The successful planning of project management activities for the challenges of today’
s business environment will remain difficult, but not unachievable. Ongoing opinions and predictions about future computing technology or shifts in economic direction should be viewed cautiously, especially since many predictions tend to confuse rather than aid in project management endeavors. For those of us who have earnestly pursued the rigors of managing projects, it has demanded the best of our skills, including the dedication to succeed. From my own experiences as a senior IT
executive, I appreciate the challenges that project management poses in a time of rapid, yet exciting technical change. I am confident that this new version of the book will provide you with many important concepts that add knowledge to your existing expertise, as well as provide you with the tenacity to improve your management skills. Much success to your project ma nagement endeavors.
Paul C. Tinnirello
Section I: Essential Concepts of Project
Management
Chapter List
Chapter 1: Ten Ways to Improve Project Performance
Chapter 2: Nine Factors for Project Success
Chapter 3: Managing Project Management
Chapter 4: Strategies for Heading Off IS Project Failure
Chapter 5: Six Myths about Managing Software Development in the New Millennium
Chapter 6: Back to Basics: Getting Systems Development Right Chapter 7: Process Management: Integrating Project Management and Development
Chapter 8: Project Meetings: A Communication and Coordination Tool Chapter 9: Managing Systems Requirements
Chapter 1: Ten Ways to Improve Project
Performance
Ralph L. Kliem
OVERVIEW
It is a sad fact that despite all the formal methodologies, wider adoption of project management disciplines, and more powerful tools, such as World Wide Web technologies and project management software, most projects fail to complete according to the three elements of project management’
s iron triangle: cost,
schedule, and quality. The record gets even more dismal as a project moves into the high-technology arena.
At first, the tendency is to throw one’
s hands into the air and ask, “What is the use?”
Such resignation, however, only maintains the status quo.
Fortunately, there are ten ways to improve project performance if enterprises in general and project teams in particular implement them:
1. Bypass an obstacle
2. Cause people to stretch, not break
3. Focus on the goal
4. Follow a standardized process
5. Learn from the past
6. Maintain ongoing communications
7. Record the work being done
8. Reuse previous work
9. Seek buy-in from all involved
10. Seek simplicity, not complexity, in goal and path
1. BYPASS AN OBSTACLE
Many projects come to a standstill because an obstacle appears in the path toward achieving their goals. It is akin to a military unit being ambushed by sniper fire, so everyone hugs the ground. People are unwilling to raise their heads to determine the direction of the fire, and yet, as long as they stay down, no progress can happen.
Often, any progress that was gained is lost. The worst thing that the unit can do is to sit idle. It must move forward, retreat, or lose everything.
Many projects, unfortunately, sit idle. The results can become devastating. People become frustrated, the team loses momentum, and indecisiveness eats away morale and esprit de corps. People may focus on issues unrelated to the project, or
insignificant issues related to the project become significant, as people look for meaning in their work.
This circumstance often arises because team leaders and members subscribe to an either/or or black/white perspective. When that happens, everything becomes significant and, when an obstacle arises, all work halts.
Instead, team leaders and members must distinguish between what is and is not important. This determination is best achieved by focusing on the ultimate objective, and asking how a particular situation will impact achievement of this final goal. If there is an effect, the team must determine the most appropriate action.
The team must remember that the best action is rarely, if ever, simply standing still.
The objective is to move forward by handling an obstacle. If it cannot be dealt with head-on, the team should go around it on the left or right, or go over or underneath it. Progress can continue if coupled with some resilience, perseverance, creativity, and leadership.
2. CAUSE PEOPLE TO STRETCH, NOT BREAK
So many projects are given unrealistic deadlines that it is amazing any of them get done at all. These deadlines are not based on work to do, but by the whim of individuals having little knowledge about the effort required to meet the deadline. A good analogy is trying to place ten pounds of groceries in a five-pound bag; with enough weight and pressure, the bag will burst.
Naturally, there are many consequences. The psychological effects often manifest themselves as burnout, turnover, and conflict. Additionally, the team is set up to fail because constraints are not considered when setting the deadline. Performance and productivity begin to wane as reality confronts unrealistic expectations. Team members compete for scarce resources and start trade-off analyses of what is and is not important.
When making unrealistic demands, management and leadership must realize the impact of their decisions on individual and group performance. Promulgating an unrealistic date or goal may provide a nice exhibition of dominance and decisiveness; however, it can also cause dysfunctional behavior. It is imperative to take time to recognize the talents, knowledge, and skills of people performing the tasks; to identify the cost, schedule, and qualitative constraints; and to apply sound estimating techniques to complete the project. Only then can a realistic plan be put in place to encourage people to stretch, rather than break.
3. FOCUS ON THE GOAL
It is easy to overlook the purpose of a project when administering its details. It is similar to the saying that, when fighting alligators, it is easy to forget that the main purpose is to drain the swamp. Team leaders and team members become so wrapped up in details that they lose sight of the entire purpose of their project.
People get so engrossed in the details, due to their immediacy or finiteness, that they lose sight of the big picture and forget to ask if what they are doing is contributing toward accomplishing the final goal.
Keeping focus on the goal offers several advantages. First, it enables people to be proactive rather than reactive. People can choose what to respond to, rather than jumping at each situation like one of Pavlov’
s dogs. Second, it helps in distinguishing
between what is and is not significant. Obviously, not everything is equally important, although some team members might think so. Naturally, these people become overburdened with work. Third, focusing on the goal provides an objective standard of evaluation. The significance of a particular effort is determined by the degree to which it helps to achieve a final goal.
Unfortunately, teams rely too heavily on numbers to determine significance, which can lead to dysfunctional behavior. While numbers tell only part of the story, in some projects they become more important than accomplishing a mission. Hence, the team performs considerable work, and the metrics reflect that increase in effort.
However, the fundamental question may remain unanswered: Is what is happening furthering the achievement of the final goal?
It is important, therefore, to perform three actions. The first is to constantly query about progress, asking if what people are doing is furthering goal achievement. The second is to establish a consistent, standard “yardstick” for measuring progress, keeping in mind, of course, that the importance of the yardstick is to measure the right factors in order to determine the value of the current work. The bottom line is to remove any blinders leading to myopic decision- making and performance. While such decisions and performance might appear significant, in reality they do nothing, and perhaps even impede actual accomplishment.
4. FOLLOW A STANDARDIZED PROCESS
A common set of tools, procedures, and jargon can help a project progress efficiently and effectively toward its goal. Unfortunately, people often strongly resist following a standardized process. They fear that it stifles creativity and the empowerment of people. As a result, many projects become a cacophony of tools, procedures, and techniques, requiring extensive effort to make them compatible. Naturally, this wastes time and effort, and actually hinders progress toward a goal.
Contrary to popular belief, a standardized process actually encourages creativity and furthers empowerment, rather than impeding both. It encourages creativity by allowing people to work with a given set of tools and techniques; for example, to complete a task. Through standardization, people can anticipate and understand job requirements. Less conversion and relearning are required to complete tasks. People can operate autonomously, knowing the standards to follow during decision- making.
When standards do not exist, people are often stymied because everything is unclear.
Standardization, therefore, offers several benefits from a project management and technical perspective. First, it enables the efficient and effective execution of project activities through consistency. Second, it enables better integration of activities because team members can see the interrelationships of their work with that of others. Third, it reduces rework because it enables the use of output developed on earlier projects. Finally, it improves communications because team members are playing from the “same sheet of music.”