Several years ago, I took over a project management team consisting of project managers responsible for small- to medium-scale IT infrastructure implementation projects for our customers. One immediately noticeable problem was that no one knew how much was spent on each project, as all costs were absorbed into the organization. Management assumed that projects were losing money.
As the leader of the effort, I immediately implemented a cost-planning and control process. Each project team member had to come up with a cost plan and control their spending according to that plan. The result was amazing. Almost all projects could be delivered within budget, thus completely changing the perception of management about the team's performance and, more importantly, about the profitability of the projects.
Many project teams tend to overlook risk management. A couple hours spent in the beginning of a project usually helps the team identify a list of risks. In one or two occasions, because of our risk plan, we were able to quickly respond to precarious situations and avoided potentially disastrous impacts to the project.
The project management tool set and processes are based on real knowledge developed by project managers delivering projects. This knowledge is hugely useful and applicable to effective project delivery when deployed by an experienced project manager.
Two recent projects I have worked on had very different challenges. The first, a multistory car park construction project, suffered a delay due to a large amount of third-party stakeholder resistance. The car park was a key objective of the town council in the development of the town, but was blocked by a number of third parties who were concerned about the cars—they didn't want them—and archeology. It got to a stage where the third parties were arguing in the public domain about the project. Through escalation, negotiation and working with the regulatory authorities, the issues were eventually resolved without litigation.
The second project was the relocation and reorganization of a company from three sites into one. This production facility had to close operations in two locations and start up in an existing location. A great deal of care was required, as the payoff for the company increased productivity through overhead reduction and better, more modern equipment. The project had to be fast-tracked to overcome the problems customers experienced from employee resistance. By using lessons learned, brainstorming, rapid and effective communication, we completed this project on time and, impossible as it may seem, on budget.
Since meeting these challenges, I have an increased feeling of self-confidence both personally and with the performing organizations. It has given me confidence that by working together and using project management processes, we can overcome adversity. Despite the challenges, the stakeholder group and project teams were able to work to their strengths and combine forces to deliver the requirements of the organization. It has certainly helped the team members and myself, as a manager, to see how others react to challenges.
There are many different types of adversity that occur when it comes to managing projects—unexpected delays, changes of scope, cost changes, resource changes, loss of key personnel—and project management addresses most of the types of adversity that you are going to face during the life of your project. The nice thing about project management is that it is very proactive; it expects you to manage adversity.
A few years ago, I was working on a large project that entailed customizing helicopters for a client. When it became time to deliver the simulator, the client realized it did not have the proper facility to put it in. In the beginning of the project, time was identified as the important constraint and we were already working on a tight deadline. We had to build a facility and hire more resources to carry out the task. However, instead of creating a new project, we treated the new facility as an out-of-scope item based on our client's request. We had a change-control system in place already, so we were able to incorporate it efficiently into the overall project. We would not have been able to do that without the proper project management controls in place.
In the end, it wasn't really a matter of whose fault it was, it was a matter of management. We were able to accept the change, incorporate it into our project plan, expand the scope, increase the cost, reset the baseline and still meet the deadline of the overall project.
We definitely learned that having a change-management system is imperative to success, so that when—not if—change occurs, you can manage it efficiently. You can't manage by crisis; you manage by exception and do it in a professional and organized manner. I think the biggest thing is not to be afraid of change. Embrace it, plan for it and expect it. Understand that it is a very important part of your job as a project manager. Your ability to manage change and be proactive with change is vital to the success of a project.
Project management skills provide you with your organizing framework. They allow you to be proactive and perhaps avoid situations that may come up because you are always looking ahead. You can catch them at the outset, as opposed to letting them develop into bigger issues.
While managing a project recently, I encountered difficulties when conflict ensued between team members. In hindsight, I took on more responsibility than maybe I should have. I realized, however, the importance of making sure that everyone on the team has the same goal in mind.
I now really communicate with people to make sure they are all in the loop and that no one feels like they are on the outside. Relationships on your team and an awareness of people's different needs are really important. When you are managing people, you have to be aware of what motivates them. Maybe someone is working really hard because they like that recognition, while other people just do it for their paycheck. Now, in our team meetings, we also discuss what is going on in our lives—this builds trust.
I became the program director for an industrywide $2.5 million project to support the software development industry in Costa Rica. The project was already underway when I took it over. It was a special situation in which one of the project's sponsors had previously attempted to obtain the position of program director prior to my hiring. This sponsor continued to sit on the board of directors, which consisted of representatives of the three organizations that were financing the project. Immediately, the sponsor attempted to make me look bad by delaying important decisions for the project.
A month after being hired, I began implementing project management methodologies that helped me control this difficult situation. I held a meeting to establish the rules, roles and ways in which we would work. This set the basis for better communication and a better relationship. I developed a very robust plan that was approved by the board of directors. This gave me control of the program and no longer made it necessary to go to the board for approvals on every single decision. This also took a lot of power away from the “frustrated sponsor” and gave me the chance to focus on the really important parts of the project.
I also defined a series of metrics and used information generated by the project to demonstrate performance, status and accomplishments. With good performance, quality information and objective metrics, we were able to show the board of directors that we were on the right track and this helped us gain their full support and assistance.
In the end, all of the project's objectives were accomplished, or in some cases surpassed, and we did it using $400,000 less than the budget established in the project's beginning stages.