The Ten Commandments of Successful IT Project Management
Did you know that most organizations have a 70% project failure rate? The success of any project depends on producing planned deliverables within the stipulated time and budget, including any approved changes and it’s a pity that we find this alarming rate of failure at most of the organizations. Almost all project management texts highlight the technical aspects and forget to give any guidance on how to avoid or resolve problems. This is the primary reason for the poor performance of projects and its subsequent failure.
So, how do we circumvent the poor performance of projects? Certainly, long-term project managers gain a foothold over time with experience, flexibility in decision-making and the first inkling of personal mastery. But, this takes many, many years. Can the learning curve be shortened? There is no proven answer for that. However, experience-based guidelines applicable to all aspects of project management and project management courses might just put us on the right path.
Behold, the ten commandments of project management. Let’s follow the journey towards success:
- Thou Shalt Narrow Project Scope
Nothing is worse than a never-ending project, isn't. It? It will waste all the time and efforts and also exhaust even the most resilient teams. In order to keep projects focused and on track, minimize large projects into smaller projects that have achievable targets and deliverables. A series of small wins will fetch more impact than a big bang that never sounds.
- Thou Shalt Not Employ a Fat Team
The right people at the right time produce the right results. Ensure that the project team is the right size. Large teams are often a pain to work with difficulties in motivation and management. Even though, there is no such a thing called as an optimum team size, a general rule of thumb is a role for every person and a person for every role.
- Thou Shalt Remember the Objective and Keep it Holy
Every project needs to have a set of objectives and work towards it. Identify milestones and when the team reaches it, it will give them a sense of achievement and motivate them to work diligently towards the project's end goal.
- Thou Shalt Establish Project Review Panels
A project review panel is needed to govern the project team and track metrics, addressing the issues of business policy and strategic direction while also assisting in the removal of any roadblocks and pitfalls. This will ensure the flow and continuity of the project. The project managers and midlevel managers from the involved areas participate in biweekly project status meetings along with the project review panelists to address any issues.
- Thou Shalt Not Commit the Act of Ineffective Communication
Effective communication is important in human relationships. No less for a project as well, many projects fail because of ineffective communication. The manager needs to communicate their goals to the team and make sure that the team knows what their roles are in the project.
- Thou Shalt Empower Project Teams
Empower your teams and give them the flexibility to do what it takes to get a superior job completed on time and within the budget. For example, project teams that are striving to meet deadlines should not be expected to undertake formal activities like filing up time sheets or attending generic departmental meet-ups.
Train them to use the right tools and techniques. You can also let them undertake special project management courses to empower them with the right knowledge to do their tasks. People work even harder in a trusting environment where expectations are understood and individual efforts are valued.
- Thou Shalt Use Project Management Tools
Automate all the mundane project management work like tracking, task management, workflow administration and resource analysis support. Make use of the technology as long as it does not add another layer of complexity to an already challenging project.
- Thou Shalt Reward Success
Motivation goes a long way to enable the project participants to do their work on time. All team members need to be recognized for their toil and personal sacrifice. The rewards need not be extravagant; a letter of appreciation will also be enough. More forms of recognition like bonuses, extra vacation time, and theater evenings can be considered if participants show better results.
- Thou Shalt Resist the Temptation Towards Quick and Dirty Work Efforts
Quick project work only leads to error, waste, rework and frustration. So, don't encourage this and stray away from the temptation.
- Thou Shalt Not Forget to Collaborate
Project Management is about people management and teamwork. Only if the whole team works together in unison can they deliver the project successfully! Every person possesses unique skill and knowledge that complement each other. Encourage the team effort and unify together as a strong team that can deliver tangible results.
This general list of rules helps us to steer clear of the mistakes that seem to haunt us project after project. Follow these guidelines to inspire you to deliver a more righteous project and avoid pitfalls. Become an expert with the help of project management course to set the right foundation and deliver a successful project.
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