Consider Project Managing it...

To some people, I simply cannot explain Project Management. They are literally poles apart from this profession. People with innate creative streaks; designers, artists or academicians – of which there are plenty among family and friends, are often intrigued at the idea of ‘creating plans’. Discussions can quickly veer to the likes of Picasso or Wright brothers, whose magnificent creations represent little evidence of having been ‘project managed’.

But to the rest of us mortals – possibly not quite as gifted and therefore responsible to keep this world running, there is great merit in understanding Project Management. Simply put, it brings ‘science to the art’ of doing important stuff. For instance, an attempt to build a bridge or launch a spacecraft – will most likely fail unless it is managed like a project. The principles can be applied to endeavors of any size, basically anything that must be accomplished within a certain time and cost.

The essence of Project Management is that projects need to be planned, organized, executed and monitored to be successful. A project by definition, is temporary in nature, unique in its outcomes and generally starts with clearly defining the objectives. The next step is to develop a plan that can be implemented. This ensures everyone involved understands how the project will be done and also what will get done when and by whom. As execution commences, the progress is continuously monitored against the plan and when the objectives are achieved, the project is formally closed.

Well, this sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? But that’s the problem. Studies reveal that hardly 20% of real-world projects are actually successful. This is because real-world situations create competing demands between time & cost allocated to a project and the scope, performance and quality expected of it. Project Managers earn their bread by overcoming these obstacles, managing the risks and taking timely corrective actions. How well a project is initially planned and subsequently monitored, largely dictates how smoothly it gets executed later - and not surprisingly, millions have learnt this the hard way.

That is why practitioners largely agree that, factors like clear goals, constant support from key stakeholders, adequate funding & resources, realistic schedule, control over changes, clear communications and effective management of risks – are essential for any project to succeed. This collective wisdom acquired through real-world experiences has been translated into easy-to-adopt frameworks by many professional bodies and Project Management is a fascinating subject and a promising career line today.

The practice can be used both in professional and personal domains. If uninitiated – I suggest picking up something that you’ve been procrastinating – and consider ‘project managing’ it this time. It may succeed or even fail – but you will see the difference, just as many of us did.