Change is an unavoidable part of business and getting it right
means the difference between a successful business and a failing
one. The best way to handle change is as part of a project.
Successful projects are normally led by
project managers who are experts in tackling innovation and
have the drive to see the project through to completion.
Even if you do not have full-time project managers in your
organisation, you will have someone who you turn to when you need
to get something done. The more experienced this person is, the
better the possibility of success. Most organisations do not have
the chance to gain this experience as big projects come along
fairly rarely. So how do you get these skills?
Good project management is a special mix of good technical
ability and interpersonal skills, gained from practical experience
or through professional training. Project management has its own
jargon, processes and methods and there are organisations, such as
the Association for Project Management (APM), that accredit project
managers in these technical aspects, but there are lots of short
courses that offer a good starting point.
A training provider can offer onsite tailored courses to provide
exactly what you want. At the end of the course the team will have
an idea about how to set up a project and manage it professionally.
Some providers also run training courses for the other project
members, as project managers do not do all the work themselves. It
definitely helps if the team is introduced to the principles and
jargon before the project starts so that the project management
environment and language is more familiar. There are also lots of
books available on the subject that can be used as support
materials during and after a course. The project manager's role is
to ensure that the team works together to deliver the final product
within the boundaries set by senior management, such as time, cost
and quality. They work with people of all levels, from salesmen to
developers and need to be able to handle fine detail, get things
done, and have very good people skills. They should be able to sort
out all kinds of problems and be confident enough to present
progress reports to the project board and senior management.
These skills are hard to learn from a course and so it may be
wise to get in outside help, but do not let your consultants run
the projects it is far better to have them supporting permanent
staff who have much more ownership, loyalty, and know the culture
and politics.
Using project management wisely will help your company to
deliver the project. Here are some key points that you should think
about when tackling a new project:
- Projects have a beginning, middle and a defined end. If it is
operational or has no definite end it is not a project.
- Communicate. At the beginning everyone will be really positive
but it is hard work to keep that level of interest. Relevant,
timely communication is essential and you may need to set up a
communication team to handle it.
- Ensure the project is supported at the highest level by all the
affected departments. If there is no senior sponsorship, people
will be dragged off to work on "more important things" or simply
not get engaged.
- Think carefully about who to involve. You cannot consult
everyone, but you can ask each area to nominate a representative to
be part of the project team. It is better to find out sooner rather
than later what impact your project will have on each
department.
- When the project is over, organise a celebration to thank
everyone. You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs this
not only helps launch the project but mends some bridges. Make sure
everyone is invited and no one is left out.