Project Management 101: Get the basics right

Project management 101: Get the basics right

A truth in life, let alone in project management, is ‘Get the basics right, and the rest will follow.’ ‘Basics’, however, can be misleading because ‘basic’ does not necessarily mean easy. Many pay too little attention to the basics, because, well, they are ‘basic’. In project management, that attitude can be fatal.

The world has been impacted by Covid-19 in ways that we could hardly have imagined a few years ago. Every one of us has been affected in our personal and professional lives, and for many the impacts have been profound.??

The impacts on projects, too, have been significant.?Many have found very real challenges delivering projects in a socially distanced world, with impacts on wider workforce availability, productivity and?supply chains.?Because of the kind of world we are dealing with and the many challenges and opportunities we face, it is now more important than ever to get the basics right.

Getting the basics right means ensuring that you have the right scope definition, the right stakeholders who are engaged and aligned, the correct leaders – who are motivated to see the project succeed, and occupy the correct positions for their personal strengths – and the correct resources and tools.

In addition, getting the basics right depends on what you want to achieve and what you will have to manage for the project to be successful.

Where does your project sit?

• It is one of many projects which needs to be completed as part of a portfolio to achieve operational improvement or alignment;
• It is a capital project to create new infrastructure or operational capability;
• It is a major corporate transformation project such as ERP (enterprise resource planning) transformation or digital transformation.

Various project management standards and guidelines, such as the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), provide a framework of all the elements of the basics – essentially the building blocks that need to be in place to run a successful project. PMBOK and other frameworks are valuable because:

• They allow companies to standardise practices across departments.
• They help project managers to work with a standardised system across companies; someone working for company X who moves onto company Y can use the same practices.
• They provide insight into practices that are tried, tested and proven to deliver results. PMBOK also discusses what does not work, which can prevent failure of projects.

Is the scope clear?

You’d think this would be obvious, but often the first hurdle in project management is making assumptions that the scope is in place. Far too often, it is not. Critical stakeholders may have quite different ideas of what the project entails, particularly now, where we’re working in a virtual / hybrid environment. Lack of scope clarity at the start of a project can lead to rework, timeline extensions and cost overruns.

It is essential to understand the nature of the work. If you’re building a rocket, project specifications, resources and timelines are clearly defined, and the traditional approach to project management is ideal. If you’re introducing new software to increase operational efficiency, scope changes are to be expected and must be acknowledged and built into planning and implementation. Taking the time to facilitate scope alignment and decide on practices that fit the project and the current world of work can prove invaluable in the long run.

This is where the right leadership comes in. If you’re going to do justice to the basics, you need insight into how the organisation currently operates, and how it can best get the basics right in the current landscape.

A key role for leadership – creating the culture

One of the key contributions leadership can make to the success of projects is creating the right culture in the programme and/or project. Inevitably, some things will go wrong, as each project has its own challenges and nuances. Leaders, therefore, need to create the kind of environment where people feel free to be honest; to admit what they don’t know, and to openly acknowledge a problem when things go wrong, as they will. A culture of openness about mistakes will prevent problems from spiralling out of control. Leadership needs to foster this kind of environment. Set the tone for honesty, no blame and a collaborative approach to problem solving from the start – it will save headaches later.

Since challenges are inescapable as you progress towards a project’s deliverables, flexibility needs to be incorporated in a governed manner. These days it is no longer about simply delegating tasks; a journey needs to be taken together, across all hierarchies and roles, so that energy and efforts are perfectly aligned and the team remains cohesive.

Before you start

Before you start on a project, have the following conversation with your team.

• ?Why are we undertaking this project??What are the objectives of the project; what is the problem we are trying to solve?
• What is the project scope? This question relates closely to the objectives but also includes defining the geographical and functional scope of the project.?
• What are our project goals??What measurable outcomes will be achieved when the project is completed?
• What is our project budget??How much money are stakeholders willing to spend? How will the money be allocated?
• List of deliverables:?What are the tangible and intangible products that are expected upon completion of this project?
• Tentative schedule:?What kind of timeframe is required to complete this project?

MAC is here to partner with you and guide you on this journey, from the basics to completion, based on our years of experience in managing projects and coaching project management teams.??