Project Management in the Details
Posted by admin on May 23rd, 2006Project management, but definitions vary. It often reminds me of the old story about the blind men and the elephant — each has a different description of what an elephant is like.
In a way, that is part of the role of the project manager — to take all those differing perceptions and synthesize them into “the big picture.”
However, the project manager often needs support from those observers — clients, account managers, engineers — in order to make sense of what is going on and to help make decisions about how to process that information.
I’d like to make note of some of the little things that help improve work efficiency for everyone, which may seem obvious but which are essential to proper communication and establishing repeatable, dependable processes:
Use a proper e-mail subject line. This seems shockingly obvious but think carefully about how your subject line helps or confuses people. In environments where you have many clients, or where your vendor has many clients, using specific and concise language can help immensely. Instead of “where’s our widget?” try “Client X - Where’s our widget due on ___ ?”
Indicate what you want from those you CC: on e-mail or meeting requests. I’ve seen e-mail discussions go from 3 to 10 people in little time, filling up mail boxes and causing confusion. If someone is added as an “FYI” — forward them the e-mail once you have sent it, unless you expect that person to comment in the discussion.
Label your documents. This may sound funny to you — of course you know what current_project.doc is — but did you include that information inside the document? Include details like the title, created by, date updated, and page numbers — someone may print it and then not recognize the information (or version!) later.
Establish meeting agendas prior to a meeting. In my opinion, meetings lose their effectiveness after 30-45 minutes. Unless you are brainstorming or making a presentation, break down your issues into an agenda that can be addressed in 30 minutes. It makes for more manageable meetings and you’ll find that follow-up to action items generated during the meeting improves.
As a project manager, it is my job to ensure that projects move forward on time. I do this by checking on receipt of deliverables, watching timelines and doing my best to guard against duplication of effort. Support from my team by way of clear communication is essential.
— Jennifer R. Accettola, Sr. Project Manager
