Do you love project initiation?
I do. It’s exciting! You can imagine how you’ll be hoisted on your workmates’ shoulders when you deliver what nobody else could — the sheer possibilities, the opportunities!
About week 3 you get a hint that your glasses are rose coloured when something that was “definitely not in scope” is now “something we might need”. But you push through! This is no time to be discouraged — imagine how happy your stakeholders will be when you deliver this thing.
Ambition is great. Optimism is great. But if you’re a Project Manager or a Business Analyst, your job is not keeping stakeholders happy, whatever you may have thought until now.
This is for your own good, so listen up.
Your job is to keep the client/customer/stakeholders honest — don’t let them throw away their own money and ruin your reputation in the process.
1. Keep an eagle eye out for gold plating, and nip it in the bud. If you’re not sure about something, make it a nice to have. Set the expectation early that requirements are not a wish-list. This doesn’t mean you can never deliver a gold plated product — but you need to make it clear what is optional and what is not. If you manage your scope and quality correctly, you’ll save on time and budget and come through with a few tasty extras for the client as a bonus. The alternative is promising the world and delivering only a basic product — which the customer may have been happy with if you hadn’t agreed to so many ridiculous requests up front, for the sake of being a little too nice and a little too optimistic.
2. Only agree to things that they agree to as well. In writing. It’s their project, not yours — the bonus is they’ll get a better result if you hold them accountable up front — you can’t deliver without them. Project Sponsors exist for a reason.
3. Only commit to things that you can measure - and that have agreed targets including quantities, dates, times and costs. An implied target is a moving target — and guess who gets to move it? Not you. Accountability isn’t just about who to blame. It helps you get what you need as well, by avoiding arguments about what was or wasn’t expected.
4. When estimating, your gut is wrong. Unless you have a superhuman track record, or a very simple project, you need to come up with a reasonable estimate, add some fat, then double it. If you know you’ll never get that approved, work backwards, re-scoping as you go until you get to a figure everyone can live with. By the way, don’t assume that your fat estimate won’t be approved — often we underestimate out of insecurity more than any real constraints on budget. Save money during delivery, not while you’re estimating and planning.
5. Don’t ever work back from an imposed end date. If the project has to be finished by a certain time, that’s fine — but you still need to plan for the time you actually need. Adjust one variable at a time. If the effort required will take too long, add resources. If that doesn’t get you there, decrease scope. Respecify quality. Add money. Whatever you do, don’t kid yourself that sunshine, rainbows and unicorns will make 9 months of effort fit into 6 months of project — no matter how much your customer tells you it’s doable.
What traps have you fallen into on a project? What mistakes have you seen others make and how have you avoided them? Let me know in the comments.
James, I realized a long time ago that whatever my gut tells me, I’m wrong
That’s why I almost always say things will take twice as long as I’m guessing.
Christopher that’s always a good policy!
All traps can result from poor leadership / management of the project. At first, when recruiting a project team, the individuals must be convinced that the project will work. Unclear scope, poor communication, no role clarity, partial commitment from project members, sticking to it are a few common traps. I found that project timelines, completion dates are rarely lucid and don’t stay on target!
You can avoid these by reviewing project learnings and finalisation reports if they’re around, and asking questions. Yes we must be accountable, but project members also look towards their PM to be accountable for each step they do and take to ensure the project comes out a success and not a flop!
All traps can result from poor leadership / management of the project. At first, when recruiting a project team, the individuals must be convinced that the project will work. Unclear scope, poor communication, no role clarity, partial commitment from project members, sticking to it are a few common traps. I found that project timelines, completion dates are rarely lucid and don’t stay on target! Hence, a critical path is really essential.
You can avoid these by reviewing project learnings and finalisation reports if they’re around, and asking questions. Yes we must be accountable, but project members also look towards their PM to be accountable for each step they do and take to ensure the project comes out a success and not a flop!