What do building a garden shed and putting an astronaut in space have in common?
They can both rightly be called projects.
And although this one size fits all terminology seems at odds with reality, there is a surprising amount of similarity to each. We start with an idea, list our requirements, transform these to a design, source materials etc., until we achieve our stated aims.
A project is a finite piece of work e.g. Designing and developing a new saloon car would be a project, thereafter producing thousands of cars on a factory production line will be a series of manufacturing processes.
As more organizations adopt a project based approach to change management, most freelancers will be directly involved in projects.
This can be a daunting experience when we are no longer contracted just to do a job, but rather to become part of a project team. We then take on roles and responsibilities that seem to stretch beyond our normal day to day activities.
The astute freelancer will do well to look at this situation from both sides to see how he or she fits into the bigger picture.
These articles constitute what might be called a minimalist 'Project Manager's Toolkit' and as such, should be of interest to practising and aspiring Project Managers, and perhaps more importantly, as a 'What's going on?' guide to those who would like a better understanding of Project Management.
The subject is large and growing and further research is strongly recommended.
Most countries have their own training programmes and examining bodies who should in turn provide internationally recognized qualifications.
A Project Manager can be involved in every part of the project lifecycle and will be required to display a variety of competencies in diverse and challenging situations.
One popular misconception is that Project Management is confined to updating Gantt charts, yet this is a small and often trivial activity.
Practising Project Managers find that the role is as much about people as about processes and procedures.
Knowledge of the particular field will always be advantageous but managers must be able to distance themselves from the team's work if there is any danger of becoming too involved or distracted from their primary role.
Project Management has it's own vocabulary and we aim to clarify some of the terminology and demystify the overal Project Management processes.
There are a variety of methodologies in use today and we look at the generic skills and controls that should apply to all projects and organizations.
Projects are about change and these articles are about managing that change, from inception through to benefits delivery and beyond.
The Project Manager can be responsible for everything from setting up audit trails and formulating policies and procedures, to the softest teamworking skills like coaching and mentoring.
Although ostensibly a business function, many projects demand a significant level of technical familiarity in order to be managed effectively.
A good Project Manager may or may not be able to rescue a failing project, but a bad Project Manager can certainly make a significant mess of a potentially successful one.