Project Management versus Operation Management

 Sometimes I think I say that Project Managers can do anything and sometimes the lines between project management and operations management is blurred.  This is probably because many of the skills in operations management and project management are complimentary.  I have done both functions in this world as a Program Manager.  As a Program Manager, you have to be able to manage and mentor Project Managers, but you also have to be able to manage the operations of a business.  Project Managers need to understand how a business operates and be willing to jump in a learn about how to make operations more lean and efficient for the business.

Can Project Management Save the World?

Can the framework and procedures of project management by used to tackle the hard problems facing the humanity today?  I think so.  Many of the problems facing the world today are complex with many facets. 

The project management framework provides many tools, techniques and procedures to manage complexity.  One area that I think can be used with some success is a stakeholder matrix.  As with many projects, stakeholders are important and many stakeholders are not readily apparent during the course of planning.  A stakeholder matrix can help to identify stakeholders, their interest in the project, and how the project management team will communicate the project plan to them.

This tool is just one that can be used and if this was used for many of the hard issues, there may be less opposition to the project.

I think that people who are tackling these issues could benefit from some project management training or to have a project management mindset.

Thinking about Poverty

When I think about the many problems that face the world that good program management could solve, one area draws me in.  This area is solving the problem of poverty.  I have been thinking how I could work, using my education, training, and skill to solve the issue of poverty. 

I have a genuine interest in solving this issue.  It is such a large issue that it seems impossible to wrap your arms around it, but I know there are programs that work locally to solve such issues.  Some are more successful than others.  I believe that success can happen in this realm when people take personal responsibility.  It is just like self-directed learning in a way.  Personal responsibility is what it takes to succeed.  But beyond that, it is having a mentor to help navigate this somewhat complex subject. 

I have been thinking about this...look for more in this area in the future.

Career Thoughts

I have been thinking about my career lately.  As I get to the point where I have less days remaining than I did in the beginning I have been looking back at my career and thinking about all the stuff I did right and all the stuff that I did wrong.  But a career is much more than a tally sheet of what was right and what was wrong, it is all the stuff that is undefinable, un-measurable, and non-concrete that goes into a career.  It is also the network you made by meeting people.  It is the friendships and camaraderie and the friendly and not so friendly rivalries.  If a man can be measured in how he touches the lives of others positively, then there might be some hope for me.  

COVID-19 Planning

This week I have been working on and submitting COVID-19 plans for several of the projects that I am working on.  It is somewhat difficult, because there are many unknowns still and the information from official sources (CDC, WHO, and other public health authorities) is ever changing and sometime contradictory.  I think the best thing to do in this situation is to develop a list of best practices, plan for this and put flexibility into the plan, and follow what has been proven to help.  Let the experts battle it out on what is the truth and what is not.  The important thing with any safety type plan is to make it possible to keep the project on track.  If your mitigation plans are so restrictive that work cannot take place then you should think about it some more.

The important thing is that work gets done and everyone is safe.  But just like in life, work has inherent risks and you can never mitigate those risks to zero.

Entrepreneurial Project Management

A project manager/program manager needs to be somewhat entrepreneurial.  I feel that you have to be that way, because many times projects and programs are charting new ground.  Many projects are developed for things that the organization has never done before and it sometimes it takes pure willpower just to get the project done. 

A lot of projects are resourced starved, until the business case is fully developed.  Even sometimes it is resourced starved even if there is a clear ROI, bootstrapping in a way.  Risks are different, but there is still risk involved.  The PMs career depends on success and many times the success is uncertain until it happens.

Building a project/program is a lot like building a business.  The work is fulfilling.  Learn from your failures and keep working on building a successful career.

Getting the Most Out of The Teleconference

I just got off a series of teleconferences.  I must say that most teleconferences are a waste of time, just like meetings.  We still do them, people still don't get much out of them.  There is a way to make teleconferences more effective.  The first is to have an agenda and keep to the agenda.  Obviously, the purpose of this is to have information sharing.  So there should be one person who will present the information of that agenda items.  It is important that you don't have people talking over each other.  What happens is that when people are talking over each other everyone else leaves with the same understanding they had before meeting and no sharing took place.

Additionally, the afterward of the teleconference is important.  Send an email or have a call that will outline the shared understanding discussed during the conference call.  This will allow the participants to remember what was important and any actions associated with it.  It is a good practice.

Teleconferences do not have to be a waste of time. But they need to be done right to make it worth while.

Getting Back into the Saddle

The hardest thing to do sometimes is to get back into the saddle. As we all start to shake off the COVID-19 delays and return to a somewhat business as usual approach to our projects and programs, we all have to remember the basics of project management don't really change.

Of course some things are easier face to face.  I find negotiations in person are easier after all so much of our communication is non-verbal.  But the truth is that most of my work is done remotely or virtually anyways, so that aspect hasn't really changed.

Sure the vehicle that we use to get things done, might changed, but the methods and end product will be the same. Sometimes I feel that I get things done through sure willpower...lol.

It is past time that we all get back to work and create value for ourselves, our companies, and our clients.  Project Managers are in the value creation business for sure.