Don’t Screw These Up: Sustainability, Communication, Measurability, Continuous Improvement
It seems my initial 2 posts on this topic stirred up some discussion but it’s really dropped off. I’m guessing the series is dragging out too long by treating each attribute individually, so here’s the final 4 I had come up with.
So far we’ve had:
- Delivering Value
- Consistency
- Alignment
- Confidence
Today I’ll add 4 more.
don't screw these up - by julsatmidnight via Flickr
Sustainability
Every implementation of project management is going to score some grade on sustainability. There are a few angles on this one.
First, does the way you do projects burn people out? Do you require overtime because of the way you plan (or fail to plan well)?
Second, is your manner of doing projects sustainable from a community and environmental perspective? Are you able to incorporate long-term thinking about consequences and include stakeholders because of it?
Communication
In some implementations of project management, communication is very poor. These don’t last long unless they are being artificially propped up or covered up in some way. A common perception seems to be that in large complex projects the communication is very one-way and top-down, but I can tell you from my experience that it doesn’t have to be that way. The best projects are able to draw upon the intellect of people who are in the know; namely the people on the project team and key stakeholders.
Even on small projects this can be a big problem area. Many years ago I was doing small projects and it changed my life when I started using a communication management plan. When I got purposeful about communication with my team and stakeholders a new world opened up, and I was able to start seeing the deficiencies in my own ways to improve them.
Measurability
Many of the attributes I’ve already brought up are impossible to assess objectively unless you have some way to measure performance. Whether you use EVM, a burn-down chart, etc. the best project management I’ve seen always makes sure that results are measurable.
Continuous Improvement
If you are not improving, you are standing still. I’m not saying that methodologies should seek to overturn the fundamentals that make them great. I am saying that by incorporating lessons learned into formal practice (doing critical sprint reviews, milestone reviews, etc.) you can not only make the product better, but your project management processes too.
Sure, there is a level of bureaucracy on large, complex projects. And I can also tell you that I’ve seen continuous improvement initiatives work well on large aerospace contracts for the federal government (US). Everyone from the small business to the largest projects should be doing this.
Don't Screw This Up
- It’s great; unless you screw it up
- Don’t screw this up: Delivering Value
- Don’t Screw This Up: Consistency
- Don’t Screw this Up: Alignment
- Don’t Screw This Up: Confidence
- Don’t Screw These Up: Sustainability, Communication, Measurability, Continuous Improvement
Nov 23rd, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Hi Josh,
Couple of dynamics may be at work here to explain the drop off.
First, Prof. Peter Morris once described project management as a “discipline caught in a 1960’s time warp”, which means we hash over the “SoS” (“same old shit”) but rarely come up with anything new. And if you think about it, there is truth in his statement. Since the CPM scheduling programs went from mainframes to desktops, there has been no SIGNIFICANT improvement or contributions to the Body of Knowledge. (If you look at the evolution of the PMBOK Guide, I see more wordsmithing changes than I do substantive improvements, although with few exceptions, I tend to like the latest PMBOK over previous editions.)
The second is at least in my case, we have become very busy with work starting at the end of the 3Q and continuing into 1Q 2010. So at least in my case, I have less time to fool around with social networking sites.
BR,
Dr. PDG, back in Jakarta
http://www.getpmcertified.com
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Nov 27th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Josh,
Ahhhhh, “Measurability” is one of my favorite topics to discuss. This is the worst area to screw up, except for all the others. EVM performance measurement techniques (PMTs)include among others 0/100, 50/50, interim milestones, and percent complete. Each technique is unique for practical application. The other areas of consistency, sustainability, communication, alignment, etc are vital components in what is called an integrated performance management system (IPMS). I am familiar with the EVM methodology. EVM encompasses sound project management practices. The best way to evolve an IPMS is through continuous improvement. Find out what you are screwing up and then fix it, document it in lessons learned, and communicate the change in the system through training initiatives.
Having an IPMS, which is a composite system of all things you suggested to monitor for screwy anomalies,provides the value customers are looking for from their project managers through transparency of measurablity.
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