3.1 Introduction
The “real” project execution will start after the project definition (of course the project start is also part of the project) has been approved by the right people (especially the sponsor). Below is a list of best practices in the various areas that you as a project manager will face during the implementation of the project:
- Do not wait until you are questioned as project manager by the (executive) management but take an active attitude (make sure you enter the “driving seat” and stay there). Report according to the communications management plan (topics, frequency, etc.) at the agreed time. Trust is not easy to earn and can quickly be lost.
- Agree in advance about reporting the progress and try to avoid different reports for different stakeholders.
- Keep an eye on the expiry dates of the resource allocation times of the people and put these data, for example, in a calendar.
- Do not spend too much time on the (initial) planning. For the duration of the project, you can make refinements as necessary. Planning is intended to support and is not a goal in itself.
- Ask commitment of team members for the duration of the period. This applies particularly to the efforts of people from countries such as India where the attrition rate is relatively high.
- Keep an eye on the pressure on the people and team atmosphere. Without people you are lost as project manager.
- Keep on scanning the external environment regarding risks for your project.
- Keep the project file up-to-date. This is crucial for the project and if an audit is performed, there will be no time to fix “it.”
- Be aware of the different cultures in the project. People from Germany, Spain, India, etc., have a really different way of thinking and acting! Also see this as enrichment and let people share this within the team (by, for example, giving a presentation about their country). This also has a positive effect on the team spirit.
- Communicate . . . communicate . . . communicate.
3.2 Stakeholder Management
Your stakeholders are crucial to your project success as well! The project manager, so you, are in the middle of this stakeholder arena and it is your responsibility to create the circumstances that will bring about a positive outcome of the project.
Managing stakeholders is complex when they rather often have very different interests and objectives. The executive manager could demand a very short delivery time at minimum costs while the end users may want to have a system that covers their needs and is intended to make their life easier, for instance.
Keep the communications lines short and speak with all stakeholders frequently (also informally) to sort out how they are feeling about the project.
During the project implementation, it is particularly important that the stakeholders and the team are being informed in accordance with the communications management plan. It is important to adhere to the agreed reporting frequency and content because if you do not, there is a rather big chance you’ll get extra work as a project manager due to the development of a negative spiral, which could cause a breach of trust.
Report each project phase/area by means of a traffic light; the status of this particular item can be presented to (executive) management enabling them to see quickly where any problems could be (their help is needed especially when things are outside your span of control but which do have a negative impact on your project, such as hardware deliveries that are delayed).
Share the progress clearly and describe what actions you have taken as project manager so that management has confidence in you. Make sure you are in the “driving seat” and remain there (be assertive and proactive). Explain briefly the causes and actions in case of a “red” or “orange” light. Management is not waiting to hear problems. They want to know what you did to solve these problems. If you cannot solve these problems, specify a number of options (with pros and cons, risks, cost estimates, etc.) that will enable management to make a choice.
In many companies, a lot of work that was previously done within the same country has now moved to other countries and this has not made communication easier. Companies often use “conference calls” where one can only hear the other persons while most of the interpersonal communication is in a way completely different than words could express. Moreover, in many countries, English is not always the native language and it may not be well spoken/understood and not even considering local accents/dialects! From my own experience, I know that telephone conference calls with colleagues from, for instance, India and Poland are not easy in the same meeting. An alternative is to use Skype, although not many companies allow this because of network load and/or security issues.
Sharing within the project team is important for all participants! It is advisable that everyone is given the floor for a few minutes (time management is really necessary, otherwise the meeting drags on) and briefly to tell what he/she is doing and what he/she sees as problems or experiences. In this way, the team members can help each other and everyone knows who is working on which part (helps to prevent time loss as well, for instance).
As project manager keep a close eye on the atmosphere in the team and be alert for problems that could disturb the project.
For example, when milestones are achieved or things are going well, organize a small celebration because it energizes the team. These small celebrations can have enormous positive impact on the motivation of the team members, especially when a project is exciting or motivation is desperately needed!
Projects that have a large impact on the organization or outside of the organization demand additional communication using the language of the intended audience. A user is not interested to know when a web server is operational. They want to know when a particular service is available. A simple medium is an electronic newsletter or a blog. Publish news, for example, every two weeks on a fixed day, which increases confidence.
Another important aspect of communication includes changing the way of working after the system is introduced. Basically, people have no desire to change their (known) method so you might first face a lot of resistance. Do not underestimate the amount of time and energy involved to prevent or solve this issue!
Involve people at an early stage in the project so that there is a better acceptance rate and less resistance. Involve particularly those with the greatest resistance because then the others would follow easily. Make the benefits clear to them (“what’s in it for me?”). When they don’t see/find benefit in the change caused by the project you might face a “showstopper” and then immediately the project sponsor and Steering Committee must be informed.
During the project implementation, change management is crucial because if change management is not performed properly this is a guarantee for misery both during the project and after the project has been completed.
Firstly, it should be very clear to all stakeholders and project team members what the current situation is (keep in mind that the current situation could be [slightly] different compared to the signed contract [and associated solution design, etc.]). In other words, the baseline must be very clear.
The challenge starts when changes are being made and to keep track of the changes on the baseline! Here lies the great danger in “customer service” and “this is arranged informally.” It also is possible that change management on the other hand is a huge bureaucratic affair. The project manager, in consultation with stakeholders, determines how best change management can be applied in this particular setting.
Basically, every change is analyzed and the impact of the change determined, in particular, lead time and costs.
A change may also affect the contract. In this case you as a project manager need to be extra careful and bring it to the notice of the Steering Committee. Involve the legal and procurement departments of both the client and contractor sides and ask for formal permission to carry on with project execution by the Steering Committee. In the worst case, you need to postpone/cancel the project. In case of postponement, you probably need to release all human resources realizing at the same time that you have no guarantee that they will be available in case the project continues.
The change is implemented only after approval by the right people (those with the proper authority to approve changes). Think always of a “roll-back” scenario especially if it is a business critical environment (in the case when the project has impact on the production environment). Normally a “DTAP street” (development, test, acceptance, and production) environment will be used before a change is actually implemented in a production environment. However, it will not be the first time that the acceptance environment is not quite identical to the production environment, resulting in issues.
Finally, it is important that the project team not only inform, but also involve directly in changes, especially when it comes to impact analysis.
3.5 Risk Management
Once the project is started, and perhaps earlier, the first risks arise. The purpose of risk management is to prevent risks and, eventually, “issues” with all possible consequences.
Risk management is the responsibility of not only the project manager but also all team members and the management involved. The project manager may simply not see anything at first. Think of external factors or external projects where the project manager (still) has no idea of anything that could have an influence on his project.
It is crucial to maintain in the central project file:
- The risks that are identified.
- The preventive actions that have been taken.
- The actions that should be taken in case the risks are becoming reality. Document what action has been taken in the risk list.
Include the management and/or Steering Committee herein so that they can see that you (hopefully) have the project under control.
3.6 Issue Management
Sooner or later as project manager you may have to deal with issues in your project that may arise. External issues, which are outside your control as project manager, will occur. Think, for example, of hardware supplies and delivery of data communication connections (this is very notorious with a big impact!). In particular, the state of affairs surrounding external issues should be noted in the project file. Assign external issues to the Steering Committee and document this in the appropriate minutes of meeting.
When an issue arises, the project manager submits to the Steering Committee not only the issue but also a number of possible solutions in order to enable them to take a decision. Assign to each issue an owner, who must decide when (e.g., to prevent the project anticipates) the issue will be (or needed to be) resolved and describe an action plan. Document precisely what has been decided in the project file.
Pay attention to the potential impact of an issue and avoid a series of issues producing a domino effect!
3.7 Deliverable Management
The goal of each project is ultimately that “something” must be delivered at the end. These deliverables should be clearly laid down in the contract and should also be included in the project definition. The project manager should know whether the client must formally approve the deliverables (in case of “acceptance criteria”) or that the client can determine whether the deliverables are “complete” (on the basis of “completion criteria”). In the case of “acceptance criteria” chances are that many discussions may arise, and (running) time may expire and many costs may be incurred as a deliverable keeps going back and forth between the client and the project team.
Ensure that the deliverables are “properly” delivered. Think about when it comes to documents that contain no language errors. Put yourself in the position of the client. What is contractually agreed to? In what form and format should the deliverables need to be produced? If software is developed then hand over the source code to the client. Can the supplier reuse things like software developed? It is particularly crucial in legal terms as project manager to have this inspection.
Realize as project manager you are the business card for your company and that your work has a large influence on possible follow-up assignments. These contacts can be of great importance for you personally in the future (such as references)!
3.8 Resource Management
The people in a project can make or break the project. Unfortunately as a project manager you do not always have the choice to select the people you want on your project and it may happen that you are forced to include people that are available at that time. In your team, however, speak with the sponsor if you have people who do not fit into the project (this can be not only in terms of knowledge/experience but also in terms of attitude and behavior).
This is not to say that these people are not suitable for any project but only that these people are not suitable for this particular project. As a project manager remove team members with respect because you’re dealing with people and not with “things.” Try to put yourself in their situation.
Avoid surprises by keeping clear who is needed at each step in the project file. Document in the project file the notice period to extend or terminate the contract regarding hired people. Indicate in advance when it comes to subcontractors. You, as a project manager, have to be extra careful to serve from a contractual point of view. When using internal people this is often more flexible and you can be more casual with your colleagues in such matters.
As project manager you are responsible for your team and therefore the atmosphere of your team. The intention is that each one also has fun in his work. As project manager, you can make an important contribution to this through personal attention. Know who in your team has his birthday and celebrate this in your team (of course in consultation with the involved person). Celebrate with your team when you have achieved a milestone such as the delivery of an important deliverable. Organize things spontaneously (e.g., with treats, team lunch, or dinner).
Monitor the load on people and prevent them from “burning out.” Signals that may indicate that people are under too much pressure are, for instance, cynical remarks and decreased involvement during team meetings. Schedule a team meeting every two weeks, for example, and then personally contact team members to find out how they are feeling.
3.9 Financial Management
Financial management during project implementation often has two faces when a project is carried out with an external client. An external client would at least be reported to on the following:
- How much money is consumed at one time? These may be costs related not only to human resource hours but also as infrastructure and software licenses. It is recommended that the administration of human resource hours is kept separate from the other costs.
- How much money is needed to complete the project (all approved changes also count)?
- What is the current budget (including all approved changes)?
In the case of an external project, the project manager within his own organization should also state “gross profit” so that management can trace if the project is proceeding as sufficiently profitable.
Projects could cross year ends. Corporate accounting is working with year ends (could even be in April) which could cause issues such as not releasing project budget during the first few weeks in a new year. At the same time you need to be aware that hourly rates might increase in the new year. These two items need to be examined on time in order to prevent that you have no financial funding for your project in the new year on time CApital EXPenditure (CAPEX) which could be a showstopper for your project (maybe for a few weeks only but no funding/approval is “stop” unless you have a formal approval from your sponsor).