Starting a formal project management function requires initiative and perseverance. If you or an organization you work for is looking to hire a project management professional, there are several areas that need to be considered from both an employee and organizational perspective. The project manager in this type of environment needs to understand that the surrounding processes will likely be quite immature and there will be many areas of preliminary work and setting up a framework that need to be completed before they can begin to do tactical or day-to-day project management. Organizations that are starting a formal project management offering should seriously consider forming a project management office and standards committee. This month’s column will focus on the initial steps to consider from an employee’s point of view. If you are the company’s first project manager, or if you are asked to join an organization to help establish procedures, policies and a custom methodology, these areas can help:
1. executive support: As with most business initiatives, it all starts at the top. There has to be buy-in, sponsorship and equally important, ongoing support and a focus on continuous improvement. When you’re considering this type of company, I recommend that you understand the structure, the organizational culture, and really determine what’s been tried before, what’s working, what’s not, and where the executive team stands on the organization. project management and delivery. Understanding from others in the organization how available the executive sponsor is and how decisive this person has been in previous consultations will help predict future support and effectiveness. I would suggest researching the executive team and those you will trust for authoritative decision making. Reviewing their background and qualifications will help you understand the range of experience they may have available to you.
two. Roles and responsibilities: You need to ensure there is a clear explanation of what you are expected to provide, what levels of authority you will have, and what and how other areas of change will be managed. You may need to be able to propose and make radical changes. If these changes require multiple layers of deliberation, this should be measured against your personal expectations for the position. Are you the kind of person who gets frustrated by bureaucracy and/or so many changes are needed that it will take a considerable amount of time before you can begin to deliver? What does project management mean for your new organization? There seem to be many variations of what a project manager does and the goals of project management – I’ve seen them range from more coordinating and scheduling meetings and sending data to what a true project manager would consider and managing the project cycle. complete life of the project and supervise all elements of planning and execution.
3. Assess the culture: What are the rules of the organization? While there may not be a formal, documented project planning and delivery process, how are things currently being done? What is the skill and experience level of the delivery team? Will they understand and be willing to accept your suggestions? How have other change efforts within the organization fared? Does the organization view project management as something that applies to specific efforts, or does it view it more globally and believe in a project-driven business? The latter will require a bigger time commitment, organizational commitment, but it’s really what we should all be striving for. A project-oriented organization would use project management practices for all organizational needs, regardless of whether it is operations, service delivery, new product development, organizational change, entering new markets, internal process improvement, or any business initiative. . Project management is really a tool to deal with change.
Four. Set clear expectations: It will be imperative from day one to study the environment and create a phased approach to implementation. Setting and resetting expectations is critical at all stages and is not an area that should be interrupted. As you learn more about your situation, organization, team, and other factors, reassess your plan and make sure there is a strong understanding and commitment from all stakeholders.
5. Educate the Organization: You will need to start small and start creating an educational campaign. Explain areas for improvement, how the organization can benefit, and what you hope to see as a result. Don’t be surprised if you have to start with the basics, with definitions and vocabulary. This can be time consuming, but it is also an opportunity for you to make a positive impact and guide the organization to where you need to take it.
The bottom line is that you need to be realistic and cannot expect to walk into an organization as the first project manager and follow a set process or methodology. It probably doesn’t exist. You need to set clear expectations with the management team about what you’ll need to set, the timelines, and what you need from them. Measuring project process maturity during the interview process is the best time. You can’t start early enough with your evaluation, job consideration, and the general educational process needed. There is a great opportunity available for someone in this situation, but it may not be for everyone. If you have considerable experience, have seen what works and what doesn’t, and enjoy upgrading and selling your profession, you may be a good fit. If you expect to have all the answers about the process and methodology from day one and want to quickly dive into the nuts and bolts of everyday project management, perhaps another opportunity would be more appropriate.
While the above areas were presented from the employee’s point of view, they also apply to the organization. The organization needs to be realistic, set clear expectations, and hire a more senior person to fill this project management office type vacancy.
