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.

Things Program/Project Managers Do!

Summer has always been a busy time.  I find that during these days, I have more energy and the to do list grows both at work and at home.  I always feel a little accomplishment when I cross things off my to do list and deliver those products to the customer.  This month, I completed the Requirements Breakdown Structure that I have been working on.  It is a little satisfying when the stakeholders like an innovative product.  During this month, I also conducted a Risk Analysis for an organizational change that is being contemplated.  I hope that my input is helpful for the decision makers when it comes to redesigning the organization. Another product that I delivered was a redesign of part and the Statement of Work for the manufacture of this part.  I also conducted a Schedule Variance on one of my projects for a high level briefing.  All of this is what a day as a Program Manager could look like.

The purpose of this post is not to brag about all the great things that I have done.  They are great things, but nothing in comparison with the great things done by the people who protect us everyday. The purpose of this post is to talk about the variety of things that a program/project manager might be called to do in the course of the project.  I always find that being a program manager allows me to use my creativity to get the products out the door and to tell the story of the products to stakeholders. It is one of the things I find I enjoy about my job.