This document describes the logic of the process of storing any project’s product. The process of storing is mainly focused on the availability of the correct item. Therefore, this information is apt to understand both its readiness and the organizational aspects that produced it.

There is an excellent post about the [...]]]> Available Templates:

Configuration Item Management Register:

This document describes the logic of the process of storing any project’s product. The process of storing is mainly focused on the availability of the correct item. Therefore, this information is apt to understand both its readiness and the organizational aspects that produced it.

“Playing” communication

There is an excellent post about the utter importance of communication within complex projects. Starting from a technical scenario, Lev points out the biggest mistake for a manager who forgot the importance of leadership.

Keeping information flowing

Management is based on an efficient and efficacious collection of data about the production (e.g. when, who, what etc.); however, the persons are still at the core of the process. They need to meet for creating a common ground where the system will be built. This lattice is made of shared expressions (where the cultural barriers – just a different department – could be used as components instead of obstacles).

Leadership is always about a bi-directional communication. Very often the leader has to step aside, once the conversation has started; his/her presence has the scope of facilitating the exchanging and – why not – bartering of information. Bigger are the bulwark, deeper the trenches, stronger shall be the determination to use the available power. It usually starts with setting the meeting and looking for the respect of the agenda. There are infinite “good reasons” for avoiding “inter-communal” meetings; this is the place where the manager with his/her set of useful information, and the leader armed with his/her panoply of tools meet with the aim of creating collaboration.

Playing by ear

Any project has its own rhythm. It is the sum of personalities that makes the humming on which everyone can find his/her own tune. It is always a question of timing. Being closed in our offices does not allow us to feel any variation of the current humming.  The “Managing by wandering around” offers an excellent tool for tuning the system. Calendars and clocks are set for telling us which is the standard time; however, we live on a biological time that can only be measured with a lot of sensitivity. Leadership is about helping to “synchronizing” these times.

Since the leadership is classified as source of risk, it is essential to understand it and then find, if possible, a simple way for measuring its efficacy through the evaluation of results. Merriam Webster’s definition: “capacity to lead”. In a project environment, this should be focused on the stakeholders’ relationships. In particular [...]]]>

Leading is about direction

Since the leadership is classified as source of risk, it is essential to understand it and then find, if possible, a simple way for measuring its efficacy through the evaluation of results.
Merriam Webster’s definition: “capacity to lead”.
In a project environment, this should be focused on the stakeholders’ relationships. In particular to the team; when the production is carried out on the site.

The role of communication

Accepting this viewpoint, the most important, if not the only tool made available to the manager is the communication (on this subject, there is a very good post of JD).

Communication is implicit in the manager’s job nature. Whatever is the decision taken, it has been based on incoming information and then – much more important – to find the clincher for selling it, either to the team or other stakeholders.

“Know thyself“

It is one of the three phrases written on the Apollo’s temple in Delphi.
This approach can help ourselves in the process of acknowledging the drives and reasons that entered in our decision and then in the plan. Therefore, the execution of delivering it.

Living in an “illogical” world made of numbers

Whether you are Panglossian or not, our world is far from being subject to rational laws.
However, the results of our projects are measured with figures.
Leadership seems the art of understanding how it works the murky, flawed and semi-primitive nature of our own decision-making, including the heap of uncertainties. Then, using “black arts” convincing our fellows that the proposed act is matching with their personal and professional values; It therefore, will increase their well-being.

A balance between standards and innovations

There is a nice Crossderry’s post about the difference between leaders and managers.

An organization needs governance. Managers are set for checking that the rules are applied at their best. However, people who strive for growing personally and professionally can find difficult to abide to all of them, in particular when external challenges are pressing for new and better solution.

Leadership as source of risks

The previous paragraphs introduce two possible sources of risks:

1. Lack of ability to buy-in the required resources
2. Unbalanced response to the pressures, which could damage the project outcome and the company discipline and/or image in front of the customer.

These keys could suggest an indirect method for measuring the impact of a poor leadership on the project’s output.

Conclusion

Good managers come in all flavors. This matches with the multifarious nature of project’s needs.

In essence, the chances of success are strongly increased when the right group of managers (sponsors, project managers and team leaders) are able to develop an environment, whose rules can work with the global governance, that allows every stakeholder to give his/her best.

Sometimes, problems like disloyalty, kicking back etc. can be made worse – if not caused – by the lack of an environment that does not allow a proper leadership.

Managing risks is about to remove the root of possible problems. In this case, there are some actions to be planned and executed:

1. Being sure that everyone knows and accept the “Responsibility Assignement Matrix”
2. Checking that within the project’s management team there is a good “team playing spirit”
3. Whenever an “order” is issued, be sure of attaching a list of KPIs.

“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better.”

More readings

• http://herdingcats.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/08/20-reasons-managers-fail-and-ways-to-fix-them.html
• http://www.projectmanagementguide.org/project-management/when-good-teams-go-bad
• http://alistair.cockburn.us/Neurons+with+legs+-+How+wideband+social+media+is+changing+the+world%27s+cognitive+structure
• http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2009/08/new-leaders-pocket-guide-to-improving.html

The project manager is called in for executing a decision taken by the sponsors. The success (respecting the agreed time and budget) depends on whether he/she has enough power (and ability), to act within clearly established boundaries, or suffer from the inability to manage the requests for changes.

The only possible way [...]]]>

Statue of Liberty structure

The project manager is called in for executing a decision taken by the sponsors. The success (respecting the agreed time and budget) depends on whether he/she has enough power (and ability), to act within clearly established boundaries, or suffer from the inability to manage the requests for changes.

The only possible way of fulfill a deed consists in the thorough understanding the motives that designated the target(s).
The “Project Mandate” (an excellent link) should state the “principal” stakeholders’ priorities. These represent the first and most important source for Risk Analysis.  The priorities shall be clearly focused on subjects which are meaningful for the intrinsic nature of the proponent. They will be used to outline the project itself.

The act of planning means to prepare a chain of actions (and responses) in a specific portion of future. Therefore, the available resources can be coordinated with a common logic. They will tune their works for increasing the opportunities to deliver the required result.

The most suited logic is the one that can satisfy the stated priorities. Hence, the core of planning is the ability to define a “visibile” target and then organizing the resources in a way that every involved person can do his/her best for reach the target.

Striking the balance between stakeholders’ pressure and target consistency.

Dealing with the future implies the presence of uncertainties. Therefore, some grade of flexibility shall be introduced.

Without a proper control from the project manager (supported by the senior management) the open-mind attitude will transform the freedom into anarchy. Every stakeholder will feel to entitle to add his/her own modification; often without taking care of discussing the impact on the common target, with the project leader.

The plan’s resiliency shall be adapted to match the needs of different type of stakeholders. Furthermore, it has to evolve progressively in the allotted time.

The stakeholders’ pressure represents the most important aspect of communication. However, there are two dimensions to be considered:

1. The distance, in terms of time, of the event from the starting date. This dictates the granularity of details.
2. The impact of the proposed modification on the plan’s feasibility (Iron Triangle).

The first point (time and details) is about the need for having everything stated on a document. It could be smuggled as professional attitude; in reality, it is a way to hide anxiety. A rigid planning assumes the necessity to tame the future. The project manager has to intervene for understanding the nature these fears. The Risk Management could offer sound answers to this kind of questions.

The second point (changes) involves all stakeholders. For a sake of clarity, in the following list, they are grouped for area of interest:

Technical:

The choice of the architecture (from the type of application/web server down to the nitty-gritty of rules for commenting code) either is a project’s priority, or it shall be left to the small group of experts. They will issue a couple of feasible proposals that have to be fit for the aforementioned priorities. The final decision will be taken by the project board on the company’s needs.
Once the technical proposal has been set, every other decision (e.g. request for change) shall be conformed to it.

Commercial:

This is the most area most sensible to modifications. The simple and strongest reason for this: a weak business case. Whenever the benefits for the business seem insufficient for covering the initial expenses, the project will be laden with new requirements. This is the most expensive and surest way to doom it.

Functional (personal):

As stated Machiavelli (The Prince), there is no difficult task such as bringing innovation into an organization. Who prospers in the old system will be an enemy of the new one. People that will receive benefits, are shy to spend effort for the innovator.
The only working receipt: a constant attention to details. When the time has come to deal with each of them.

Conclusion

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow“.
The plan has to be dynamic. The priorities (well supported by the sponsors) shall form the robust structure, while the single tasks are detailed as soon as the time will be mature.

The Statue of Liberty offers a marvellous example of using a “rigid” structure as kernel, then, by mean of “flexible” bars each piece gains of a good grade of freedom.

More reading:

www.projectsmart.co.uk