My Project Management Zen Moment

The view from Magic Island on the island of Oahu.

Project Managers need to get out of the office and find a place to refresh and have their zen moment to find the elusive pieces of the puzzle that their project is missing. The Pacific Ocean is my favorite place to have my zen moments when I need to find a solution for a project. 

Find your favorite zen moment place where you live. Just clear your mind and relax.

My Kanban Board

Sample Kanban Board

The Daily Kanban Board

Capture daily project activities of all your projects on a spreadsheet. Use the Kanban Board spreadsheet to make important project notes. The Kanban Board notes will be used to update your MS Project plans or other project tracking software. Keep it very simple with three columns consisting of To Do, In Progress, and Done. Create a daily tab on the spreadsheet carrying forward outstanding activities on the new Kanban Board spreadsheet tab. The tabs come in real handy as a source of historical activities on the projects.

Kanban Board at a Glance

Having a visual view of all your projects on a spreadsheet Kanban Board style is very useful to help keep you on top of everything.

Updating Project Plans

Review the daily Kanban Board at the end of the day. Update your projects plans with the final project activity notes for the day. Updating your project plans throughout day to keep it fresh is good, but there are days that it's better left untouched till the dust settles at the end of the day.

Sample Kanban Board Spreadsheet

This is an actual snapshot of my Kanban Board spreadsheet that I use. You need to enlarge it to see it better. 

(Note - this article was originally written by Drake Settsu and published on projectmanagement.com/blogs/419316/Project-Management-in-Real-Life in May 2018)

The Problem Solver

A good Project Manger is the problem solver that needs to know how to respond fast to get a resolution with acceptable outcomes to keep a project moving. Don't just be a delegator. Jump in and work with the team to a find solution.

Having the ability to sense trouble is an asset for a Project Manager. Staying cool and taking ownership of the issue avoids any confusion on who is the point person to get a resolution delivered. You will work with subject matter experts or become one on your quest for a resolution. 

Bring in the Project Manager

The Point Person

A Project Manager is your architect to formulate and execute a plan to deliver a project on-time within the approved budget. Project Managers are involved from the inception of a project or they need to jump in on a project in progress and take it over. 

The Buck Stops Here

Project Managers should assume full responsibility of the project they are entrusted with. Any risks or concerns need to be flushed out. A good Project Manager is transparent. 

Interpersonal Skills

Project Managers need to be approachable. It's a balancing act of authority and treating people with respect. Don't create an atmosphere of fear. Let your team know that you are there for them anytime. You want a team to be open by reporting issues immediately rather than finding out latter when they can no longer cover it up. 

The Project Milestone

Reaching a milestone in a project is an accomplishment. Placing KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) in your Gantt chart after major tasks are completed is your insurance to reach that milestone everyone is working hard to get too. Defining KPI's will provide the needed validation that you are achieving the project goals as you complete critical tasks. Find out early that you are really on track to hit your milestone.

Controlling Scope Creep 

The scope definition of the project should be crystal clear to avoid additional requirements later in the project. Introducing changes and addtional requirements in a project in progress will happen. You need to readjust your Gantt chart to accommodate the new tasks. Be sure to document the justiication for the changes that were inserted in the project. When you start to get many requests for changes that are out of scope that is a red flag. You need to suspend the project and meet with your stakeholders and go over the project requirements again to uncover any additional requirements that might have been missed. New requirements will affect your delivery date and budget. If you just allow changes to keep going through you will miss your delivery date and be over budget with a different deliverable. 

Managing the Vendor 

When you work with vendors they give you a SOW (Statement of Work). You need to build your Gannt chart from the SOW to validate the timeline and the deliverable promised. Some vendors assign their own Project Manager to ensure an implementation is on track. Request a copy of their project plan so you can monitor their progress. You will have your own project plan with high level tasks of the vendors project plan. Reconciling the two project plans will ensure that everyone is on the same page to deliver an on-time project.

The Project is Done

Go over lessons learned to note adjustments for any future projects. Have a celebration to reflect on all the hard work that made the project a sucess. 

Project Management Tips by Drake - #3

Multidimensional 

Project Managers and Quarterbacks have a lot in common when they support their team. 

Quarterbacks need to:   
(1)  Execute plays from their coach.

(2)  Make play decisions on the fly in crunch time.

(3)  Run the ball and take a hit when an opportunity exists to gain needed yardage.

(4)  Make tackles for interceptions and fumbles. 

(5)  Be humble, confident and accountable.

Project Managers need to:   

(1)  Execute the project plan for stakeholders. 

(2)  Make key decisions to keep the project on track when roadblocks are encountered.

(3)  Jump in and help the team to keep the project going. 

(4)  Be able to stop scope creep when changes are requested that have no merit to the project.

(5)  Be humble, confident, and accountable.

Project Management Tips by Drake - #2

Attitude

The Project Manager is the center of attraction. Everyone is watching. How a Project Manager interacts with coworkers is very important to be truly respected. Do not let the position go to your head so lose that attitude. Project Management is an art that requires people skills to guide a team while utilizing project management skills to produce a deliverable. 

I recommend using Wrike to manage your projects. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

The Project Management Trilogy

I have identified three critical areas in a project to focus on. They all intertwine. It's up to the Project Manager to keep a close watch over them or suffer the consequences.  

(1) Statement of Work  Review with a fine tooth comb what you are delivering.

(2) Scope Creep  Changes are inevitable, but keep it to a minimum.

(3) Key Performance Indicators  Make sure you are delivering results.

Project Management Tips by Drake - #1

The Team

Managing a diverse project team can be challenging. You need to plant your leadership stake in the ground that we are a team. We all depend on each other. Everyone has an important role to play no matter how small it is.

Communication is key on how you reach out to different team members. You need to adjust your communication style as needed with different team members. You do not want to project an intimidating image. People skills are so important to be a good Project Manager. Remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. 

I recommend using Wrike to manage your projects. Give it a try and see if it works for you.