Companies that want results need to ensure that every task an employee performs adds value to the organization. That requires a close examination of why expectations aren't being met in order to improve processes. It's time to take a head-on approach to issues that prevent companies from hitting performance targets. You'll take a fresh look at the most common issues that hurt companies and learn how to properly incorporate planning into the work process track the costs of defects and repairs when determining project costs form teams with a clear mission and the authority to complete tasks work toward a common goal instead of working against each other Break down complex project methodology into principles that are easy to understand and that actually work. Multiple exercises reinforce principles and best practices that can be applied to diverse situations. Examine the important factors that are hurting results at your organization, and start focusing on adding value with A Fresh Look at Improving Your Work Environment.
A FRESH LOOK AT IMPROVING YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT
Using Project Management PrinciplesBy Steve HouseworthiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Steve Houseworth, PhD, PMP
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4620-5623-1Contents
Introduction: Adding Value................................................................xiSection 1: Foundations....................................................................1Chapter 1: The Work Environment...........................................................1Chapter 2: Quick Reference about Projects.................................................10Chapter 3: Instilling Foundations in Your Organization....................................15Chapter 4: Steps of all work – in or out of a project framework.....................23Section 2: Form and Function..............................................................31Chapter 5: Facilitating processes.........................................................33Chapter 6: Work Breakdown Structure Discovery Sessions....................................48Chapter 7: Metrics........................................................................57Section 3: Mobility and Traction..........................................................69Chapter 8: Methodologies..................................................................69Chapter 9: Roles and responsibilities.....................................................84Chapter 10: Create your future............................................................94Closing Comments..........................................................................103Appendix..................................................................................105Index.....................................................................................115
Chapter One
The Work Environment The Ethic
My goal is to describe how to create an ethic within your organization so that everyone understands how work should be structured to add value to the organization. Secretaries, administrators, executives, business analysts, architects, electricians, etc. would be able to recognize things like:
? Risks
? Changes
? Cost and Quality
? Planning and Scheduling
Here are a few sample scenarios:
Risk scenario:
Fred sees something that seems odd. "I need to read the work order one more time to be sure it means what I think it does. OK, I was right and I see problems if I complete the work order "as is". Seems that not everything was thought through. Hmmm, this work order presents several risks that if they happen can mean serious issues. I guess this is a good time to see if my boss and his boss are serious that part of my role and responsibility as an employee is to raise these concerns."
Comment: In this example, the work culture should empower, encourage and reward Fred for raising these risks. Even if they eventually don't amount to anything. Fred is about to find out if the work culture supports him. How would people in your organization evaluate management's support to prevent risks? Also, see the section in Chapter 10 about the value of finding defects early. A sample tool is provided that helps evaluate cost savings.
Change scenario:
Irene is walking back to her desk thinking: "I just attended a meeting where executives insisted that two new features be added to our product by next month. The product has been under development for two years. No one on the project team dared to challenge the executives, but these changes are minor "nice to haves". If they are so important they should have been known and added long ago. Adding them now will take at least six months – not one. Bummer because, every month delay is costing us $100K of missed opportunity."
Comment: The work culture should constrain executives from doing this and should empower, encourage and reward others to challenge this type of action. In this example, the executive sponsor of the project is in an excellent position to protect the project from these unnecessary scope changes. In fact the value of executives understanding how they can support projects is the reason why I wrote the companion book, "Project Management for Executives and those who want to Influence Executives."
Cost and Quality scenario:
Norm is incredulous at what is happening: "I can't believe what I'm seeing. We electricians wired three floors before the drywall was installed, per the work sequence. Now, the crew cutting holes for outlet boxes are cutting through the drywall too deep, severing our wires. What a waste and cost increase because fixing this will take longer than the original wiring installation. Quality is going to be compromised by splicing the wiring to fix it. This means electricians will need to return to fix a problem we did not create before we can install the outlet boxes." "I have to stop this from getting worse."
Comment: The drywall installers are operating with a limited view of their job: "Get in, get out, get paid"; rather than an overall view of the value their job adds to the organization. Even if the drywall installers and electricians are vendors who are just executing their work orders, the work culture of their companies and the culture that develops contracts between companies, should empower, encourage and reward people to ensure that their one job is viewed within the total value of the work.
Planning and Scheduling scenario:
Robert came across several design documents that Jill posted to the project folder that were not expected at this stage of work. He decides to ask. "Jill, you're already working on designs and developing test cases? Aren't you supposed to submit the client's initial work request to the project manager so that we can plan and schedule the work before we begin designs?"
Jill: "Oh, that will just take too much time. Besides, all that planning stuff sounds good, but the client will just keep dragging their feet and we'll end up working evenings and weekends for the last two months, just like the last time. We didn't have a schedule nor did we plan the work then either. I'm the unit supervisor, so I don't have to follow that project process stuff."
Comment: See the slogan in Chapter 3 "Just because people are busy does not mean they are productive". Jill is potentially creating a lot of rework by making assumptions regarding designs and requirements for tests. Without the designs and detailed requirements the final solution and necessary tests can be quite different. Everyone in the organization should be willing to structure and plan work to ensure that the right work is planned and is performed as scheduled. Adjustments can always be made along the way, but planned and scheduled work allows adjustments to be controlled rather than uncontrolled. In fact, employees with higher levels of responsibility, like a unit supervisor, should be positive examples for others rather than negative examples.
I actually worked with people like Jill who knew that not planning or scheduling work would lead to problems, but they pushed ahead anyway – bouncing from one crises to the next like riding a wild stallion and complaining every moment about the situation they created. A central point here is that everyone can identify the right things to do, if they are provided the right structured environment and reinforcement. From secretaries to contract employees to research engineers, a project management oriented work environment can be used by all.
Development Exercise: I want to give you something to think about while you read. May even be a reinforcement exercise you can use with co-workers and friends.
You've probably heard this definition of insanity:
Insanity = Repeatedly doing things the same way and expecting different results.
Well, I changed the statement a bit. Think about what term or label would fit this statement.
? What term = Repeatedly doing things the same way and knowing this causes problems anyway.
Environments are not isolated
Notice that each of the above scenarios involved the work environment across management levels, business units and internal or external companies. This may not be a big surprise to you, but I've found that many companies don't evaluate these factors in creating or improving their work environment ethic. Often, organizations let the work ethic evolve on their own, assume that vendors or clients will focus on the overall good, etc. My point is that while building a positive-oriented project management work environment you will:
? Need to incorporate organizational structures and tools to mature this ethic.
? Need to incorporate methodologies to guide employees as they plan and complete work.
? Need to develop ways to partner with other organizations to complete work.
? Need to develop metrics to measure progress and direct your organization to the next steps along the maturation road.
Each of these topics are addressed in this book. Some are in distinct chapters and sections. Some are woven in with other subject matter, indicative of the interactive and integrative nature of project management.
Project management structure becomes self reinforcing
The more a formal, structured process for accomplishing work is used, i.e. a project management structure, the more everyone in your organization will begin to use the same vocabulary, set the same expectations, analyze work similarly, plan for success and expect others to plan for success. I want to contrast two organization frameworks to reinforce this point.
The structured organization took the time and effort to imbed a structure that led to everyone adopting the same vocabulary, expectations, basis of work stability, and in a few years began thinking in terms of minimizing risks, recognizing dependencies and the value of formal authorizations.
The unstructured organization is driven by the next crisis or priority, but even this shifts depending on the manager with the biggest club at that moment. The only common vocabulary and uniform work structure is "do it fast so we can get to the next priority". This organization frustrates each of their clients to some degree and lost a major account after one too many significant problems.
Two Practical Examples
The following descriptions below are to both show that formal processes can be used outside of a formal project structure and that by doing so, organizations will be building a work culture that makes using project management second nature. Here goes ...
Planning Knows No Bounds
I've seen several organizations use project management to create focused work, dedicate people to completing the project; all the positive things I could describe about project management. Yet these same organizations don't apply project management principles to control "non-project" work. A real example is the nefarious "reorganization" in which teams, managers and functional units are changed semi-regularly. In one sense a reorganization is like kinetic energy – a lot of potential use that may not exist in its current form. The sentiment is: "Let's see if this new organizational structure unleashes that stored potential."
Yet, I've not seen organizations use a formal structure to plan and manage a reorganization. I may have led a sheltered existence so, I'll merely ask you to evaluate this for your organization:
? Could your company benefit from formal planning of a reorg that identifies the why's, how's, who's, what's and when's of the reorganization?
? Could your company benefit from defining success criteria, defining measurements of the reorg and measurements of success?
? Have reorganizations ever created uncertainty about roles or authority, or created a lot of "this issue just came up so, we need to resolve it quick"? Some colleagues call these "fire drills".
These type of situations can be minimized through careful planning. Planning knows no bounds in the sense that it is not limited to formal projects. Rather, formal projects use planning because it works–regardless of the situation. This is true of all the other project management processes. Risk management, people management, contract management and cost management are inside the overall umbrella of project management because they work and ... they know no bounds.
Use Change Management Wherever Change Happens
Change management is used as an example here because it is soooo important to every aspect of completing work. Use a formal change management process, like that presented in Chapter 9, whenever changes occur with any part of your work environment.
Budget cuts are a part of most organizations so, I'll use it as a recognizable example. I've seen many instances in which budgets are cut for entire divisions, work units and even projects, yet they try to do all their work with less. Rather, use change management to evaluate the impact of the budget cuts, i.e. the change. Assess what work can and can't be done, develop a proposal for approval, communicate the impact through the organization, etc. If budgets for projects and programs are cut, their sponsors should lead efforts to analyze, prioritize and present new project proposals.
In my experience, most organizations do this on the fly and the impact of change increases because it is not controlled. So, use change management wherever change happens – even outside of formal projects.
Chapter Two
Quick Reference about Projects The following Key Points are intended to present in short but conversational terms important aspects about project management principles. Note that these are not exhaustive but are sufficient to provide a foundation for you as an executive. Feel free to add your own, discuss with others to develop an exhaustive list for your organization. Also, this information is explained in more detail in my book "Project Management for Executives and Those Who Want to Influence Executives".
Additional references will help complete your project management knowledge, but experience is the best way to learn. I encourage you to actively engage with projects in your organization. Not to micromanage but to see how formal project management adds value. Ask your project managers how you can be involved, partner tightly, then watch the results.
Key points about projects
? Projects are the formal steps, processes, rules, etc. used to complete work.
? Projects have a definite beginning and end ; in contrast to continuous production, maintenance or support work.
? Projects have a definite scope , that is, what projects are to deliver is defined, understood similarly by all, discrete and limited, rather than open ended.
? Projects are chartered or formed formally – often by executives or managers, so projects are intentional and should have a champion – like you – who has a vested interest in the work being delivered with quality.
? Projects have specific metrics that can be calculated to show work status, that are used to make decisions about projects as the work is progressing and, can be used to improve how organizations operate.
Key points about roles and teams
? People who work on projects are considered the project team.
? An extended project team includes everyone who has a formal role. This includes people who perform work but probably don't help plan or manage work. Also, this includes executives, sponsors and stakeholders. Some environments don't include sponsors and stakeholders as extended team members. I advocate for this because they are part of escalation processes, can be on change control committees, etc. Make your environment work for you by including sponsors and stakeholder where they can do the most good.
? The core project team are the people who manage the work and who perform the work. This includes roles like team leads, subject matter experts, coordinators, electricians, software coders, etc.
? The project manager is responsible for the project. This means the PM must have the authority needed to ensure the core team can complete the work. It also means the PM must be supported by a project champion; this should be an executive.
? Project team s must have the autonomy to operate without interference. The project charter provides the team with their operational mission and objectives. Keep them free from interference so they can complete the mission.
Key points about managing projects
? Project managers manage projects with three tools: Plans, Metrics and Authority.
* Plans which are the activities and rules used to manage parts of the work. For example, the Scope Management plan specifies how to identify scope and protect it throughout the project.
* Metricso regarding cost, time and scope. Cost metrics reflect actual costs to the current point in the project and estimated total costs to complete the project. Both are compared to the original estimated cost. Time metrics are similar to costs but reflect actual schedule to the current point in the project and estimated future dates compared to the original scheduled date. Scope metrics reflect status of deliverables, e.g. the percent complete of deliverables. Combined, these metrics can be used to make many decisions, like cutting some scope in order to complete others. These three components are related and presented in the `Triple Constraint' diagram.
* Authority to control the work should come with the territory. Imagine a Western movie in which the Lawman can't carry a gun, doesn't have a jail and, the deputies don't help him. Project managers need to have the authority that matches their responsibility and accountability to deliver value by completing the work. More on this later.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A FRESH LOOK AT IMPROVING YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENTby Steve Houseworth Copyright © 2011 by Steve Houseworth, PhD, PMP. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
