Project Management Methods
How to Use Project Management Methods to Succeed
I’m Not a Software Engineer; So How Can Project Management Help Me?
Project management theory has been popular for many years and many of us tend to relate its use to software engineers and developers, construction executives, bridge builders, and NASA project supervisors. But, basic project management principles can be a big help to all managers in all industries.
If it were a business “fad” or “hot” new theory that provides material for people to write – and sell books, consultants to generate new billable hours, or graduate business school professors to use to make their classes a bit more interesting, you’d be correct in taking a “
But, basic project management theory is very useful in improving your management skills, improving the performance of your department or division, and improving your opportunities at professional advancement.
How to Use Project Management to Help You and Your Team Perform
Using the basic building blocks of classis project management theory, you can work on perfecting your superstar status in your company. Here are the basic rules for project management.
- Identify your resources. Whether you manage people, equipment, material, or real estate, you should thoroughly understand the resources available to you.
- Identify and know your time frames. Know your time constraints, availabilities, and windows
- Understand the money and financial constraints. Have a good understanding of your budget for staff, marketing, research, etc. Knowing your financial ability and/or constraints will help you manage your department better.
- Know the scope of your authority, expectations for your department, company goals and objectives. By focusing your efforts on those tasks, projects, desires, and objectives of your department and the company in total, you may energize your staff and yourself to perform at a higher level.
You can design your “personal project management plan” in as much detail as you feel necessary. As usual, the simpler you can make an effective action plan, the easier it often is to stay on track. But, overlooking an important piece of the puzzle or oversimplifying your plan might cause future problems. Your goal should be to design an understandable “roadmap” that you can use to measure your progress and reach the goals you’ve identified.
Share Your Plan with Your Staff to Help Achieve Department Goals
Depending on the type of department and people you manage, you may want to share your project management-type plan with your staff. If some of your items are of a more “confidential” nature, you’ll probably want to modify your “public” statement of your plan. For example, the financial realities, whether positive or showing constraint, may present some challenges should they be shared in detail with your staff. You might want to keep financial specifics out of your working document and possibly just state that sufficient funding is available to achieve your department goals.
Since employees tend to react somewhat negatively to “change”, even change for the better, it is a good rule of thumb to treat every personnel-related items as confidential. Whether your company is planning a reduction or addition to staff, benefit improvements or modifications, a new bonus plan, potential promotions from your department, or any other changes to its employees’ terms, personnel issues are best left to senior management or human resources. Your department project management plan should focus on the goals to be accomplished with and by your current staff.
Using the four primary components of most project management plans (as noted above), you should also consider some alternate strategies if you believe one or more of the items could be changed before you’ve reached your objectives. If you are a veteran manager, you have undoubtedly witnessed corporate modifications that have affected your departments in the past. Should you be new to the wonderful world of management, you should be prepared for mid-term changes in resources (money, people, products, etc.), allotted time to complete projects or goals, and modification in objectives or focus. The world of business evolves on a seemingly daily basis, so management must be ready to react with appropriate speed and effectiveness.
Leading your department using a project management philosophy can be very effective and relatively simple. The key is to spend sufficient “thought” time to construct one or more plans that make sense to you and can be successfully communicated to your staff. If you can get your team on the same page and working toward your goals, you will benefit, your department will look very good, and senior management should also be impressed. Project management methods have been proven to work in a variety of industries and in many different situations. Consider making this process work for you.