join as the PM. They will lay the foundation for the next steps that you will take as you assume leadership of the project team.

We need to learn, “Why was I selected for this project?” The goal is to learn more about the project and why they are coming to you to take over. Is it just because you are available? Do you have specific skills and experience that they think are needed, or something else?

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Next, ask “What do you need from me to help this project succeed?” Essentially a follow-up to the previous question, we are identifying the knowledge, skills, time, and commitment that they expect us to bring to the project. Is the intent for us to carry the project through to completion? If the answer is no, follow up with, “What is the desired project status to trigger my transition out?” These answers will impact your plans for assuming responsibility for the project and how you will be viewed by both management and the delivery team.

The next two questions can indicate the likelihood of success. “What authority will I have over the project team? Over external teams or resources that we need to succeed?” A common problem with modern organizations is dispersed authority. Being responsible for a successful outcome without having commensurate authority over the resources and teams is not only difficult, it is a recipe for frustration and disappointment. Uncover any potential issues of this kind now, and be prepared to discuss why the organizational arrangements need to be changed.

Ask your manager, the Project Sponsor, and the Business Owner, “What will you do to help this project succeed?” If they appear indifferent or show a lack of commitment to project success, this is a clear sign that the project is unlikely to succeed. Be very careful about boarding the Titanic while the captain is eyeing the lifeboat.

Finally ask “Do I have the option to turn down this assignment?” The answer may be yes, in which case you need to decide based on your career goals, your current personal situation, and everything you’ve learned about the project to this point. If you decide to accept the opportunity, do so with the firm intention to do your best and to be fully committed to a successful outcome for the organization, the project, and the project team.

If the answer is that you have to take the assignment, be professional about it. This may be a good opportunity to request specific things you need to be successful—key personnel; increased authority; ability to request scope, schedule, and budget changes later; etc. Explain that you are going to do a thorough project review and discuss the results with the key stakeholders. That discussion may include recommendations for them to consider, including additional support. Set the groundwork for your review and that follow-up meeting, indicating that you cannot promise a successful project outcome before then.

For a more detailed discussion of how to handle a request to take over a project, see my book: There’s A New Sheriff In Town: The Project Manager’s Proven Guide To Successfully Taking Over Ongoing Projects And Getting The Work Done , Fenelon, Martin J., eBook – Amazon.com

11 Questions to Ask Before Taking Over a Project

1. Why are we changing the PM now?

2. What does success look like?

3. What is the current status of the project?

4. If it is not on track, what caused it to go off track?

5. Why was I selected for this project?

6. What do you need from me to help this project succeed?

7. Do you intend for me to stay as PM through the end of the project? If not, what is the desired project status to trigger my transition out?

8. What authority will I have over the project team?

9. What authority will I have over external teams or resources that we need to succeed?

10. What will you do to help this project succeed?

11. Do I have the option to turn down this assignment?

Streamlining Project Communication: A Guide to Simplifying Technical Jargon in Reports

Written by Queen Oppong on May 3, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Reading a document and struggling to understand the information presented is a common experience, especially in specialized fields like Information Technology (IT). As a project management consultant specializing in IT reporting, I frequently encounter industry jargon from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). My role is to ensure these reports are clear and comprehensible for their intended audience. This article discusses my approach to simplifying reports by eliminating technical jargon, providing real-life examples, and offering practical tools and resources.

In project management, reports are documents that record and convey information to a specific audience. Since reports are vital communication tools, it is crucial to adhere to specific guidelines to ensure effectiveness in communicating information. By following these criteria, project managers can support informed decision-making and promote overall project success.

Clarity: Ensuring clarity in reports is paramount, as it allows readers to easily comprehend the information presented. To achieve this, I use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that may confuse readers. When introducing new ideas or concepts, I aim to present them in their simplest form. For example, in a software development project report, instead of writing “The system’s API will employ OAuth 2.0 protocol for authentication,” opt for a more accessible explanation, such as “The system will use a widely-accepted, secure method to confirm user identity.” In another instance, instead of using the term “bandwidth” to describe available resources, use “capacity” or “availability.“
Accuracy: Accurate and reliable data is the backbone of any effective report. Reports should draw information from credible sources and avoid biases or errors that may distort the information. For example, when discussing a construction project’s progress, rather than stating, “The construction is ahead of schedule,” provide specific, verifiable data: “The construction is 10% ahead of schedule, as confirmed by the project’s timeline and the latest site inspection.“
Relevance: Reports must be tailored to the intended audience, providing information that aligns with their needs and interests. If writing a report for a project’s executive sponsors for instance, focus on high-level insights, financial data, and overall progress. In contrast, a report for a project team may require more detailed information about individual tasks, deadlines, and technical challenges.
Timeliness: Reports should be current and up to date, reflecting the most recent information available. For example, if submitting a monthly financial report for a project, ensure that the data included is from the most recent month and not outdated or incomplete figures. Staying current is essential for stakeholders to make informed decisions based on the latest information.
Completeness: Comprehensive reports provide a thorough analysis of the presented data and information without omitting important details. For example, in a risk assessment report, include all identified risks, their potential impact on the project, and proposed mitigation strategies. Leaving out critical information could lead to uninformed decision-making and negatively impact project’s outcome.
Consistency: Maintaining a consistent format and style in reports is essential for presenting information in a logical and organized manner. Consistency includes using the same headings, fonts, and colour schemes throughout the document. In addition, reports should have a clear structure, with sections divided into logical categories, such as background, objectives, methods, findings, and conclusions. This consistency enables readers to follow the report more easily and quickly locate specific information they seek.

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In addition to the above guidelines, it is essential to consider the training and education of both report writers and the intended audience. Providing education on avoiding jargon and understanding the needs of different audiences can significantly improve report quality. Additionally, fostering collaboration between SMEs and report writers can facilitate the process of simplifying jargon and creating more accessible reports.

When writing reports, it is important to tailor the level of jargon or technical language to the audience’s expertise. For instance, when writing for experts in a particular field, some degree of technical language might be appropriate. However, for a more general audience, strive to use more accessible language.

To further streamline the report writing process, consider using tools and resources such as readability checkers, jargon busters, and style guides to ensure clarity and simplicity. These tools can assist in identifying complex language and suggest alternatives that are easier to understand.

Measuring the effectiveness of simplified reports is crucial to understanding the impact on reader comprehension which may support decision-making. Some methods for assessing the success of simplified reports may include reader feedback surveys, comprehension tests, or monitoring the outcomes of decisions made based on the reports.

In conclusion, reports play a crucial role in project communication, documenting and conveying vital information to stakeholders such as team members, management, clients, and investors. Detailed analysis of data, trends, and other relevant information in reports helps project managers make informed decisions and improve project performance. By simplifying jargon, providing training, fostering collaboration, and using available tools, project managers can create more effective reports that drive informed decision-making and overall project success.

Best of PMTimes: How to Avoid Project Management Failure – Top Tactics

Written by Christine Maugustus on April 26, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Whenever you take on a project, you are taking on some level of risk — a chance that the project might fail.

No one is perfect, not even highly trained project managers; but you do have a responsibility to do all you can to ensure your project doesn’t fail. After all, your business is counting on this to work. When you propose a project, you are essentially promising to execute it successfully, and failure to do so for any reason will reflect poorly on you. While you can only control your part, careful planning and strong leadership can go a long way in ensuring the success of a project.

Here are some tactics successful project managers use to avoid failure:

Know What Causes Failure

In order to avoid failure, you first have to have an understanding of what most often causes project failure. Some common reasons are: lack of communication, poor planning or risk management, or a lack of discipline. Bringing a project to successful completion is hard work and requires someone who’s willing to roll up their sleeves and stick with it, meticulously, until the end.

But don’t just look at general reasons that any project might fail. Look at the weak points within your own organization. If you’ve been there for some time, you may already have an idea of the pitfalls into which your workplace tends to fall. If not, keep your eyes open. It’s good to know your specific weaknesses so that you can think of a way to avoid or strengthen them.

Enhance Your Strengths

Strong management is an absolute must for successful project management. If the project manager isn’t up to the task, it’s doomed from the start. Part of this is in knowing the weaknesses of your team and your organization. Another part of this is in knowing your team’s strengths, and how to best bring out those strengths to finish a project efficiently and successfully.

Being a project manager is more than just overseeing the project. It’s also motivating those working on it. Again, projects require strong discipline. Lead by example with your own strength of discipline and encourage that in your team. If you can bring the best out of a good team, they’ll be strong enough to handle any obstacles that your project throws their way.

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Plan Carefully

Too often, project managers don’t dedicate enough time to planning. Maybe this comes from over eagerness to get started, or maybe project managers and stakeholders worry that if you’re planning, you’re not actively working towards the goal. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If it’s done right, planning is at least half the work. Before you begin putting your project into action, you should have every nuance planned. What is your strategy to finish the project? How do you plan to minimize risk at each step of the way? What is your goal at every milestone and how can you best reach it?

Some people become frustrated and bogged down by spending too much time in planning, but this shouldn’t be a problem for a project manager. It’s your job to be able to look at the big picture. If you have a solid, thoroughly thought out plan, the execution of the project should be smooth and easy. Think of planning like a garden stream: with the path already set, the water will naturally flow in that direction.

Keep It Realistic

Many projects begin in an optimistic light…perhaps more optimistic than they should be in reality. In excitement, it’s easy to set too-short deadlines or over the top goals. Don’t let eagerness determine your goals. Take a step back and look at this project and your team realistically. Don’t think about what you want to achieve here, but what you can feasibly achieve and give yourself enough time to achieve that. You may want to impress stakeholders with goals and timeframes that wow, but they’ll be more impressed in the end with a project successfully and realistically managed.

Track Everything

Don’t trust anything to memory or verbal conversations. Everything to do with your project needs to be written down and stored in one place. This could be a log that you keep or a project management software, and the log itself will depend on the size and scope of the project. You should have your progress tracked, an index of your performance so far, and all of the goals you’re striving to reach or have reached. This will make it easier, too, in case you need to adjust goals or deadlines. The more you track, the better prepared you are.

Communicate

Keep the work stream running smoothly with open and available communication. You should communicate regularly with everyone involved in this project, and encourage others involved to do the same. This will keep stakeholders from worrying about the status of the project and keep the team encouraged and knowledgeable. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and little mistakes that can snowball into big failures as the project goes on. As we discussed before, it’s one of the biggest culprits when it comes to project failure. Avoid it by making sure everyone has a part in tracking progress and keeping everyone posted regularly.

Expect the Unexpected

Even with careful planning, you may hit a curveball along the way that threatens to set back or harm your project. You can’t account for everything, so you should definitely prepare to hit an unexpected roadblock along the way. Maybe this means giving the budget a little padding in case of trouble or having a risk strategy in place. Maybe this means having a plan B in case plan A falls through. But no matter what, you should expect to be surprised at some point along the way.

Life isn’t perfect, business isn’t perfect, and you should probably expect that your project won’t be perfect, either. However, a prepared project manager who knows their team and communicates thoroughly can ensure that the project weathers any storm and ends successfully.

Opportunity is Everywhere for Project Managers

Written by Karla Eidem on April 18, 2023. Posted in Articles.

The world is changing fast, and so is the future of project management. For new and established project professionals, the challenge to stay competitive and relevant in our ever-evolving work environment can be daunting – particularly in the face of constant disruption and economic uncertainty.

The good news is project talent is still in high demand. My organization, Project Management Institute (PMI), recently released its Global Project Management Job Trends for 2023 showing that – despite the disruption and economic uncertainty – this demand will only increase, presenting a strong opportunity for project professionals to advance their careers over the next decade. In fact, from now until 2030, 2.3 million people will be needed each year to fill open project management-oriented positions, according to PMI’s most recent Talent Gap report.

So, what will these positions look like, and how can you take advantage of these opportunities? Here are the sectors to watch for and ways you can upskill or reskill to prepare for your next career move:

Construction
Despite setbacks including the global pandemic, supply chain issues, and inflation, the construction industry continues to grow and expand, creating job openings for project professionals. The recent investment in U.S. infrastructure also provides a significant opportunity, with an estimated 17 million infrastructure-related jobs to be filled by 2031, many of those in construction and built areas.

If you are interested in beginning or advancing your career in construction, the opportunities are endless with projects touching telecom, power, water, and more. It’s important to note that this is a rapidly evolving industry, so you must develop relevant skills, including the mastery of digital tools like building information management and cutting-edge tech to allow virtual building tours before ground has been broken.

If you have at least three years of project experience in the construction field, the Construction Professional in Built Environment Projects (PMI-CP)™ can help you acquire skills like stakeholder communication and scope and risk management, using construction-specific context to prime you for future opportunities in the industry.

Consulting & ESG
While consulting was previously more aligned with late-career professionals to leverage their professional expertise, a career in consulting is now a space for all project professionals. Project management consultants are often brought in to implement organizational transformations, requiring them to keep pace with the latest developments in new technologies like AI and low-code or no-code tools. A successful career in consulting also requires proficiency in interpersonal skills, like communication and active listening – which PMI calls “power skills” – to provide the best possible guidance to employers and clients, solve pain points, and demonstrate value aligned with organizational goals.

With an increasing demand for organizations to invest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, this also presents a new path for project managers to build a career in ESG. Project professionals have the necessary tools and skillset that make them well-suited to manage complex, long-term projects that require implementation, stakeholder management, and designating and meeting KPIs.

Financial Services
With this sector rapidly moving toward a fintech future, project professionals have an opportunity for a career in financial services to help drive this industry’s digital revolution. Gaining knowledge of data privacy, legal and regulatory requirements, and consumer expectations is crucial as financial services companies look to balance the pursuit of profit with innovation to redefine industry services.

Project professionals who achieve this balance will be invaluable to their teams, helping to vet and implement trends and technology to improve customer services and advance the business, while avoiding those which do not. Because working with data privacy and regulatory factors comes with a bit of inherent risk, the PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® certification, for example, can help arm you with knowledge for industry success – from registering threats and risks to developing mitigation plans and customer solutions.

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PMOs: The Project Management Office
For professionals eager to help a business ensure their various projects and programs create value, consider a career in a PMO, or project management office. In the last decade, the role of the PMO has evolved. They are increasingly focused on helping organizations adapt to innovative processes as they embrace new ways of working, while also ensuring capabilities – like data and technology – are maximized in the implementation process. This requires alignment with the processes and decision-making behind a company’s big-picture objectives.

To pursue a role in a PMO, seeking a PMO mentor is a good first step. You might consider joining a professional association, which offers opportunities to seek out mentors specific to your desired career path. Additionally, if you have experience leading projects, obtaining a globally-recognized certification like the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification can set you apart and prepare you to succeed and create value in a PMO.

Prepare for Your Next Career Move
For project professionals unsure of their preferred industry or area of focus, there are many ways to learn more about the different career paths available. Attending in-person or virtual events is one way to gain greater knowledge of trends and growth areas, with many free of charge. Events like the Virtual Experience Series 2023: PMXPO, for example, offer a chance for professionals to broaden their perspective on project management and connect with peers.

Additionally, membership within a professional organization like PMI® provides opportunities to network with other project professionals across industries and sectors, sharing best practices and career experiences – including tips and strategies to upskill and reskill. PMI also offers local chapter membership, which allows you to take the power of networking further with those in your own community – this can be a great way to also volunteer in chapter activities and even learn about new job openings.

Early-stage project professionals should consider PMI’s free, 45-minute introductory KICKOFF™ course, or its Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification, a highly regarded certification that serves as a crucial stepping-stone on your path to career advancement. Professionals at all levels might also consider exploring PMI’s Career Navigator tool, which provides a personalized action plans to help users meet their goals.

Despite the uncertain economic forecast, project talent will be in demand for years to come. And fortunately for project professionals, career paths are not limited to one industry; opportunity exists across many sectors. And while the specific skillsets required of project managers somewhat varies across industries, knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge trends and technology, a mastery of power skills, a commitment to upskilling and reskilling, and connecting with a professional network are of the utmost importance. Opportunity is everywhere for project professionals; be ready when it knocks.

Practical PM for Everyone

Written by George Pitagorsky on April 12, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Project management is a process that, when done well, enables optimal performance. Why wouldn’t everyone want to know how to manage projects?

Everyone Has Projects

A project is an effort to create a result in a finite time. According to PMI, “a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.”

Everyone is part of projects. Some projects are long, large, and complex, like a lunar expedition or the implementation of a new system in an organization. Others are moderate and more personal – planning a party, buying a car, moving, painting your house. Others are quite simple, for example getting up and out of the house, packing for a vacation, grocery shopping, doing the dishes, cooking a meal. Even the individual activities of regular operations like answering emails or working to close a sale fit the definition of projects. we can consider them as mini-projects.

Therefore, everyone would do well to know the basic principles of project management and adapt them to the size and complexity of the projects at hand.

Professional PMs would add value by promoting wide-spread appreciation and knowledge of project management for all.

Agile Adaptability

Applying a complex project management process with forms, protocols, and reports to manage your at home cooking dinner project or a small project that is repeated many times is not skillful.

You might like to be formal and explicit because it makes you feel good but if there are others involved you might drive them crazy and waste lots of time and effort.

At the same time, doing any project without a plan, without writing things down (for example a shopping list), with ambiguous or inadequate communication, and without looking back to learn from the experience is equally unskillful. It is likely to lead to extra trips to the store to get missing ingredients, too much or too little food, misunderstandings of who will do what, and when.

Planning, performing, monitoring, controlling, and closing happen in every project, the way we do them varies widely depending on the situation. It was the intention of the earlier founders of the agile approach to point this out and promote the idea that the project team does best to adapt practices to the needs of their project, stakeholders, and setting, while being aware of the need for a degree of structure and discipline.

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The Agile Manifesto:

“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.

Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan.

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”

http://agilemanifesto.org

Communication and Collaboration

To enable an adaptive and agile approach make sure that all stakeholders have a sense of the basic principles of project management.

The basics are what everyone should know about managing a project, even if they are not managing one. Knowing the process and principles stakeholders can assess how well the project is being managed. They will be able to connect a sense of the project’s health accomplishment and progress.

The basics are:

Plan, to create a clear sense of what is to be accomplished, how, where, by when, by whom, and for how much it will cost. Remember that plans are always subject to change. Planning is not over until the project is over.
Let go into execution, the performance. It’s like dance or a play. You learn the steps and your role and surrender into performing them.
Mindfully monitor and control to assess progress against the plan and to adjust. Make it part of the performance so it doesn’t get in the way.
Close. Take a step back to assess performance. Tie up loose ends. Learn from the experience. Turn over the results.

So simple, if there is understanding, adaptability, effective communication and collaboration.

Without these the project management process becomes a burden. With them the probability of project success goes way up.

What gets in the Way?

You’d think that everyone would be eager to apply the basics and to understand, adapt, communicate, and collaborate. But it is not the case. The principle things that get in the way are:

Lack of process thinking – Thinking all that is needed is to put heads down and do the work instead of recognizing that objectives are met by skillfully applying effort to perform a set of definable steps or tasks.
Too much process thinking – over formalizing project management, creating unnecessary bureaucracy and overhead.
Not recognizing the value – thinking that the effort to manage the project is not worthwhile.
Thinking that it is too hard to engage others in the work required – believing that changing stakeholder mindsets about project management is impossible.
Personality traits – for example, closed-mindedness, impatience, fear of being criticized and controlled, and over confidence block attempts to implement some degree of planning and control.

What to Do About It

Removing the obstacles to implementing the right kind of project management (PM) requires a learning process in which PM champions convince stakeholders that PM is a practical process that adds value by upgrading performance and promoting project success.

Breaking through resistance to PM requires mindset change and changing people’s minds is no easy task.

It is not just about getting people to take a PM course, though an appropriate one, with a skilled facilitator, is a good place to start. It is committing to a dialog that addresses resistance to applying PM principles coupled with a commitment to the agility to adapt the principles to fit the projects being performed and the people who manage and perform them.

It takes time and patience with an understanding that much of the resistance is reasonable given experience with dysfunctional PM and rigid project management professionals who don’t adapt the process to the situation at hand.