Implementing Formal Project Management Processes: 9 Lessons Learned

Abstract

For many years, Vicki Wrona had the pleasure of working for a Fortune 150 firm with sophisticated, Project Management Institute (PMI)-based project management (PM) principles. After working in this environment for nine years, she left this job to become an independent PM consultant.

Having practiced formal PMI-based principles in a supportive cultural environment for many years, she encountered a few surprises when she began consulting for organizations where no formal PM principles were in place. She found that applying structure to once ad-hoc processes can be a challenging, but rewarding, venture. This paper will discuss the nine lessons learned from her experiences.

Sample

Nine lessons learned by a successful project management consultant.

Examine the political landscape
Identify all stakeholders-friend and foe
Anticipate the time it will take to educate stakeholders
Take baby steps
Demonstrate the benefits of PM early on with small changes
Provide stricter assessment of inputs and estimates
Increase the level of communication
Understand the stakeholders' lack of access to, and understanding of, tools
Understand team members' work focus regarding productive work vs. administrative work

1. Examine the political landscape

As a seasoned project manager, I am well aware that my projects are only as successful as the upper management support I receive. Because of this, I thought I was ready to assess and react to the support that I would receive at companies new to me. In meeting with the president of a smaller firm, I had his full support. He was a believer in project management, having seen the results of some smaller, earlier efforts. With the president's full support, I assumed that his staff would follow his direction and support the new efforts as well.

However, there was one small problem-a senior partner/vice-president. This person was not supportive of any efforts to change the culture or current business processes. Even though one of the goals of this vice-president was to offload more of his knowledge to the growing staff, he undermined my efforts to standardize and formalize processes, to the point of stopping the project during a status meeting one week. Since I had the support of the president, I tried to enlist his help. However, while I had his full support one-on-one, the team was not made aware of this. Also, I learned that the president would step back when dealing with this vice president, allowing him to embrace any change "on his own time."

Lesson Learned: Don't underestimate the politics that occur in a small- or medium-sized company. While politics also exist in large corporations, the interactions in a smaller company are stronger and more like those of a family--with deeper relationships and barriers. If the politics are too strong, the project may be destined for failure. Asking more candid questions up front to better ascertain any political obstacles and adequately address concerns will help. After doing this, professionally and factually express the risk and project viability up front.

2. Identify all stakeholders - friend and foe

The above is a good example of this lesson, where the vice-president did not support the cultural change to established methodologies. Another example occurred within a large company, where again I had the full support of the sponsor. However, I failed to ascertain her other priorities, underestimating the impact that they would have on the project. Because of that, the sponsor was not available to support the project, and was unable to resolve important issues, which put several deliverables in jeopardy.

Lesson Learned: Proper, formal stakeholder analysis could have helped avoid, or at least lessen, these issues. Knowing ahead of time the biases, priorities, and needs of all stakeholders could have helped me better prepare for these situations.

3. Anticipate the time it will take to educate stakeholders

After working in an organization whose stakeholders understood the basic processes of project management, I knew I would have to take time to educate my new stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities. However, I underestimated the time and energy that this would take. Every process, step, document, and sign-off had to be explained in terms of how it would be done, who was doing it, and most especially, why it would be done. Without this basic understanding, team members did not perform adequately. They were supportive, but hesitant, unsure of themselves and unaccustomed to the additional requirements put on them.

I expected to explain the processes once. What caught me by surprise was the number of times I had to repeat and reinforce this information. This issue was coupled with the lack of public support by the sponsor (who mentioned in Lesson 2). Without this support, team members were supportive of the process as long as it did not take extra time on their part.

Lesson Learned: Be prepared to clearly and plainly explain your expectations, the process, and individual stakeholder roles. Pay extra attention to documenting this information in the project plan and other documents as necessary. Keep the project documentation as well as any cheat sheets created for them in front of them so they do not lose focus.