What is Project Management…And why should you care?

Janice R. Maxwell Assistant Director- Project Management Office

Organizational Development Training Class 3/18/2015

What is a Project

What is a Project?

A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources.

And a project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together –sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.

What Does A Project Create?

The development of software for an improved business process, the construction of a building or bridge, the relief effort after a natural disaster, the expansion of sales into a new geographic market — all are projects.

And all must be expertly managed to deliver the on-time, on-budget results, learning and integration that organizations need.

A product that can be either a component of another item or an end item in itself

A capability to perform a service

A result such as an outcome or document

What Is Project Management

Project management, then, is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals — and thus,

better compete in their markets

Managing A ProjectIncludes:Identifying requirementsEstablishing clear and achievable objectivesBalancing competing demands of quality, scope, time and cost (time, cost, and quality are often known as the triple constraint)

Let’s Play A Game! Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has

the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.

The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.

Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.

Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.

The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.

The Rules

The Marshmallow Challenge- From What is Project Management

and Why should you care?

- GSU – Organizational Development

- 3/18/2015

Winner!

Timeline of Major Projects

“Many people think of project management as a relatively new discipline. In point of fact, we’ve been practicing project management as a society, using the framework the PMI describes for as long as we’ve been able to make things. Maybe we didn’t call the steps we took by the same names we call them today, but evidence of the processes remain. This work we do

is ancient.”… Geoff Crane

http://www.projectmanagement.com/profile/papercutpm

This Stuff Is Not New…

Geoff Cranehttp://www.projectmanagement.com/profile/papercutpm

The Project Life Cycle All the phases necessary to perform the project

At the end of each phase the project performance and deliverables may be reviewed (quality gates) in order to:Determine if the project should be

continuedDetect and correct errors cost effectively

As an industry matures, its project life cycles become industry “best practices”

The Role of the Project ManagerRole of the Project Manager – The project manager is responsible for managing the project to meet project objectives.

Assigned to the project no later than project initiating

In charge of the project, but not necessarily the resources

Leads and directs the project planning efforts

Determines and delivers required levels of quality

Assists the team and other stakeholders during project executing

Creates a change control system

Maintains control over the project by measuring performance, determining if corrective action is needed, recommending corrective actions, preventive actions and defect repair management

Is accountable for project failure

The Role of the Project Team Role of the Project Team – A group of people who will complete work on the project. The team helps plan what needs to be done(WBS) and creates time estimates for their work packages or activities.Identify and involve stakeholdersExecute the project management plan to accomplished workDefine requirementsDecompose work packages they are responsible for into schedule activitiesProvide time and cost estimatesIdentify dependencies and create the network diagramIdentify risksPerform qualitative and quantitative risk analysis and risk response planning

The Role of StakeholdersRole of the Stakeholders – Should be involved in the planning the project and managing it more extensively than you might be doing on your projects.

May be involved in the creation of the project charter and the preliminary and project scope statements

Project management plan development

Approving project changes and being on the CCB

Scope verification

Identifying constraints

Risk management

The Role of The Project Sponsor Ensuring that the project is properly launched

Ensuring that the project remains a viable business proposition

Ensuring changes to the project are properly managed

Ensuring risks are managed

Ensuring the project is under control

Resolving issues (typically competition for resources and priority clashes) that are beyond the control of the Project Manager

Resolving conflict and removing obstacles to progress

Overall quality of the project, both the methods used to develop it and the end product.

Key Concepts of Project Managers:

Make sure your stakeholders are on board.

Understand the scope of a project before you execute it.

Have a clear goal with defined milestones.

Ambitious projects require leadership

Turn obstacles into opportunities.

Make sure you’re using all your assets.

Make sure your contributors understand the context of their deliverables.

Key Take-AwaysFailing to take into account the divergent goals of your stakeholders will cause you to make decisions that you regret later.

Project leaders who fail to provide a project plan, or clearly delegate that responsibility to an actual project planner, find their project going over time and budget.

If you have an ambitious project in your hands, with stretch goals that you know will tax your strongest contributors, you need more than a good project plan and milestones: You need your people to be inspired.

Every project has obstacles to overcome. Although you can plan for some, others arrive out of the blue. A good project plan has built-in resiliency in case the more unpredictable pieces don’t deliver as expected.

More Take Aways

Being quick on your feet is no substitute for having an actual plan, of course. But once you have a plan in place, make sure it’s flexible enough to survive a few unexpected twists, and be creative enough to find alternate ways to achieve your objectives when obstacles block your progress. Giving your contributors the ability to show initiative will greatly help, but only if you have a plan.

Every project of any size needs both talented individuals to drive it forward and people to support them in that endeavor

Understand the scope of his project well enough to execute it.

Any good leader should encourage initiative in their reports. A tactical decision in the heat of the moment can sometimes make the difference between success and failure.

Key Skills For The Project ManagerKnow what you don’t know

Become comfortable with change and ambiguity

Find people for the team whose strengths compliment your weaknesses

Keep a learning journal with your daily “AHAs”

Achieve balance within the following challenging areas Ego vs. Egoless Autocrat vs. Delegator Leader vs. Manager Tolerance of Ambiguity vs. Pursuit of Perfection Oral vs. Written Communication Complexity vs. Simplicity Big Picture vs. Attention to Detail Impatience vs. Patience Flexibility vs. Rigidity

Skills The I Look For In Potential PM’sSoft Communications Ability to get long with others Team orientation Respect for others Core values (Honest, Integrity, Tolerance)

Problem Solving Tolerance for chaos and uncertainty Self-direction Initiative Ability to make a decision

Technical Core knowledge Ability to learn new skills

Contact Janice Maxwell

Janice Maxwell, PMP, CSM Assistant Director Project Management Office

Georgia State University Information Systems and Technology PO Box 3994 Atlanta, GA 30302 USA

Work: 404-413-4303 Email: jmaxw ell10@gsu.edu http://www.linkedin.com/in/janicemaxwell