An overall approach to implementing projects in non-project-oriented organizations
By Dev@Prudence
To understand where to begin and what to do in implementing projects within an organization that is not familiar with project management, the project manager needs to take a step back and examine the organization from two points of view. These two points of view will aid you in bringing order to the perceived chaos
How project-literate is the organization?
A typical organization will most likely, as a minimum, have a defined product or service, or a few, and a number of clients or revenue streams. The development of these products and services most likely went through an adaptive approach based on trial and error, research, corrections, market testing, etc. This adaptive approach is most likely based on stimulus and response and/or active and constant improvement.
Depending on the complexity of the product or service, the internal work within an organization can have multiple parallel activities, constant changes in work and resources, a lot of push and pull, a lot of delays, a lot uncertainty, etc.
Regardless of how chaotic the organization might look like from the outside, projects cannot succeed without an internal project-oriented structure. As an absolute minimum, this structure must support the logistical needs of projects. Logistical needs are, simply put, the tools and artifacts that project management would require to facilitate project planning, execution, monitoring, controlling and closing; as well as the procedures and mechanisms by which these tools and artifacts are created, utilized, maintained, and improved.
An organization that is not familiar with project management will mostly likely lack such a structure altogether or have an immature quasi structure. As a project manager, you need to see if the environment in place empowers project execution. Determining this is an art more than a science; you have to exercise common sense and good judgment.
Take a look at the organization and try to answer the following:
- Are there standards, procedures, groups/units that are focused on project management as a discipline?
- Is there a strong execution culture?
- Are there standards, procedures, metrics to measure project progress, capture quantified project-related data, assess delivered value to client, verify delivered value to the organization in terms of overall strategy implementation? In other words, is there a culture focused on achieving strategy via projects? Through portfolio? Through programs?
- Has the organization executed projects before? If so, how do you assess the quality of work? Can you find all related documentations? Is there a centralized document depository?
- If the organization has executed multiple projects already, are you able to see a consistent approach across projects? Are you able to see the same metrics, procedures, methods applied across projects? In other words, is every project an island with its own ad-hock methods?
- Is project execution centered around the project manager or a few specialists?
- Does the organization know the difference between project work and functional work?
- How do you assess the structure of the organization from a project execution stand point? Is it heavily functional? Matrix? projectized?
- Is the organization able to distinguish between individual contributors, functional managers, and project managers? How about the difference between project managers, project expeditors, and project coordinators? In other words, does the organization know what you do as a project manager?
- Does the organization know the difference between a project and a program or does it think that a program is just a really big project?
- Are there formalized documents and artifacts? Such as documents that capture requirements, scope statements and such.
- Does the organization know what milestones and deliverables are? Are you able to find a common or documented definition of done?
- Is the organization competent in creating and maintaining schedules?
- Is there a defined and seriously supported process to examine work to determine lessons learned and implement those lessons?
- Most likely, the answer to all the above questions is never a simple “no”. The organization probably falls on a spectrum. If it falls towards the not-so-mature side, then it is most likely so. Again, use common sense and good judgement.
Creating a localized Structure
The first view is a top down view that considers the overall playfield within which the organization and the project coexist in symbiosis. The purpose of the top down view is:
- 1- to understand how the organization functions so that you know how the gears are connected and rotating in synch with one another.
- 2-to understand the purpose of the project, its scope, its work, its team, and its stakeholders so that you can decide how best to chart a course of execution across the playfield.
The second view is a bottom up view that considers the project team members. The purpose of the bottom up view is:
- 1-to examine the work style of a particular member so that you can aid him/her in achieving timely execution of project work
- 2-to spot areas of improvements in communication and time management.
Again, these two views are not a comprehensive solution. Each project and each organization have their own unique circumstances. Rather, they are two approaches that are focused on certain areas that are ripe with great potential for confusion and uncertainty that could lead to project failure.
As you apply these two views in the course of executing your project, you will uncover habits, rules of thumb, processes and methodologies. As a project manager, your goal is to effectively execute the project. This means that if the organization is lacking in an area that will jeopardize your project execution, you have to step in and help out. In other words, you will have to shoulder some responsibility in creating a localized structure to allow your project to be executed successfully. If the organization is resistant to the change, you have to exercise your leadership and persuade the organization however possible. A project manager is a servant leader to his team and his organization; as such you have to attempt to protect your team and your organization from failure, even from themselves, in order to achieve project success.
The Prudence Advantage
Prudence Inc leadership a combined experience of 30 years in running large transformative projects. We understand the anxiety that comes with wanting to get there but not yet knowing how or needing a helping hand along the way.
Prudence Inc can help you:
- Set up a project management structure within your company based on the best industry practices and with lesson learned drawn from industry leaders and subject matter experts.
- Augment your organization with the modern discipline, knowledge, tools and techniques, artifacts and methodologies to enable you to transform any idea into reality
- Achieve and manage project conception from the ideation and strategy phase to full definition of requirements and benefits
- Fully manage and execute projects through all project life cycles
- Define, guide, and implement change management strategies, ensuring full business benefit realization.
- Train your teams to better capture project opportunities, transfer knowledge and know-how and achieve current and future project success, whether Prudence Inc is there or not.
To learn more about Prudence Inc and what our expertise can do for you, please contact us here.
Contact Us
info@prudenceinc.com
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