Archive for January, 2010

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Delivering Projects as Promised: Stick to the Baseline or Manage Through Change Requests?

25 January 2010

Project Baseline and Change RequestsThe preliminary project scope statement outlines the project and product objectives, and high-level scope, schedule and budget. Requirements collections help refine various parameters which often serve as the initial project baseline.

Given that several unknowns will materialize as you progress deeper into the project, what is the best way to deal with these unknowns? Despite your best project management plan, you may not have a choice but to issue change requests to address the changing project dynamics.

Is it better to do everything in your power to stick to the initial baseline or succumb to the need to issue change requests? With the former, you will look good by keeping your promise but may end up delivering an inadequate product. With the latter, you run the risk of losing your credibility by not delivering as promised.

What should you do?

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The Ask: A Management Tool to Expedite Tasks

21 January 2010

Project Manager's AskFrom various engagements, consultants get to see the best practices of top organizations worldwide. A good tool or technique usually becomes part of the consultant’s repertoire of best practices.

In the last few months, I have learned the concept of “the ask”. In a project, you need to have a clear understanding of the “project sponsor’s ask”. What is it that s/he is asking you to deliver?

When delegating tasks to team members, be explicit on what you are “asking” them to do. Do you want them to review the documents and provide feedback, or do you want them to edit and finalize the documents?

Instead of simply forwarding an e-mail with an FYI tell them what to do with it—“no action is needed” or “add a calendar reminder”.

A clear “ask” can expedite the completion of tasks.

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Project Management in Exactly Three Words

16 January 2010

Project Management in Three WordsThe PMBOK® Guide used 459 pages to document the project management body of knowledge.

Inspired by Dharmesh Shah’s Startup Advice In Exactly Three Words, the list of tasks below, in rough sequence, captures the essence of a project manager’s job.

Initiating

- Develop the charter
- Identify all stakeholders

Planning

- Collect high-level requirements
- Define the scope
- Create the WBS
- Define WBS activities
- Sequence activities logically
- Assign activity owners
- Estimate activity durations
- Estimate activity costs
- Determine the budget
- Prepare the schedule
- Plan for quality
- Build the team
- Prepare communication plan
- Manage project risks
- Plan project procurements

Executing, Monitoring and Controlling

- Schedule weekly meetings
- Prepare weekly reports
- Assemble steering committee
- Provide committee updates
- Keep monitoring risks
- Ensure project quality
- Recognize good work
- Resolve issues quickly
- Adjust plans accordingly
- Communicate potential problems
- Motivate the team

Closing

- Close all contracts
- Capture lessons learned
- Celebrate project success

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Four-Step Process for Peak Performance and Productivity

15 January 2010

Project Peak Performance and ProductivityThe four-step process below incorporates concepts from Getting Things Done (David Allen), twice-daily e-mail checks from The 4-Hour Workweek (Tim Ferriss) and techniques that I have been using successfully for several years.

  1. Take control of your e-mails: Eight Easy Steps to Eliminate E-mails. Process your e-mails only twice a day, one at mid-morning to respond to overnight and early morning e-mails, and another one at mid-afternoon to read the rest.
  2. Transform the e-mails in your Do folder into one-line action items: use the verb-noun format, e.g., Read the report
  3. Prioritize your action items: Three Tricks for Tackling Top Tasks (long explanation)
  4. Apply assembly-line techniques: work on one group of top tasks at a time by location (home, office or away) and tools (computer, phone, etc.)

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Eight Easy Steps to Eliminate E-mails

7 January 2010

Empty E-mailLearn how to get rid of the e-mails in your inbox!

These steps are based on Outlook but they can also be done with other e-mail programs.

  1. Create five folders: Do, Defer, Delegate, Document and Delete*
  2. Group related e-mails by sorting them by subject
  3. Review each e-mail and decide
  4. If an action is needed today, move it to the Do folder
  5. If no immediate action is needed, move it to Defer (right click on the message, point to Follow Up and then click on Add Reminder)
  6. If someone else should do it, Delegate it and add a reminder
  7. If the e-mail contains useful information, move it to the Document folder
  8. If you cannot decide, move it to Delete

Prioritize the Do folder daily. Revisit the rest weekly.

*Dr. Estrella’s “Deadly D Folders”

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