Project Management Insights

In this episode George Freeman III and I talk corporate politics. You'll learn how to work with the politics to make it work for your project. Don't be afraid of it. It makes sense once you understand the why behind it occurring.

John Sheridan, author of 'The Perfect Business' discusses project culture with me in this episode. How it forms and the five ways to make the culture better. We talk simple tips that can easily be put in place on any team. 5 simple ideas that can make a big difference to team effectiveness. Ultimately the things that will shift a project to becoming easily successful and ultimately make your job easier.

When you write a Business Case you are asked to show the 'Benefits' to be realized from undertaking the project. Why? Because that's what works for finance. What if we changed that and looked at the value to the business? Value as in, how will it change the people experience. How will the staff be positively impacted by the change?  How will the customer? It's a totally different way of looking at a project, from the businesses point of view. Something that doesn't happen currently.

There is no legitimate reason to rush a project. There may be reasons for needing a specific timeframe, and this still needs to be clear.

The more 'rushing' that occurs the more problems a project is likely to face. Don't put that added pressure on your team by specifying an unrealistic timeframe for delivery. It isn't worth it.

Sure, it's great to have the technology available to support you in capturing ideas and providing information to your team, but don't forget the value of the personal factor. Connecting with your team members in a meeting, celebration, for coffee or lunch, as a group is ten times more valuable than any technology will be. Why? Because people like to be treated as individuals and recognized as a human with feelings and capabilities.

My belief is that we don't look at a project as something that is set up to manage change and this is what creates difficulties. If we ground ourselves in first understanding what the change is that the business wants, then the process for us making that change happen is our project. And if we keep this outcome, the desired change, in our minds during the life of our project, we can't help but deliver what the business wants.

I know it's a crazy question and yet I'm going to guess that at least some of your project team aren't fully committed to the project. How do I know that?  They aren't performing, they aren't even really bought into what it is that you're doing on the project. If you or your team members aren't committed to the project, then how on earth can you expect to deliver on time, and on budget.

You may not think about the people around you, or that you know who could help you solve any major problem on your project that you haven't faced before. People like another Senior Project Manager, for example; or a Project Coach.  Consider the people that you know who could support you at one of these times and connect with them, so if you need their help and support they will be ready and willing to help.

Do you notice that a number of projects in your business/organization are started because someone has a budget to spend and someone else comes up with a bright idea?  The very worst reason to start a project. Let's talk about why that's the case.