Project Management = People over Process
I want to take a different perspective on one persons perspective of a project headed for disaster.
An article titled ‘7 signs your project is headed for disaster’ specifically discusses ICT project failure and I was interested in the way that it looked at each of the seven signs.
There are some interesting concepts in a recent presentation that I found and would like to speak to on how to lead not manage.
What an interesting quote this is if you consider it in terms of the concept of what a Project Leader might be like.
It’s hard to see what project governance really is, because it can often feel like an unnecessary burden on a very busy Project Manager. But it is VERY important in ensuring that a project is run and delivered as it should be.
Do you see yourself as a ‘Project Manager’ or a ‘Change Manager’ or a ‘Project Manager managing change’?
It is interesting considering the context of these titles. Project Managers are seen as people who manage projects, whilst Change Managers are seen as people who manage change related to projects, or as the outcome of projects. But on a number of projects there is only the Project Manager managing change.
Project managers are taught that if they spend hours developing a good clear and structured project plan, then their project has a better chance of success. Whilst the plan might ‘contribute’ to the success of a project by ensuring that tasks are defined, or at least listed, and there is some method for how the project is going to be run, the plan is only as good as your communication of it.
I want to thank all of the ‘ego’ driven project managers out there. Without them I wouldn’t gain such wonderful ideas for my blog posts.
If a Project Control Board (PCB) is set up with the right people on it, and by this I mean, those with the level of decision making authority to be able to make decisions at a level to directly influence a project, then the project will be in the best state for it to deliver successfully.