I’m not sure if you noticed, but over the last several months, project management hasbeen a very hot topic! Project management is being discussed in articles, books,interviews, surveys and reskilling programs around the globe. Ironically, projectmanagement has been around for a long time, yet for some reason it has been overlookedas a necessary skill set for employees. I am hoping that the practice of projectmanagement is now being viewed through a different lens. Everyone benefits fromlearning project management skills - individuals and organizations.
Keeping in mind that projects are 2 ½ times more successful when proven projectmanagement practices are used, here are some additional benefits:
- Establishing a framework for how projects will be identified, initiated, managed andcompleted that can be used throughout the organization.
- Example: I have observed business units, within the same organization,managing projects differently. These business units had their “own” projectmanagement process which was different than the business unit across thehall. How can this be effective for an organization? Can you imagine howconfusing this must be for staff members who may be asked to work onprojects with different business units? How can the organization, as a whole,understand their overall status of all ongoing projects with respect toresources, budget, success factors and timelines?
- Solution: Establish a foundational project management protocol for theentire organization. This will provide clarity to the employees and value tothe overall organization by ensuring consistency in practice.
- Maximizing resources – what resources will be needed, when and for how long
- Example: An organization that does not have a project management protocolin place may not be solidifying the scope, understanding the work that needsto be done to deliver on that scope and when those work efforts need to becompleted. If that happens, then the organization will not have theresources available, when needed, to deliver on the goals of the project.
- Solution: Working with an established project management process willinclude solidifying the scope of the project, understanding the work andskills sets required to deliver on that scope, development of an actionablework plan and schedule. These process steps will be incredibly valuable in understanding when resources will be needed, which skills sets would berequired and when this work will need to be completed.
- Clarity in roles, responsibilities and who does “what”
- Example: We have all experienced what can happen when people do notcomplete the tasks that are assigned to them. But what happens when theteam members say that they were unaware of the task? Or they understoodthe task but did not know the task was assigned to them? That’s tough!
- Solution: Project management protocols will include the review of a roles &responsibilities document that details the various positions on the projectteam and how each team member will be contributing to the overall project.Additionally, a better practice includes assigning tasks to an individual, not a“team” or “group”. Tasks assigned to an individual will provide the clarityrequired to understand exactly what everyone is responsible for with respectto the overall work plan.
- Reduction in the number of unfinished projects
- Example: Many organizations start projects and never finish them. Why? Itmay be because priorities change, the employee in charge of leading theproject is unfamiliar with the role and what to do, or the organization, as awhole, does not support the project. These are just a few of the reasons whya project may not finish.
- Solution: Established project management protocols will include thesolidification of the project scope, the identification and commitment to theproject and the project team, training or support for the project lead andteam if needed, in addition to having an organizational roadmap for allprojects so that the project lead and the team will fully understand how theproject will unfold. By providing the information that the team needs tounderstand the project, you will be setting them up for success!
- Achievement of strategic goals – all strategies have initiatives, or projects, that willhelp to expedite the achievement of the overall strategy.
- Example: I have observed many organizations that do not make theconnection between strategy design and strategy delivery. One statisticindicates that most strategic goals are not delivered. Although this canhappen for a number of reasons, one of the most common reasons is thelack of a meaningful, or actionable, delivery plan. Congratulations on havingdesigned a strategic plan for your organization, but that’s just the first stepof the ongoing process of strategy management. How do you plan to deliveron that strategic plan? What are the initiatives, or projects, that will help theorganization achieve those goals? How will your strategy be measured andtracked? How will you know that the organization has been successful?Project management skills of course! Yet another benefit of understanding,and practicing project management, within your organization!
- Solution: Introduce project management practices to your leadership team,strategy team and overall organization to help deliver those strategic goals!
Incorporate these practices into your strategic planning and managementefforts and build a solid foundation for your success story. Don’t be astatistic.
These are just a few of the benefits of practicing project management. If youare interested in learning more, please give me a call or check out this articleposted on my website: The Benefits of Project Management
You can do this, I know you can!