PMcrunch

These tough times are different from past recessions in that “visibility is low”. What I mean by that is that it is not just a matter of seeing that sales had declined a certain amount, or that certain costs had reached a certain amount; it is not just that there is a general slimming or pruning of weaker competitors across the board. The problem is that it is very hard to predict with any reasonable level of certainty what is going to happen next and, thus, we find ourselves driving through our challenges “with low visibility”.

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Most of us have experienced broken New Year’s resolutions; and for those who even made them this year, I can only imagine how many are already falling behind. In a sense, this phenomenon can actually work against us. Falling behind and failing is not a good experience and does not generate good emotions. In tough times, especially, we need positive emotions to carry us forward.

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As project and program managers we all know that stakeholders are central to the success of any project or program. We know that we must listen to stakeholders and that, in the end, we must satisfy stakeholders in order to have a successful project. We need to gather stakeholder input, listen to stakeholder concerns, and obtain stakeholder feedback throughout our projects. The question in my mind right now is “what can we expect realistically of our stakeholders?”

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It is a great exercise in the beginning of a project to identify all the stakeholders. For anyone who has been on just a handful of projects, you know the importance of identifying stakeholders as it helps to formulate requirements, as well as to push toward a successful close of an effective project. RACI Analysis provides a useful way to put into perspective each and every one of the stakeholders or stakeholder groups on a project.

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By definition all projects must come to a close. This definitive ending to the project represents the end of the project management process, but that end also signifies a new beginning. Successful execution of the closing process within a project helps to ensure that the value of the project is realized.

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Though I have not heard it made official all indications are that we are in recession. This appears to be not just for the United States but for much, if not most, of the rest of the world. The cause of this recession, of course, is the credit crunch and all issues surrounding that. So the big question is, “What can project and program managers do to cope with this recession?” I have some thoughts, and for reference have tapped into ideas of Jack and Susie Welch.

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Peter Drucker, who died a couple of years ago, was known for his great writings and teachings about management.  Ironically, I am not so sure he actually managed much himself, at least not from the standpoint of being a hands on manager of a larger organization.  However, his 38 books, his many articles, and his [...]

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I have encountered misunderstandings numerous times due to different concepts of the meaning of the word ‘plan’. There are various types of plans. In Project Plan Integration, we pull together various aspects of the project plan, which taken separately actually represent separate plans. One of those plans, the Configuration Management Plan, is one that I have encountered misunderstanding over.

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Business or organizational strategy is intended to drive all decisions within an organization. It provides a direction, a rallying point, and a litmus test for decisions at all levels. Hence, it only stands to reason that strategy would drive the project portfolio management process.

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Sometimes I wonder if we are too success oriented. In other words, we as project managers feel that we have failed if our projects fail in anyway, and we define ourselves by project success and project failure. This reminds me of children in school striving all the time to get perfect grades. The problem with this is that sometimes failures produce our greatest successes. Do we have a project management expectation that acknowledges that?

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