The Aha Moment of Project Management!

There is a lot of noise today about this project management approach, or that one; about this standard, or that standard; or about this methodology of applying it over that other method of applying it.

In this article, I'd like to reduce the noise, complexity, and mystery around this topic by looking at the substrate of project management. It's basic fundamental components and how they coalesce together to form a foundation for performing non-standard operational work, i.e. projects.

What is the old maxim? Oh yeah...elegance through simplicity. Ah Ha!

Projects are undertaken for a reason. Some individual, organization, community, or municipality needs something done. What they need done are the requirements of the project. When we glue them together, we know what we're doing, we have a vision. So that's step one: Identify the project requirements.

And speaking of "they", each person involved, whatever their capacity, has interests in the project right. They have a stake in the outcome. These interests (read expectations) become the requirements! So that's step two: assess the needs, concerns, and expectations of the project's 'stakeholders' so you can address them in during the project.

How would we address these needs; these requirements? Though communication with them! Communication about what? About their needs, their expectations, your plan and your actions to address them, and the project's performance and progress towards meeting its goals, which are their interests. So, step three: set up and maintain efficient, effective communication with the project stakeholders.

And speaking of interests! Whew! If you have more than one stakeholder, there will be competing interests for sure! This one wants it now, but the other wants it cheap, and the other wants this bell or that whistle. Exacerbating this human side of the project is the system side; how do you deliver all expectations in your plan and performance; i.e. meet schedule, scope, to expectations, under cost, and in the manner you planned? That by it's nature is risky proposition, so you have to actively manage risk in your project as well! That's step 4: manage these competing interests of scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, stakeholder interests, and risk.

And that's really it folks, project management in a nutshell. The Ah Ha moment is it's really that simple, that straight forward; it's four fundamental steps.

How much you plan up front, or in between phases or sprints or whatever, or at the end; how much you scope, or don't, or when; or whether you do it with Gantt charts, fever charts, or Storyboards; whether it's visual or tabulated; and regardless for whom or whatever industry, these four simple steps are the basics of managing a project.

How and where we apply Ah Ha Moment should be dictated only by the project needs, which are the needs of the stakeholders. But that part is on the project manager, and it is independent of this basic substrate.

Now, back to the din!

Please 'Like' and ‘Share’ this post liberally if you are a transitioning military Service Member or Veteran, military transition assistance professional, a Veteran Employment/Retraining Organization or Recruiter, or if you found it helpful. Additionally, please email any questions or inquiries you may have to me at eric@vets2pm.com. I'm here to help, and I thank you! Warmest regards, Eric.

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Eric Wright is a two-service, two-era Military Veteran; Co-Founder and CEO of Vets2PM; an experienced, credentialed project manager and mentor; and an entertaining instructor/public speaker on project management, PMI’s PMP and CAPM exams, and on project manager development. He helps Military Veterans become Project Managers through inspiration, training, preparation, and presentation to the PM hiring community.