| It is important that project managers are both familiar | | | | of these projects. |
| with and follow established tools and techniques of | | | | Unresolved Problems: |
| project management. Good leadership at management | | | | It is most important that we deal with problems quickly |
| level is crucial. Poor management skills will undermine | | | | and fairly rather than ignoring them or being arbitrary in |
| established methodologies. It is very tempting to take | | | | our problem-resolution processed. This shows others |
| so-called 'short-cuts' instead of applying the | | | | that we want things done right, but that it is also OK to |
| methodology. | | | | make mistakes. |
| This can happen for several reasons: | | | | Rewards: |
| 1 - 'Catching up' when the project is behind schedule | | | | We need to acknowledge what rewards people |
| 'catch up.' | | | | expect and to understand that they cannot be |
| 2 - Costs are over-running budget and some steps | | | | expected to actively engage in the project if they feel |
| are skipped over. | | | | under-rewarded. |
| 3 - Team members are untrained in the methodology | | | | Risks and New Ideas: |
| and do notknow they are taking short cuts. | | | | We need to foster new ideas and risk-taking within |
| Cost overruns: | | | | agreed parameters, rather than a culture of fear and |
| If the scheduling and technical details are too precisely | | | | risk-aversion. |
| defined before project start then there may be | | | | There are some key ways that we can help to avoid |
| insufficient time and money to implement the project | | | | failure: |
| methodology properly - creating cost overruns relative | | | | Have a plan and know what we are doing. Understand |
| to the budget. | | | | change management and how people deal with |
| Poor people management: | | | | change. Make sure that the people in top management |
| People need to be managed appropriately to ensure | | | | whose support we need support us. Listen carefully to |
| that they remain motivated,committed and able to | | | | any concerns stakeholders have and deal with these |
| perform well during the project. | | | | to their satisfaction. |
| Uncertainty and Change: | | | | Make sure that project objectives dovetail with overall |
| In an ever-changing world the most successful | | | | business objectives and remember no business |
| organizations are those which can adapt to deal with | | | | enterprise or project is completely devoid of risks we |
| emerging contingencies. Not all projects are robust | | | | need to be able to analyse possible risks and have |
| enough to absorb these changes. It is important that | | | | measure in place to prevent them or to deal |
| any change management processes in the | | | | appropriately with them should they occur. |
| organisation generally be applied to the management | | | | |