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Are you looking forward to your bonus cheque from the Federal Government? What are you going to spend it on?
The best use for your money is to invest it in yourself: upgrade your qualifications, gain some more skills. Investing in yourself is the best way to get a high return. Training could be the key to your next promotion or new career.
You’re already familiar with Accredited Online Training, Australia’s premier online training organisation. You visited us before and enquired about our Diploma in Project Management. Now is a fantastic time to follow through on that enquiry, and actually sign up for the course.
Our Diploma of Project Management is one of the most effective nationally-recognised qualifications to gain employment. It will give you the skills and knowledge you need to manage projects from start to finish. It will teach you how to communicate effectively, lead a team, plan and organise all the tasks that make up a project, solve problems, respond to changing circumstances, develop your team’s skills and use technology to monitor and enhance project management.
The skills and knowledge developed in the Diploma of Project Management will be useful in a wide range of industries and occupations. It is a course with rich media content, including both CDs and online content. Once you have completed the course, you will be able to complete the Project Management Institute’s PMP certification exam if you wish to gain international recognition.
So sign up today. You’ll be doing yourself a favour, and you’ll be doing Australia a favour as well, by keeping the money in the country. AOT is owned and run by Australians. All our trainers and assessors are in Australia.
You can study in your lunch-break. You can study in the evenings or on weekends. You don’t need to spend hours in the class-room, more hours commuting, and even more hours sitting in an examination hall at the end of the semester doing final exams. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and a bit of motivation.
A Traditional Approach to Project Management
Project management is a career and an avocation that seems to be constantly reinventing itself. In the last decade, there has been a move to standardize and formalize the project management methodology with a certification process called PMM for Project Management Method. There are pluses and minuses to this effort. But the concept that the PMM approach invented project management is absurd.
All of the core concepts that any modern project management approach are based on principles that have been around for decades. A well deployed and managed project management approach can literally make or break a business project and in many cases, that can make or break a company. From the project manager side, the methodology you use and your grasp of it will make or break your success in this exciting field of business support. So understanding the traditional approach to project management will give you a grounding that will help you implement any variations on this approach, even the lofty PMM approach.
The Systems Development Life Cycle
The SDLC is a long standing methodology that has been in use long before any of the modern approaches to project management came along. But most if not all current approach to project development have the SDLC at the heart of their approach. As implied by the title, the SDLC defines the process of project development as a life cycle with a beginning a middle and an end. These phases are then subdivided into functional sections as well each of which is standardized in theory and documentation approach. But there is plenty of room in the application of the SDLC method to adapt the method to various projects and circumstances.
In reality, the SDLC works from an even older problem solving method but it simply takes that traditional approach to dealing with many of life's problems and applies it to project management. By starting with defining the problem and conducting an evaluation on the value of the solution compared to the costs incurred, you know going in if the solutions to the problem is correct. Then by stepping through building the solution out from theory to detailed plan and then using that roadmap to success for development, testing and deployment, you have a method that can make any project being managed a success.
Requirements Definition and Scope
The most important steps of any project development effort are the first ones which involve performing a systematic analysis of the problem to define exactly what the issue is. From there, requirements to define a solution become clear and alternatives considered. Many times when a project fails the requirements definitions and cost benefit analysis, that means the solution to the issue at hand should not be handled as a systems development project. This is not a failure of the SDLC but a victory because by accurately defining with the real problem being addressed is, the expense and effort of solving a problem incorrectly is avoided.
The definition of the scope of the solution is the foundation of any project that has any hope of becoming a success. The SDLC method puts a tremendous priority on analysis of the solution before the project team is assembled or the project formally launched. An hour of analysis of the problem and good project design up front is worth days of redesign if the project is not correctly researched and the solution well defined. The scope document is the outcome of that meticulous process. When a project manager come out of the requirements definition, cost benefit analysis and scope definition process with detailed and well defined scope document, that is an excellent start of a successful project.
Good Specifications
The process of expanding the definition of the problem which is done in significant detail in the first stages of project analysis becomes clear in the building of a detailed specifications document which will be the roadmap for the developers to complete the project once the project moves from planning to the full scale development phase. Each step along the way is represented by a significant document, which grows out of the last step. This consistency of design starts with that early analysis and then flows forward through specifications to testing documents and even deployment plans.
The writing of the specifications document takes the theory of the project and turns it into detailed realistic steps to build the project. When the specifications document is done, you should be able to turn it over to the developers to begin work and they should have all they need to produce the solution. In addition, the specifications process breaks out the development process into trackable phases that will tie to the project management time frame, schedule and resource allocation. It is easy to see that the specifications are the heart of what will cause the project to become a reality.
Testing and Deployment
Testing and deployment are separate steps but the planning for these two phases of project management can go on simultaneously. The testing cycle will overlap the development process as testing is conducted by the developers and the project team on an ongoing basis. But once the finished product has been completed meaning every specification that was defined has been addressed, the solution should undergo rigorous testing based on those specifications as well.
The specifications will carry with them an implied solution and that document will create a picture of what the solution will look and act like when it is working correctly. The project manager, who by now is very well acquainted with all aspects of the project details having taken the project from concept to testing, can now build out test cases to apply to the solution to see it function in a laboratory environment the way it was designed to function.
All of these steps will include provisions for change and a systematic process of revision should problems occur or new requirements come to light during the definition or development process. But when a project manager is equipped with adequate tools and knows how to use a project development methodology based on the systems development life cycle, that project has a clear path to success and that manager has the tools he or she needs to make that success a reality as well.
Communication Techniques for Projects
Effective communication during all phases of a project is essential in its efficient, timely and successful completion.
Whether working individually on a project or within a team, it is important to have a formal procedure to map out the means of communication. This will ensure expectations are known and information is collected and disseminated to all people who need it. In addition to simple necessity for people to have certain bits of information, communication during a project also builds a cohesive unit within the group that will motivate everyone to reach a common goal. They will understand the objectives and see the progress occurring during all phases.
Project Communication Management
An outline should be implemented on how formal and informal communication should occur as well as when it should occur is an important and effective tool in project management. A common method for this is to have weekly meetings or reports that are distributed to personnel. This is an example of formal communication. It is also appropriate to encourage informal communication during any point in the project in the form of verbal communication, memos and emails. Doing this will allow others to give valuable feedback or express ideas that may contribute to the more timely and efficient completion of the project. It allows management to assess how the project is progressing, mitigate any potential problems and facilitate the achievement of project objectives.
Parts of a Communication Plan
The first part of a communication plan is to determine who is responsible for what aspect of the project. The goals for these segments should be clearly outlined. The staff who need to know information should be listed along with their contact information, usually in the form of email addresses. Finally the frequency of formal communication and how that should be delivered should be addressed. The types of information needing to be communicated should also be outlined. This can mean a report template is used or just that the expectations of what is included in a formal report are clearly stated. The goals for the information are to: determine what information is necessary, gather data in a timely manner, distribute the information appropriately, store information and dispose of it in a structured manner.
Effective communication during all phases of a project will ensure the project is completed on time, with as few problems as possible. Whenever a problem is encountered, it can be communicated quickly to those who have the ability to make decisions and affect change. The decisions themselves can be made in a more timely manner by keeping everyone in the loop so that ideas can be discussed and consequences for decisions can be assessed among the group. Most projects will require some sort of informal communication which may not encompass the entirety of the group. This is certainly an important aspect to completing a project.
However, with formal procedures outlined to update all parties with a stake in the project, the project can be controlled more easily. It will be easier to assess how each phase affects another, or how one aspect of the project may impact another. This is especially important when there are multiple people, departments or areas that comprise an entire project. One department may not realize how a decision affects another but by communicating project updates; this can be evaluated and commented on. If there is a conflict, it can be resolved quickly. If there is a duplication of efforts, accountability can be adjusted to be more efficient. Creating a formal project communication plan will help facilitate the timely, efficient and successful completion of the project goals.
Dream Job – Project Manager
In the vast universe of management opportunities in the business world, the job of project manager is a unique position that gives you many of the advantages of middle management without many of the headaches. But in some ways, a project management job is more powerful and more effective than a department management position. Unlike a department manager, the project manager works on a project by project basis. His or her success is measured in the success of each project managed. The "staff" of a project manager is whoever is needed to make the project a success.
For many aggressive and yet achievement oriented individuals, project manager is a dream job. There are a lot of good reasons for that. But before we discuss those reasons, let's get some clarity on exactly what a project manager is and what he or she does.
What is a Project Manager?
To state it bluntly, a project manager takes a business or technical project from concept to implementation. The goal of the project manager at a high level is to utilize whatever tools, budget and staff is necessary to make the project at hand become a reality for the business and return a strong value to the business as well. The project manager works with a project team that includes project sponsorship individuals, managers of effected departments, technical and subject matter experts and outside vendors and consultants if needed.
There is a defined process each project manager knows well that will take a project from an idea to an installed and working part of the business. This methodology may be heavily defined such as the Project Management Method or it may be an adaptation of that approach. The process of moving a project forward includes defining the project, its budget and other requirements, building a project schedule, assembling the team, defining the reporting methods to be used during project development and then defining the specifications and taking the project through development and deployment.
Turning Concepts into Reality
One of the many reasons that the job of project manager is so sought after by employers and by others who want to the job is that you will employ many skills to take a project from an idea that the managers of the business may have and turn that dream into a functional and beneficial part of the business. Owners and managers of businesses are very good at getting a vision for the future of the business. But they turn to skilled project managers when the questions comes up, "How do we get from here to there?"
The project manager knows how to get there. He or she knows that the path from dream to reality is not an overnight process. One of the skills a good project manager has is the ability to "listen" to what the business owners need or want and taking that abstract concept and putting it into realistic terms.
This process of defining the dream application or process that management wants often surfaces reasons why the idea needs to be redefined. Project managers are valued by management because they are the ones who can come back and say, "The idea you have is not going to solve the problem that you have but here is another approach that will solve the problem". That is a skill project managers offer to the business that can save the business months or years of wasted development and focus the business on solutions that really do work. And when you, as a project manager, can be that "voice of reason" to your management team, that is truly a rewarding career and one that will be highly prized and recognized.
The Short-Term Gratification of Successful Projects
Many project managers are former department managers who simply realized that project management is a much more gratifying job in the business world. For one thing, most project managers work on dozens of projects that span all aspects of the business they work for. This means a lot of variety in what you do as opposed to a department management job, which means you are focused only on making the department work well day by day.
In addition to variety, most of the time projects that management will give to skilled project managers are new ways to doing business or a need fix to a problem the business has. That means you really are working on projects that will make the business more successful and profitable. These kinds of projects are high profile and when you are successful, you get the glory a project that does a lot to make the business better.
But other than the infrastructure of keeping a project going forward sometimes for weeks or months, projects that you will work on have a beginning, a middle and an end. Unlike in a middle management position where you are just running a function of the business that continues in almost the exactly same way from month to month, your projects are successful when you complete them as a project manager. Each time you finish a project, you get that thrill of a job well done. And when the outcome of a successful project is the assignment of new projects that make the business more functional and successful, it is easy to get excited about each new challenge that comes your way.
High Demand Means Job Security
Experienced project managers can literally turn a company around. That is why project leaders are among the most "in demand" skill sets in the business world. As is true of any skilled job, there is a learning curve to becoming a good project leader. You will learn the systems development life cycle (SDLC) and the tools and reporting processes that you must be comfortable with to make any project roll out successfully.
But the investment of time and education you make in learning the craft of project management will pay off handsomely. As we spoke of earlier, your value as a project manager is defined by the many successful projects you do for a company. It is ironic that even though a project leader's work is transient because he or she works from project to project, when you can demonstrate a skill at implementing projects successfully, project management becomes one of the most secure jobs in business.
Not only can you look forward to a long career in the business you work for, if you are adept at using project management tools and skills, you can take that skill set into thousands of employment situations. Business around the country and around the world need good project managers. By learning the job well, you are becoming a valuable member of any business team. And means a long and successful career for you.
The Perfect Combination of People, Technical and Organizational Skills
The job of project leader is rewarding because it puts to work so many of the talents and skills you have developed in life. Unlike many jobs where you use one skill and the rest of "who you are" has to find fulfillment in your private life, project management uses every aspect of your personality and skills to bring out the successful conclusion of every project.
Project management uses your organizational skills because the value of the project manager to the business and to the project team is that you are the one who has the systems in place to track and manage every detail of any project you are running. You understand the cycles of project development and what it takes to get to a successful transition from one phase of the project life cycle to the next. You know what the project needs and you make that happen.
Project management uses your background in technical development and it combines that skill with your ability to see "the big picture" and enable the technical experts on the team to have what they need to make the project a success. The project leader can get as deeply involved in the technical aspects of any project but you won't "get trapped" in technical development because your job is to understand what needs to be done and make that happen.
Project management uses your people skills to resolve conflicts, get discussions going and define common goals and methods to keep the project going forward week after week. Project management is a great job if you have strong problem solving skills because the entire heart of what project management consists of is going about solving a large scale "problem" using a systematic method.
Because project management calls upon you to exercise all of those skills, your work life is diverse and often unpredictable. But you have the job of imposing order on chaos and taking a project that may need to get back on track and making that happen. When you save the project from going wrong and you guide a project to a successful end, there may be no more gratifying job description than that.
Project management keeps your mind fresh and active and it gives you terrific exposure to all levels of management in the company. As a project manager, you may be running four or five projects at the same time. That ability to be the one who is calm and in control at all times is tremendously valuable to the business you work for. The result is that you will see your value to the company skyrocket with each successful project you manage and that means more money, more status, more power and maybe even a bigger office. These are all compelling reasons to make project
How to Get Contracts and Keep Them
There are several industries that use contracts to conduct their periphery business needs. A company may need the services within a particular industry such as construction, mining, Internet technology, shipping, etc. In order to determine which company to go with, a contract bid may be requested. Interested parties can then bid on the contract in order to get the business. Additionally, sales personnel may approach companies with a proposal directly in order to get future business.
But what makes a particular proposal stand out from another? It is not simply the cost of the goods or services; there are many other factors involved. As a project manager who is responsible for procuring contracts, it is important to cultivate the skills needed to successfully win contracts and then, ultimately, to keep them. The first part of this is to know where to look for potential contracts with new clients. Then you will need to know how to write or present a compelling proposal. Finally, you will need to know how to effectively implement the work for a timely result that meets all expectations so you can continue a positive working relationship with the client.
Where to Get Contracts
There are many ways to find potential customers. Some industries will have particular niche areas specifically for that industry that will list available jobs and projects where a contract is needed. A good project manager will become familiar with the areas contracts are posted as well as think outside the box for other methods of procuring possible contracts. Some effective places to procure contracts include:
- Government listing services that post public sector projects to be bid on
- Niche websites and message boards that cater to a specific industry
- Clubs and organizations within an industry
- Networking within your target demographic
- Direct sales calls, cold calls and qualified leads
- Referrals
The Proposal
Once you know where to look, your job as project manager is to persuade the potential customer to use your company for their needs. In order to do this you will either need to create a written proposal or have a compelling presentation that will entice the customer. An effective project manager will have the skills necessary to communicate ideas to the customer and relay necessary information that will set your company apart from the rest.
Start with having a clear understanding of the needs of the customer. You can not accurately propose a solution if you do not know their needs nor can you estimate the costs associated with a project until you have full knowledge regarding the scope of work necessary. It is important to have a general means of assessing the contract costs, contingencies and profit margin. However, a proposal should not be so formulaic as to not account for variables. Variables may include the current climate of the industry, company financial soundness, reputation, current project load and competitor pricing.
You will then need to give the potential customer a reason for hiring you over the rest, regardless of the price of your proposal. This will include making sure you outline your company history and unique skills and services that you can provide including the benefits for choosing your company. Focus on how your company can achieve positive results for the customer in a timely manner. Give relevant examples of previous work and testimonials that prove you are a reliable company with positive customer relations.
Finally, make sure you review your proposal carefully before submitting. If possible, have another person or department review the proposal for quality assurance. This will guarantee all aspects of the proposal are addressed and that nothing was left out or missed. One of the most common complications that can arise from contracts is misquoting because of incorrect information or poorly managed project scopes. This can incur additional costs to you or delay a project unnecessarily resulting in poor customer service and a potential to lose the client’s future business.
Retaining Customers
Once the proposal process is complete and the bid has been accepted, it is important to ensure a positive customer relationship. Doing this will increase the odds of getting repeat business, additional or extended contracts from the customer. Reliability should be of foremost concern to you. Make sure the objectives outlined in the proposal match the productivity of your work. Communicate effectively and regularly with both the client and internally to ensure the project is completed on time and to the customer’s satisfaction. If there is an issue with the work, employ problem resolution skills to ensure a positive result that will leave the client assured that you will take care of any difficulties that may arise.
Getting and keeping contracts within an industry is the cornerstone of a thriving business. A project manager will be well versed in all aspects of obtaining and keeping a new client. The project manager should be aware of how to obtain business and be involved in coordinating efforts in the most productive methods possible. Also, the project manager should be able to assess the needs of the client, how the company can meet those needs and the associated costs to do so considering actual costs and variable market conditions. Finally, the project manager should be involved in the implementation of the plan to ensure everything is kept on track from both a scheduling and financial perspective. Successful planning and implementation of these procedures will ensure new contracts are awarded and customers have confidence in your abilities so they will continue to work with you.
Project Manager Career Possibility
So you have your education done and graduated from the Project management course and you are now ready to get a job, wait hold everything.
Project management consists of a wide variety of different fields that can be explored for a career path. With any of these paths the project manager has a great amount of responsibility. Projects that can be taken on can vary in size and complexity. Projects can be from the simplest planning of the family vacation to the most extreme of developing an environmentally safe nuclear plant. There are many career possibilities in many areas or fields, they are:
Aerospace and Defense - Project managers in this field are dedicated to planning and improving projects in the key arenas by implementing proven project management techniques and principles.
Automation Systems - Automation systems are an integral part of modern civilization and will be even more extensively utilized in the future. They can be complex and represent additional costs over traditional systems. They are, however, implemented on the basis that the benefits— including energy conservation, increased labor efficiency, preventative maintenance and health and safety–outweigh the costs. One of the
greatest challenges automation systems will introduce into your project is their
tendency to cross over numerous traditional work package boundaries and sub-trade boundaries, impacting scope, time, and cost in a significant way.
Design, Procurement and Construction - Do you like to see things grow? In
this field you will be involved in the development, design, engineering, procurement and construction processes for projects involving buildings and facilities in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors worldwide.
Education and Training - Project management lives and thrives wherever people and improvement are involved. Here you'll use your project management skills to improve
educational processes, control workload and develop innovative educational
programs and systems to improve the lives of people eager to learn and grow.
Environmental Management - As a project practitioner, you'll have an opportunity to successfully plan, manage and participate in projects aimed at solving global environmental, social or developmental problems.
Financial Services - Use your acquired project management knowledge and expertise to effectively manage change and develop innovative business and customer
service solutions in the banking, insurance, real estate, investments and other financial service fields.
Healthcare Project Management - Here, project managers and practitioners may work within the framework of health plans, health care providers, clearinghouses, and business
partners or consulting firms; you'll also work with those who implement projects specific to information technology, regulatory obligations, business process re-engineering, etc. The healthcare industry is changing like never before, particularly with the recent mandate requiring the use of standard electronic transactions. To meet this mandate, providers are increasingly looking to outside consulting firms and organization versed
in project management to implement the necessary new technologies.
Information Technology & Telecommunications - You'll be involved with developing
and improving technologies that include voice/data/video transmission and switching (e.g., analog, digital, satellite, microwave, fiber-optic), end users of the deliverables and infrastructure providers.
Manufacturing - Modern project management plays an essential role in the planning, execution and control of the manufacturing process including projects involving
new product and process development, production upgrades, and efficiency
upgrades.
New Product Development - Do you enjoy playing the latest video games? As with any new product in a highly competitive market, developing new and interesting video games requires strong project management o ensure timely delivery of innovative
and appealing products. In multiple industries, project managers and practitioners
are intricately involved in the development and introduction of new products, processes and services.
Risk Management - All successful projects are highly dependent on the keen recognition and measurement of risk factors. As a project practitioner in the risk management field, your role in developing and managing concepts and ideas that monitor and manage risk make you an indispensable partner in any company or organization's project management process.
Urban Development - According to the United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “virtually all the population growth expected during 2000-2030 will be concentrated in the urban areas of the world.” As a project practitioner in this arena, you will use your acquired knowledge and skills to facilitate the successful implementation of projects and programs that are deployed in an urban
environment, including disaster relief and emergency management, civil affairs projects and much more.
As you can see, there are many paths a project manager can take but pick wisely. There are many more opportunities for a project manager to explore. Make sure that you do your research well and know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life. Project management can be a very rewarding career for the right person, but even the right person can fall victim to the many risk and constraints that are involved with being a project manager. Project management consist of five steps or phases, they are:
- Initiation of the project- starting the project
- Planning of the project- this includes internal and external factors
- Executing the project- all your plans come into action
- Controlling the project- this is where the risks and constraints come in to play
- Closing the project- you are finished or at least you hope you are, maybe not
You can find more detailed information about these step of the web, they help the project manager successfully complete and close a project. To be a successful project manager you must thoroughly understand every aspect of the project you have decided to take on, because if you do not your project is bound to fail. So, before jumping into any project, do what you were taught this is do your research. Also another thing to do is thoroughly understand the five phases of a project. Now that you know what to look for in picking your career path you can safely and successfully begin the career that you have been waiting for in the last few months.
So go out and get your career and make the changes that you have set for yourself in this long journey.
The Types of Activities Presented to Project Managers
The life of a project manager is a busy one. While the pace that a typical project manager must keep up is busy, for most successful project leaders that constant activity is part of what makes the job so engaging to them. Early in the project definition phase of the systems development life cycle, the project team lays out three important research documents. They are the scope of the project, the proposed schedule and the budget. All of these definition documents must make sense and work with each other before the project is launched.
A failure to define how long the project will take means you either allocate too much time which means the project could lag or it means you cut short important development time which can doom the final outcome. A failure to understand what will be needed in terms of a development budget does not do the business entity any good whatsoever. An inadequate budget can cripple a project when the funds run out before the job is done.
The scope of the project will be the key to controlling any project development effort. It is the project manager's job to make sure the scope of the project is broad enough to implement a fully developed business solution but it is not so broad that the task cannot be accomplished within the schedule and budget that is being requested. The scope of the project must also be stated in sufficient detail that there is no ambiguity, which can cause interested parties in adding functionality to the project after the effort has been launched. This is called "scope creep" and it is one of the leading causes of project failures.
These early decisions are a big part of the job of the project manager to guide. It calls for an ability to negotiate with management and technical personnel and to keep the process moving forward even when it seems chaos is about to take over the project. This is why it takes a particular personality to be successful as a project leader and to keep the project on task on a daily basis. The roles of the project leader are many and the activities that must be done to accomplish this important job are just as diverse. But each one is important to the success of the work a project leader is there to do.
Documents, Documents, Documents
The three foundational documents we mentioned already are critical to the success of any project and for any project manager. Throughout the development life cycle of any project, key project documents must be created because they will lay the foundation for moving forward in the project development process step by step. It is the project leader's job to generate key documents to define and then guide the project. An experienced project leader knows the formats and objectives of the key documents that must be created and reviewed by everyone with an interest in the project.
This is far more than the idle generation of paper. Many projects involve dozens or even hundreds of interested parties, each of which has a vital interest in how well the project is managed and all decisions that are made about the project as it unfolds. Project leadership is not a cut and dried process. Hundreds of decisions about the scope of the project, how functionality of the project will work and how to design, develop, test and implement the project must be made every step of the way.
The only way to achieve consensus among a large project team and to know that there is agreement about each step of the project development process is to assure that documentation is created for each phase of the project which is then reviewed by key project decision makers and stakeholders. For all major documents such as the scope document, the project specifications, the requirements definition, the testing plan and the implementation schedule, the project leader is the key figure to assure that all significant persons who have key role to play in the project review the project documents and sign off on them to assure that they agree to and accept every decision that is being made.
Without those signatures, the project leader must stop the project to avoid fragmentation of the effort later in the cycle. This is more than just making documents for the records. This is maintaining a firm hand of leadership over the project life cycle. And that is the project manager's job.
Team Meetings
The heart of what makes a project work is a functional project team. The project manager must assemble team members that are made up of "doers" and "decision makers". That means that any team meeting might include significant vice presidents or department heads along with technical talent that can take the decisions that are made at the meeting and turn them into something that works.
The project manager is expected to schedule and preside over weekly team meetings and to assure that major contributors to each stage of the project life cycle are there and are prepared to make their contributions to keep the project on schedule. If for any reason a task is not completed or part of the project development effort is stalled due to lack of participation of a team member, it is the project leader's job to find out why and to correct the situation.
The momentum of the project depends on regular team meetings where significant dialog and decisions are made. Each team meeting must be prepared for so there is an agenda and achievable defined. During each meeting, major project steps that were accomplished so the project development plan can be updated. New tasks are discovered and assigned and deliverables expected by the next team meeting are identified so everybody on the team knows what needs to be done, who will do those tasks and what their role in the ongoing development of the project is.
When the team meetings are over, it is the job of the project leader to produce minutes and distribute them so team members are aware of the commitments that were made by them and to keep upper management in step with the ongoing progress of the project.
Problem Resolution
Any manager in a business has the job of resolving problems that might become a problem in completing the mission of the organization. That need is even more acute in the life of a project leader. Because a project team is assembled from many different departments in the business and it may even include outside vendors or contractors, the project leader is probably not the formal manager of anyone on the team.
In fact, very often a project manager may have on the project team his own manager and members of the executive team. Nonetheless, it is the project leader's job to maintain order and to establish authority in the execution of the project. This means that the project leader must be properly empowered early on so he or she can leverage that power wisely to resolve conflicts and to break logjams of communications, which are very common in the life of a project development effort.
The team leader must be outstanding at problem resolution. This means he or she must be skilled at problem identification because very often the real problem is not just a spat between team members but an issue that is at the heart of the project plan. The project manager must get past incidental disputes4 and resolve issues that threaten to derail the project to get things moving again.
On Time and Under Budget
As we discussed earlier, the core project documents that must be drafted and approved by management for any project to get underway is a basic project schedule and budget. Throughout the project development life cycle, both of those essentials undergo changes and adjustments. For any project of significant size, there will be "surprises" both good and bad that will alter the project schedule and budget.
It is the job of the project manager to anticipate these unknowns and be prepared to make such adjustments without severely jeopardizing project completion. The project manager is always acutely aware of the project schedule and what it will take to hit each major milestone to stay on that schedule. The schedule is not looked at two or three times per project just to see how you are doing. The project manager works on the schedule of the project virtually every day using project development tools to assure that each development effort that is ongoing to reach the goals of the project are living up to expectations.
It also takes a wise project manager to know how to allocate budgeted funds as well as budgeted personnel, facility space and other essentials. A seasoned project leader knows how to build a project budget and schedule early on that can accommodate the routine shifts in the needs of the project as it is developed. By staying on top of the project development effort and reviewing and updating the project schedule and budget routinely, the manager will be the one who assures that the project effort moves steadily toward completion. Then when the project is done one time and under budget, it will be the project manager that gets the credit for a job well done. And that credit is well deserved because skilled management of a significant business project throughout the cycle of development is a highly prized talent in any organization.
What is Operational Planning and Why is it Important?
In a corporate environment an operational plan is a necessary tool to facilitate a long term strategic plan as well as develop an operational budget for the implementation of the strategic plan. A strategic plan is a long term plan for the company that generally encompasses three to five years of goals. The operational plan is a short term tactic that details how to implement the strategic plan including justification for the annual budget. The operational plan breaks up the larger strategic plan into workable short term goals and processes to achieve the long term objective.
When creating an operational plan, the goals and objectives of the corporation should be considered. You should have a clear understanding of where you are as a company, where you wish to go, ideas on how to get there and ways to quantify progress. Creating the operational plan is generally completed by the individuals who will be directly involved in its implementation and usually requires cooperation between multiple departments.
What is Included?
An operational plan will consist of several different parts and the completed product will be used to plan and justify the budget. The first part should include the objectives for the plan; clearly outlining what it is that should be accomplished over the course of the plan. It should also include detailed activities that will be necessary in order to accomplish the objectives. There should also be standards set as to the quality of the work and an outline of the outcome that is desired. In a broad sense the plan includes:
- Plan objectives,
- Detailed actions,
- Quality values and
- Anticipated results
In addition, there also necessary components that will include benchmark timetables in order to measure success, a means of measuring the productivity of the plan and a listing of the resources needed to bring the plan to fruition. This would include any additional staff or consultants, any equipment, software, hardware or any professional fees necessary.
Practical Use
An operational plan is working document that should be used and revised as needed during the fiscal year. In order to create the plan, the staff should have an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the department, the overall company goals, how the department will help facilitate those goals and what it will take to accomplish the goals. Once the plan is complete it is necessary to use the modes of measurement to track the success of the plan and to ensure the benchmarks are met. Reporting procedures should be put in place to regularly assess the plan.
Staff needs to have the skills and knowledge necessary to implement the plan, assess needed resources and acquire them as necessary. For example, if it is necessary to acquire additional staff to facilitate the plan, either staff needs to have the ability to go through the recruiting and hiring process or the capacity to work with the appropriate department, such as human resources, to accomplish that goal. It is necessary to have organizational skills as well as the drive to stay focused. Often it is helpful to put the most immediate short term goals along with the time lines in view of the department in order to keep the staff motivated and on task.
An operational plan may need to be revised according to practicalities in implementing the plan. If, for example, a desired goal changes, the operational plan will need to change to reflect this. Or, if the implementation of the plan does not go as intended, in order to accomplish it, there may need to be revisions in resources or an adjustment in the timeline. The operational plan should be stringent enough to set realistic goals and keep the department on track but fluid enough to accommodate the realities of daily operations.
An operational plan is an important document that will help a company accomplish its long term goals. It does this by breaking up the long term strategic plan into short term, more easily manageable goals. The organizational processes help ensure that each goal is able to be accomplished with efficiency. The short term goals will affect the outcome of the long term goals of the company and will keep the department on budget and focused. A properly designed operational plan will help the company grow and meet its overall objectives.
Achieving goals and Objectives
A project requires many different components to come together in order to be completed. Many projects fail to be completed on time because the project leader fails to get their full team working towards the same outcome.
There are a number of things you can do in order to achieve your goals and objectives, but one thing that can't be ignored or over-stated is the benefit of communication.Every project that involves more than one person requires good communication. Unless you have effective communication in your team, then you will find that you're never quite sure where the project is at any given time. In order to achieve the goals and objectives needed for any project you must have clear communication between not only yourself and your team, but also within your team. Everyone should know exactly what the project is about, who is doing what, and when it needs to be completed by. They should also be very clear about what is expected from them individually and by when!
Although you don't necessarily require a weekly meeting in order to achieve your project's goals and objectives, you should have at least one meeting at the beginning of the project that addresses the main issues regarding how the project will be managed. This meeting should include the following:
Identify the Specific Goals and Objectives of the Project
What is it that your project is trying to achieve? What are the specific goals and objectives that you need to complete in order to finish the project? Think about these either before you meet with the project team, or if you don't have them to hand already, have a brainstorming session with your team to clarify what goals and objectives are required for this specific project.
Once you have the main goals and objectives clarified, you need to break these down into quantifiable milestones that you can use as a roadmap towards project success.
Identify the Scope of the Project
The scope of the project isn't just about what the finished project/result looks like, but also about any resources/restrictions it may have. For example, do you have a deadline by which the project must be complete? Is there an external resource involved, such as a printing firm that will need time to produce the finished product? This will impact the actual time you have to work on the project in order to get it to print in time to have a finished product by the deadline. Do you have a restricted budget? How many people are on the team - are they working only on this project or do they have other tasks? Allocate appropriate resources to each of the milestones on your goals and objectives list.
Identify the Budget
How much can you spend on this project? Will you need to find the cheapest suppliers and gamble on quality, or is quality more important? Will you need to find a way to cut some corners in order to complete the project on budget - for example using in-house staff instead of outside professionals? Make sure that any financial implication in each milestone is identified and addressed.
Identify the People
You are working as a team to complete the project on time, but you need to assign responsibility to your team members for the parts of the project that they will undertake. Under each of the milestones you need to assign a team member who will be responsible for that part of the project, together with an appropriate deadline for completing their section. Make sure that each of your project team members is confident they can complete what they've been asked to do on time and within the budget requirement they have been allowed.
Identify the Project Milestones
A project milestone may be little more than a list of approved printing businesses in the area who could take your project, what they cost, and the date by which they'd need the document in order to deliver it by your deadline. Or it could be the final proofed marketing brochure requiring approval before sending to the printer.
As project manager you need to ensure that each part of the project process has a milestone that is agreed upon, and understood, by each team member. As each section reaches its specified milestone it can be marked off your master project list and you will be quickly able to identify any potential problems before they occur.
Identify the Process
Ask each person responsible for project milestones to compile a check list of steps they need to take in order to complete their task. It could be that several milestones can happen simultaneously, but it could be that other milestones won't be able to begin until others have been completed - for example, typesetting a publicity brochure can't happen until written copy and illustrations are assembled. Written copy can't begin until the writer has the guidelines of what is required, and the research to hand. Illustrations can't be found until the graphics person knows what is needed. The people leading the writing and illustration sections can work at the same time, but they both need the section providing the guidelines to complete their milestone first.
Once the final milestone has been achieved, check that all of the goals and objectives of the project have been met. Your initial meeting, plus your constant overview of the project's progress through the milestones list should have ensured you brought your project to completion both on time, and within budget. If this happened, meet with your team to congratulate them on a job well done, and discuss any issues that came up in the project process that should be addressed before you begin the next project. If for some reason, the project goals and objectives weren't quite met, then you need to discuss with your team what happened, why it happened, and explore what you can do to prevent this happening again.
The main thing to remember you communicate the project to your team members in such a way that everyone knows exactly what the project goals and objectives are, and what their part is in completing these right at the beginning of the project . Remember, even the best team in the world won't be able to complete a project to the required standard if they all have a different idea as to what that standard is. Keep all of your team on the same page, and you'll get the outcome you desire.
Get More Time Out Of Your Day Today and Enjoy a Profitable Tomorrow
When you are in the business world, it seems there is never time enough in the day to do everything you need to do. And with the speed of communications speeding up with the advent of the internet, email and instant messaging, that problem is getting worse instead of better. To have any hope of taking control over your business life, you must employ some principles of time management that return control over your working day to you.
The heart of time management is making your schedule work for you instead of you working for it. That is going to take some discipline on your part and some new ways of interacting with coworkers, outside contacts and even management. But the outcome will be a business day that is far more productive than you ever thought was possible. And productivity in your working day means you will be more successful in your job and a better employee for your boss. So any steps that can be taken to give you the structure you need to be productive is a good one.
Too often, we think that if we can just work long hours, weekends and holidays and sacrifice family and rest time, we can get control over the lack of time in the day to get things done. This is a disastrous approach to time management because by sacrificing the time you need to "recharge your battery", you will damage your ability to be productive in the long run. That doesn’t benefit you or your employer and it can cause real harm to your family and personal relationships. No employer who sees the employees as a long term resource would demand that kind of commitment.
Instead, there is a way to step back and look objectively at your day to determine what it is that is stealing most of your time. Then by reorganizing how you do your work, you can systematically take control over those time thieves, which will return those hours to you. Only when you become the boss of your schedule will you be able to capture and sustain that kind of control.
Project Schedules That Make Sense
It is likely that the first step toward getting better control over the time you are paid to work at your job will be to enlist the cooperation of your boss and coworkers. A team meeting or a serious of one on one meetings with the people you interact the most with to discuss your objective of getting control over your day may surface that everybody in the organization is suffering from the same types of problems. Like a good diet plan, if everybody in your department sets out on a program of time management, it is easier for everybody to become a success.
In addition to working in a shared manner toward the common good, the way your work is scheduled should be reviewed with an eye on controlling the flow of work coming to your schedule. If you have three projects that are high priority and that are demanding your full attention already, you must take the initiative to "just say no" to that fourth project if it means all of your work will suffer.
This is going to take some courage and some backbone as well as support from your management. But by being honest with those who wish to enlist your skills on projects that are in need of attention, you can lay it on the line that if the new project is going to get priority attention, another already active project will have to be put on hold.
To get this kind of management over your work schedule requires that you have a firm understanding of what kind of impacts new work will have on your schedule. Based on that and working with management, to then limit the quantity of work that can be accommodated in a routine workday will result in work schedules that make sense.
Before long, the idea that you can be overloaded and that such overloading is not feasible will become part of the corporate culture of the organization. If others in your department are building similar controls on their schedules, the outcome will be a business that runs itself in a more disciplined fashion as well as one with employees who are far more productive because their schedules are managed and manageable at the same time.
Getting Out Ahead Of Interruptions.
The discipline we discussed earlier of stepping back from your day to understand where your interruptions are coming from can be quite revealing. A way to take that discipline to the next level is to actually log every activity of your working day for a week. If you are on the phone with a work associate but the content of the call is gossip, log that. If you go to coffee and end up in the break room for a half hour discussing football, log that.
When you finish a week or two of logging every interruption as well as logging times of productivity, the outcome can be quite startling. For most of us, we spend far more time engaging others in nonproductive work during our working day. This is a particularly nagging problem in an office environment where there are a lot of people in a small amount of space.
The key to getting out ahead of interruptions is not to just shut down office relationships and try to go without that social contact. Humans are by nature social animals so to do that would hurt your working relationships which is not healthy. Instead, put some structure to the time you spend in social conversation with work associates. Once again, by letting people you are on a friend level with at the work place of your plan to keep that friendship active but to take control over the time you allocate for social relationships, you may find they have the same problem and that they wish to join you in this discipline.
By scheduling regular lunch or coffee time with significant friendships in the office, you add a layer of control over your office chats but you return to your schedule longer periods of uninterrupted productivity time. The outcome is you still get your social needs met but you are a better and more productive worker.
Family and Friends
Finally, one of the most difficult interruptions to get control over are phone calls from family and friends. But if you pay attention to your coworkers, you may notice that not everybody in the office takes multiple phone calls from home or from friends outside of the office. It might be that this is an area of life where you could also impose some discipline if you muster the courage to do so.
Many of us revere our private relationships so much that we simply refuse to impose some order on when family and friends can call and how long the conversation can go on. But if you sit down with your spouse, parents or children and explain that they can reach you at work but the calls need to be concerning a need and not just social, those calls will drop off quickly.
You can still take time on your break or at lunch to call friends and family and get caught up. You may be surprised how much people who care about you want to help you be a success at work. If they realize that their phone calls are creating a productivity problem for you, they will be happy to do all they can to make you more successful at work.
Just as your boss, your coworkers and others in the work place can see the value of creating order in your schedule and making your working hours productive, others will join the quest for greater productivity with you. And when your social support network gets behind you to get more time out of your day, you will be assured of success in your time management program.
Project Management
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