If asked about a decision we made two hours ago, most of us could quickly recall the factors that led us to it. When asked about a decision we made two years ago, few of us would be able to do the same. That's why documentation is vital for project managers.
I've seen project managers lose career momentum because they were unable to justify decisions they had made on a past project. This career fallout didn't necessarily happen because the project managers made poor decisions. It happened because they were merely unable to fully articulate their rationale and detail the information they had at their disposal at that time.
Questions about previously made decisions can arise at any time in the life cycle of a project. Often, these questions are prompted by new information that raises doubts about your previous decisions. It is important to understand that your decisions only seem justified if the factors used in making those decisions remain in place. Once one of those factors changes, the organization's views on your decision can change as well.
Documentation is the key to accurately remembering and defending your decisions when you are challenged. By recording what resource provided what information and when, you can quickly provide a summary of events to senior management.
This documentation could be in the form of emails or meeting agendas, but I like to use a journaling process that is searchable by keyword so I can quickly scan for specific subjects. I find journaling valuable because it gives me a quick succession of bullets that succinctly provides the facts about who and what led to my decision, and why I made it when I did.
It may feel like you are using this information to point the finger at another employee or pass the buck, but in reality, you are simply using factual information to shed light on a decision and provide context to the discussion. This information can be useful in building a root cause analysis, or in reviewing policies, systems or an employee's skills (or skills gaps).
When a senior manager asks why you made a certain judgment call and you can provide thorough details, the uncomfortable scrutiny quickly dissipates. And there's another benefit: You gain a reputation as an organized employee who retains important information and quickly provides answers. PM
| Robert Barger, PMP, is a program manager and principal consultant at HMB Information System Developers, Columbus, Ohio, USA. |