Making projects work

In a past issue (dated August 23, 2009), we had explained the basics of project planning. Even the best planned projects can—and do—face execution challenges. These could be in team structure, inter-personal problems or productivity issues. As a project manager, focus on results—let go of your need to get involved in how tasks are accomplished.

Management consultant Mary Grace Duffy advises you deflect reverse delegation. “Do not automatically solve problems or make decisions for your staff members. Focus on generating alternatives together.” This sets the path to effective delegation.

Making projects work need not mean putting in place large teams—more effective could be a small team of core individuals who understand the project— something that Maruti Suzuki India did for one of its crucial projects. The project was the first annual general meeting of the carmaker in 2004 that was to be accomplished in a little over two months. The car major identified a team of 20 across various functions with requisite experience and capability.

The team had no prior experience, but that didn’t stop them from coming up with an event that set the benchmark for all future AGMs. Says S.Y. Siddiqui, Managing Executive Officer (Administration-HR, IT and Finance), Maruti Suzuki India: “Communication and people management became very important at this stage. Finally, the event was organised through a very effective team effort. We also captured the post-event learning of plan vs. actual to get a balanced view of success and learning for future improvements.”

One of the most frequent problems in project management is when the project starts to fall behind schedule. There is a possible solution to this conundrum: Duffy suggests you start by looking at a “drop-dead date”—a date that cannot be changed. The date could be a trade show or the delivery of an audit to a regulatory agency. Work backwards from the drop-dead date to see when deliverables must be ready.

Working backwards or “back-chaining” is an excellent way to create a realistic schedule. However, don’t rush quality checks to meet deadlines. The cost of fixing problems after project completion is far greater than the cost of confronting and solving problems before they spin out of control, cautions Duffy. That also applies to conflicts within the team. Unanticipated conflict situations can affect project schedule, quality of work, overall productivity and ultimately team cohesiveness. In such a situation, focus on project goals, not personal feelings, says Duffy.

Building Your Team

• List all the people who are part of the project team.
• Factor all the skills that are required.
• Talk to each member about his/her skill set.
• Match people to the skills and tasks required.

Top 6 Steps To Schedule Management

1. Know which deadlines are hard and fast and which have some flexibility.
2. No task should last longer than 4-6 weeks.
3. Don’t schedule more detail than you can yourself oversee.
4. Develop schedules according to what is logistically possible. Resource allocation should be done later.
5. Record all time segments in the same increments, such as in days or weeks.
6. Have some flexibility in project schedule for handling problems that might occur later.