Hot Topic: Project Management Skills

I’m not sure if you noticed, but over the last several months, project management has been a very hot topic! Project management is being discussed in articles, books, interviews, surveys and reskilling programs around the globe. Ironically, project management has been around for a long time, yet for some reason it has been overlooked as a necessary skill set for employees. I am hoping that the practice of project management is now being viewed through a different lens. Everyone benefits from learning project management skills - individuals and organizations.

Keeping in mind that projects are 2 ½ times more successful when proven project management practices are used, here are some additional benefits:

• Establishing a framework for how projects will be identified, initiated, managed and completed that can be used throughout the organization.

  • Example: I have observed business units, within the same organization, managing projects differently. These business units had their “own” project management process which was different than the business unit across the hall. How can this be effective for an organization? Can you imagine how confusing this must be for staff members who may be asked to work on projects with different business units? How can the organization, as a whole, understand their overall status of all ongoing projects with respect to resources, budget, success factors and timelines?

  • Solution: Establish a foundational project management protocol for the entire organization. This will provide clarity to the employees and value to the overall organization by ensuring consistency in practice.

• Maximizing resources – what resources will be needed, when and for how long

  • Example: An organization that does not have a project management protocol in place may not be solidifying the scope, understanding the work that needs to be done to deliver on that scope and when those work efforts need to be completed. If that happens, then the organization will not have the resources available, when needed, to deliver on the goals of the project.

  • Solution: Working with an established project management process will include solidifying the scope of the project, understanding the work and skills sets required to deliver on that scope, development of an actionable work plan and schedule. These process steps will be incredibly valuable in understanding when resources will be needed, which skills sets would be required and when this work will need to be completed.

• Clarity in roles, responsibilities and who does “what”

  • Example: We have all experienced what can happen when people do not complete the tasks that are assigned to them. But what happens when the team members say that they were unaware of the task? Or they understood the task but did not know the task was assigned to them? That’s tough!

  • Solution: Project management protocols will include the review of a roles & responsibilities document that details the various positions on the project team and how each team member will be contributing to the overall project. Additionally, a better practice includes assigning tasks to an individual, not a “team” or “group”. Tasks assigned to an individual will provide the clarity required to understand exactly what everyone is responsible for with respect to the overall work plan.

• Reduction in the number of unfinished projects

  • Example: Many organizations start projects and never finish them. Why? It may be because priorities change, the employee in charge of leading the project is unfamiliar with the role and what to do, or the organization, as a whole, does not support the project. These are just a few of the reasons why a project may not finish.

  • Solution: Established project management protocols will include the solidification of the project scope, the identification and commitment to the project and the project team, training or support for the project lead and team if needed, in addition to having an organizational roadmap for all projects so that the project lead and the team will fully understand how the project will unfold. By providing the information that the team needs to understand the project, you will be setting them up for success!

• Achievement of strategic goals – all strategies have initiatives, or projects, that will help to expedite the achievement of the overall strategy.

  • Example: I have observed many organizations that do not make the connection between strategy design and strategy delivery. One statistic indicates that most strategic goals are not delivered. Although this can happen for a number of reasons, one of the most common reasons is the lack of a meaningful, or actionable, delivery plan. Congratulations on having designed a strategic plan for your organization, but that’s just the first step of the ongoing process of strategy management. How do you plan to deliver on that strategic plan? What are the initiatives, or projects, that will help the organization achieve those goals? How will your strategy be measured and tracked? How will you know that the organization has been successful? Project management skills of course! Yet another benefit of understanding, and practicing project management, within your organization!

  • Solution: Introduce project management practices to your leadership team, strategy team and overall organization to help deliver those strategic goals! Incorporate these practices into your strategic planning and management efforts and build a solid foundation for your success story. Don’t be a statistic.

    These are just a few of the benefits of practicing project management. If you are interested in learning more, please give me a call or check out this article posted on my website: The Benefits of Project Management

    You can do this, I know you can!