Twelve good practices to succeed project
Content :The Efficient Project Manager
Résumé
The success of a project mainly depends on the way it's being run, adapted
and defended. Far beyong methodology, the efficient project manager takes up
a true state of mind by putting himself in a quality process and by using
his natural commom sens.
This little guide combines all the necessary conditions to master the art of
the subtle symbiosis among men, technologies and issues :
- 12 key success factors,
- 36 detailed recommendations,
- A comprehensive methodology
Blog of the author : http://www.le-perfologue.net
A chronicle about performance, complex projects, decision-making or not and
about decision help shown in a rather wide dimension : real-life experience,
fundamental thoughts, concepts into practice, technology, new tools and
methods in action.
Author
As a projects manager, expert or consultant, Alain Fernandez lived on the
inside through the evolution of the enterprise projects during the last 20
years in France and in Europe. During his career, he trained many projects
managers and taught in DESS.
Nowadays he is an international consultant. He wrote several books.
Summary
INTRODUCTION
DRIVING A PROJECT : AN ENTERPRISE APPROACH
Complex projects don´t unfold in a certain world and are by
definition a center of unexpected events. It's time to reform the notion of quality
and to adopt an enterprise approach according to four main actions axis.
- AXIS 1 : MONITORING THE PROJECT ORGANISATION,
that's not only scheduling
Organizing isn´t limited to defining the schedule phase.
Organizing, that's also building the reference frame which determines, in perfect
understanding with all the project actors, the performance and value reference
system.
- 1st key factor : Building a value reference system : a preliminary to
any
project
What's the reason why so many projects, once completed, prove to be so
little
in accordance with expectations? It is important to reexamine the ROI
calculation
and adopt an approach based on value analysis for building a genuine
consensual
value reference system
- 2nd key factor : Surpassing the mechanistic and determinist approach
during
the schedule phase to favor adaptability.
What's the reason why, in spite of all the care brought to schedules
elaboration,
projects never unfold as planned?
It is sensible to moderate one's confidence in expectations and give
more
attention to one´s ability for reaction.
- Nine measures for better monitoring the project organisation
- AXIS 2 : STIMULATING EXTENDED COLLABORATION,
that's not coordinating.
At the beginning of the project, the manager doesn't hold all the cards
and therefore isn't able to dictate, word for word, respective tasks. Only
approaches stimulating the collaboration of all the actors are liable to lead to
success.
- 3rd key factor : Replacing the
coordination of tasks by the synchronization of roles
Still-in use classical principles of division of tasks aren't enough
for
the complexity of current projects. It's time to allow the specialist
actors
in charge of the fulfillment a wider latitude of action.
- 4th key factor : Giving up truly the traditional and authoritarian
mode
of operation
Managers are still hesitating to abandon the classical and directive
mode
of management which yet isn't apropriate to the driving of complex
projects,
doesn't allow optimal resolution of problems and isn't in line with the
new
organisations of teams.
- 5th key factor : Adopting principles of team management which favor
internal
and external cooperation.
Team work isn't innate. A poorly built and badly managed team might
actually
act like a value destroyer. The management of an effective team hinges on
four
major phases.
- Six measures for better stimulating the cooperation of the teams.
AXIS 3 : DEVELOPING ANTICIPATION AID TOOLS
that's not only measuring.
Measurement for measurement automatically generate repressive monitoring
without
contributing to the limitation of excesses. Only the installation of
genuine
anticipation aid tools, integrating risk and threat management, will allow
to
avoid wrong tracks.
- 6th key factor : Measuring performance for assisting decision making
and
only for that reason.
Measurement isn't an end in itself. Without a genuine ambition of
driving
and decision-making aid, it is useless to waste time measuring
performance.
- 7th key factor : Not contenting oneself with measuring deadlines and
costs
without following up on issues.
It is a tradition to pay very careful attention to the costs and
deadlines
measurement. This concern, although justified, is far from being enough.
For
not losingsight of the target, it is essential to complement these
measures
with a concrete issues follow-up.
- 8th key factor : Adapting a continuous-improvement approach
Success of the project won't be attainable only by focusing on the
objective
to reach, but well and truly by adopting a continuous-improvement
approach.
Performance needs also to be measured according to the so-called
"transversal"
progress axis.
- 9th key factor : Anticipating failure possibilities
If it isn't conceivable to envisage all the possible occuring
situations,
there is nothing stopping from identifying and then, if the need arises,
guarding
against foreseeable failure possibilities. The monitoring of project risks
unfolds
in five major phases.
- Eight measures for building an efficient assistance to anticipation
and
management.
AXIS 4 : MAKING INTEGRATION EASIER
that's not only implementing
Integrating isn't only implementing. Fragmented project approaches are
behind the creation of new boundaries which are a guenuine rupture of continuity
at the organizational, technological and cultural level.
10th key factor : Integrating projects in the value chain
An entreprise project is bound to make its contribution to the
value-creation
process. Its integration in the global value chain will be expressed in
organizational,
technicological and cultural dimensions.
11th key factor : Maintaining an active driving of change from start
to
finish
Driving of change is not just a sphase of the project management. For
a
perfect integration, it is essential to maintain an active driving of
change,
from the beginning to the end, starting from the first draft of the
project
and maintaining effort far beyond implementation.
12th key factor : Integrating direct and indirect costs of the
integration
process in the initial budgets
The costs of the driving of change are rarely estimated at their true
value
at the time of the elaboration of initial budgets. Without budget, by
definition,
all good resolutions go unheeded.
Seven measures for managing successfully the integration of the new
solution
CONCLUSION
Bibliograhy
Key words : management, project, manager, efficient, Pert, Gantt, pmbok, dashboard, enterprise, balanced scorecard,decision-maker,business plan
