Stick to the budget, man!

Posted on by brettharned
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All projects operate on some sort of budget, and the work that we do as project managers is scoped as a part of that budget. It’s hard to measure a lot of what we do, because there are few “deliverables” tied to managing a project. But how do you estimate the time you need to manage a project when there are so many variables, like changing timelines, client requests, team meetings, and so on?

For any other work, a budget is a budget and you need to work with it, right? The same can be said for project management. We need to do what is right for the client and the project, and keep our work within the constraints of the project budget. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, as I have hit my hours budgets on projects earlier than expected, or have seen a trend toward using my hours before a project is done. I had to take a deeper look at what I was doing on those projects to see just where the time was going. It’s true, you read it here first: I’m not perfect. I completely exhaust budget hours! (If you don’t, you must have some amazing budgets to work with.) Continue reading →

CSI: Project Management

Posted on by brettharned
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Post Mortem. Do you get the willies when someone utters those words?

Is it like when you die and your limbs stiffen up? No, that is rigor mortis. We’re talking about project management here, not CSI. But in a way, Post Mortems can be like an episode of CSI in that you investigate your process and figure out what causes project issues. In any case, you should conduct your Post Mortem meeting after a project has ended, but long before project rigor mortis sets in.

No one is perfect. No project is perfect. Don’t ever forget that. I’ve already mentioned that project managers are not robots. We can’t fix every problem—or even know that they are coming. But with the help of a project Post Mortem meeting (and a great CSI team of your own), maybe we can identify the things that create issues within our own projects. With some additional thought and discussion, those issues can be fixed and we can save our teams and clients from a limited amount of pain. It’s amazing how solid evaluation tools and some team collaboration can help you to get to the bottom of your process issues and help you work efficiently. That’s where the project Post Mortem meeting comes in.   Continue reading →

I Juggle. Do You?

Posted on by brettharned
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I was once asked, by a person I respected, “What do you do?” Of course, my response was, “I’m a project manager.” In a disgusted huff, that person said, “I have never worked with a good PM. They always get in the way. What do you actually do? ” I wasn’t shocked by the response, because I’ve heard this before. And I’ve seen other project managers who don’t understand the role and get in the way of good work. My reply was, “Well, there is a lot that a good PM should do. A good PM should help his or her team. If I can help out on a project and offer some expertise, I will. But the focus of my role is to keep the team communicating, the client happy, and the work good.” Juggling daily tasks and requests alone can make the job difficult. Throwing an extra ball to the repertoire can ruin the act.   Continue reading →

SXSW Core Conversation Wrap-up

Posted on by brettharned
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I’m sitting in my hotel room in Austin the day after Pamela Villacorta and I moderated our core conversation “Project Management for Humans (No Robots Allowed)” at SXSW Interactive 2011. I’m still in awe of the number of people who attended the session. This is a good thing. People want to talk about how to manage projects, and do it well. I’m going to do a recap of the session here just to provide the framework of what was discussed. Unfortunately I don’t have all of the Q&A, but we hit some great dialogue. I feel like I’ve got enough fodder for at least 10 more blog posts. Also a good thing. So let’s get to it then.   Continue reading →

You’re a Project Manager, Not Superman

Posted on by brettharned
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Project management can be a balancing act. On one hand, you’re the Clark Kent type, sitting at a desk prepping a project plan or status report while waiting for a call or email that needs your immediate attention. On the other hand, you’re out and about solving issues and making decisions that will impact your project’s path. The thing is, you’ll never actually be a Superman. You know why? Because managing projects will never be easy for you (or anyone for that matter). There is always a chance you will feel overwhelmed and there are many opportunities to drop a detail or misunderstand something that is critical to a project’s health.

Continue reading →