By Wayne Rambow, Senior Program/Portfolio Delivery Consultant
I had the pleasure of having dinner at a PMI event with Bob Lutz. If you don’t know who he is, he is a legend in the car industry who pioneered vehicles like the Chevrolet Bolt, the Ford Explorer, the Dodge Viper, and the BMW 3 Series. I love cars and I grew up with a father who restored them, so suffice to say I had lots of questions for Bob that night. One of the most interesting things I learned about was his thoughts on the Pontiac Aztec. He said it was the best technically executed project that GM had ever done, yet the vehicle was a flop. As it turns out, excellent execution of a project cannot save a bad concept.
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) succinctly captures the essence of the Execution Phase, stating: “Direct and Manage Project Work involves managing and performing the work described in the project management plan resulting in the achievement of project objectives” (PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, p,95). With the business case and project charter acting as a lighthouse to guide the team, this is where the project plan comes to life, with everyone working together to complete tasks and reach milestones. It's a critical phase that requires active engagement and collaboration to ensure success.
1. What is the Execution Phase?
During the Execution Phase, the project plan is put into action as the teams carry out the tasks and activities outlined in the project schedule. The progress is closely monitored, and any deviations from the original plan are identified and addressed. This phase is marked by greater collaboration among the team members, regular updates, proactive risk management, and clear communication with the stakeholders.
2. Key Objectives and Deliverables of the Execution Phase
- Task Completion: Teams collaborate to complete tasks on time and within budget while monitoring progress. For each task, I have Phase/Milestone, Task Name, Effort Estimate, Baseline Start, Duration, Baseline Finish, Forecast Start, Forecast Duration, Forecast Finish, and then the Gantt Chart. With this information, you can create key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress through the monitoring and controlling phase. I will go into detail on the KPIs and how I calculate them in the monitoring and controlling step.
- Quality Management: To ensure that the desired results are achieved, most types of projects require some form of validation. For instance, software development projects require automated and manual tests to be performed during sprints. Similarly, construction projects test the compaction of a road or conduct crush tests on concrete, among other things. Pharmaceutical development is subject to rigorous and regulated testing. The level of testing will be commensurate with the level of risk or the cost of failure.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Regular updates, feedback loops, and communication with stakeholders are crucial for aligning the progress, challenges, and successes of the project with their expectations. However, it can be challenging for project managers as the level of engagement and interest of sponsors and stakeholders can vary significantly. In my experience, some sponsors only wanted to be updated in case of issues that I couldn’t resolve myself, while others wanted frequent and detailed updates. Work with your stakeholders and negotiate a level of reporting appropriate for the size, cost, and risk of the project.
- Resource Management: Ensuring effective utilization of resources, human, technical or financial, and making necessary adjustments. As mentioned previously, I use my own spreadsheets for managing the human resources on a project. I will expand in detail on how I manage this in the next article on monitoring and controlling.
- Risk and Issue Management: As part of the project management process, it is important to actively manage and mitigate risks by addressing them as soon as they are identified. This can be achieved by using the RAID log that was established in the Planning Phase. A risk is something that may happen, and it has a certain probability of occurring. Issues, on the other hand, are events that are already taking place. It is possible for an issue to arise without having been previously identified as a risk. Therefore, it is crucial to differentiate between the two, so that they can be addressed accordingly.
I previously mentioned my preference for a comprehensive Excel or Sheets dashboard. The reason for this is every organization has spreadsheets and those sheets can be easily shared by your team. Conversely, other tools like Monday, JIRA, or MS Project have licensing and cost implications. It may be a requirement of the PMO for you to build your project plan, risk register, and resource plan in one of these tools and this requirement will vary from organization to organization. There is no silver bullet I can suggest for tools or techniques – The bottom line is the only useful tool is a tool someone will use.
If you are interested in learning more about some of the tools available in the market here are a couple of links to some reviews:
- Changing Priorities: In today's ever-changing business landscape, project priorities are subject to change, which can impact the project's direction. In my experience consulting with five different companies over the past decade, I have observed that months of planning and prioritization typically occur before the fiscal year. Once projects are selected and underway, there is often a mid-fiscal panic where projects are re-evaluated to identify cost savings or address concerns about budgets. Finally, at the end of the fiscal year, there is often a surplus of funds available for spending due to conservative forecasting and historical burn rates. Be prepared for these conversations and understand with confidence what you can and cannot deliver.?
- Resource Conflicts: Resources, especially team members, might be involved in multiple projects. This can lead to conflicts and delays. Effective resource management is crucial. I previously wrote an article on fractional resources and one about the importance of relationships in project delivery that may be of value for you to review. My secret to avoiding resource conflicts is ensuring I have strong relationships with the team supporting me. If you ever heard the saying you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, it’s very true in the world of project management. Understand your team, and their currency, and respect them. Make them your partner. If you are not willing to invest in them, why would they invest in you or your project??
- Communication Breakdowns: Ineffective communication can lead to misunderstandings, missed targets, and conflicts. You have spent time understanding stakeholders, you’ve designed a communication plan, and now it’s time to test it. I stated above the only useful tool is a tool that someone will use. Similarly, the only effective communication is one that someone receives and acknowledges. I use emails, status meetings, and Teams or Chat channels. More and more, I’m finding emails are no longer very effective. The reason stated by many leaders is they receive 300+ emails a day and chats are just easier for them to prioritize and respond to. Post-Covid, if you want someone’s attention, use a chat.
- Quality Issues: There might be situations where deliverables don’t meet the desired quality, requiring rework and causing delays. My experience has been that I have always been supported when erring on the side of quality. We are responsible for not only helping organizations do the right things but to do them the right way. It may take more time or cost more money, but if it is the right decision to remediate, that is the decision always made.
- It’s the Wrong Solution: In my opening paragraph about the Pontiac Aztec, I’m curious if anyone on the delivery team ever spoke up about where the project was going. I remember that vehicle being given away as a prize on Survivor in 2000 and I think if I won that thing, I would have left it on the island. It was the equivalent of a doorstop with wheels. Too often organizations get married to a bad idea. If you think your project is one of those bad ideas, you need to speak up.
During the Execution Phase, there is always a lot of activity and things can change quickly. However, if a well-thought-out plan was established during the Planning Phase, this stage can proceed smoothly. It is important to remain vigilant during this phase and keep track of progress, engage stakeholders regularly, and proactively manage risks. These are essential steps to successfully navigate through this phase.
In part 4 of the project foundations series, we will explore the Monitoring and Controlling Phase, which is essential to ensure the project stays on course during execution. Stay tuned!
