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Managing projects is a people process, so the people problems would be hardest on project management during execution of the project . If you’re unsure about that statement, you may want to pull yourself away from your timelines and flow charts long enough to read this article. You see, the biggest obstacles and stumbling blocks – for any project – never find their way to a Gantt chart or a resource schedule. Why? Because, they are people problems. You can’t schedule stakeholder satisfaction, you can’t calculate clarity of purpose, and you can’t flow-chart team synergy. Those are people processes and people processes are the backbone of project success. Here are a few tips to help you manage the people side of projects.
Tip #1 – Find a project sponsor. All projects should have a sponsor. The project leader is not necessarily the sponsor. The project sponsor is the person who has the: • position to authorize the project;
• purse strings to fund the project; and
• personal commitment to see the project succeed.
The sponsor is your connection to the established decision-making process within the organization. Once you identify the sponsor, go directly to that person to clarify expectations. Take time to define goals, needs and concerns. Jointly discuss the risks and opportunities involved with the project. Let the sponsor know what you need to meet the project goals. Establish a communication and reporting process. Most importantly, be ready to use the sponsor to navigate through political waters.
Tip #2 – Clarify the project charter. The project charter, or project scope, is the business plan for the project. First, it defines the purpose of the project and clearly explains what the project will deliver when completed successfully. Second, the charter provides a clear link between the project and the business goals of the organization. Third, the charter defines key roles in completing the project. Who is the sponsor? Who is the project leader? Who will be on the project team and what will be their role? Fourth, the charter defines the boundaries and parameters of the project. This should include a clarification of the budget, timeframe, resources and authority for the project. Here is a secret about the project charter: Don’t write the charter by yourself. The process of creating the charter – discussing it, clarifying it, negotiating it – is at least as important as the written charter itself. Remember – this is a people process. That means people need to be involved. If you write the charter in a vacuum, you’re likely to suck the momentum out of the project before it even gets started.
Tip #3 – Identify project stakeholders. A stakeholder is anyone who directly impacts or is impacted by the project. Stakeholders come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are friendly and some are fickle. Some are happy and others cranky. Know where your stakeholders stand. Know what they need and what you need from them. Most importantly, know what they can do to torpedo your project and take measures to avoid that. Engage your stakeholders early in the process – even before the project charter is finalized. Doing so will prevent problems later on.
Tip #4 – Balance task and relationship. Team dynamics are an important factor in project success. A good project leader knows how to stay on task and yet keep people happy and committed. If you have an overabundance of task-oriented people on your project team, be ready to play the role of mediator, cheerleader and facilitator. Focus on making sure that everyone is involved and communicating. However, if your team tends to focus on the relationships rather than the task, you may need to provide more structure by creating clear action plans, follow-up dates and accountability measures. As a leader, you must adjust to meet the needs of your team.
Tip #5 – Communicate, communicate, communicate. Never try to manage a project through your computer alone. Keep people informed constantly on how the project is progressing. Written updates and status reports are great, but they are not enough. Go meet with people, look them in the eye, tell them in your own words how the project is going. Ask for their help. Get a feel for their commitment and energy level for the project. Ask them for their advice. Thank them. Encourage them. Reward them. Feed them. Come on! Be a leader – a real-live leader, not just a cyber sissy who only communicates through e-mail. It is harder and it takes more time, but the results are worth it.
Tip #6 – Don’t expect perfection. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that all lights need to be green before you proceed. Remember, projects are never linear, they are never tidy and they never fit cleanly on a piece of paper. Most important, they never go exactly as planned. So, take action and expect mistakes. A rudder on a boat can’t steer unless the boat is moving. Have a good plan and be ready to adjust as you go. Prioritize and stay focused on the few areas that bring you the biggest results. Don’t waste precious time and resources on the trivial details.
Tip # 7 – Learn from the process. Finally, take time to close the project out. Evaluate how things went and get feedback. Allow the team to discuss lessons learned and celebrate the success. Most importantly, document the experience – what went well and what you can improve – so that you can benefit from it next time.
Summary Project leadership is both challenging and dynamic. Having good tools is important, but the tools alone are not enough.
dealing with multiculturalism
efficient communication
- cultur differences
- team spirit
The hardest part in Project Management is the management of people. People are human being and each people are different in their sensitivity, attitude and work behavior. So, the Project Manager needs to spend much more time to manage people.
I agree with Mr. Samer Maher. Hardest part is the setting up the efficient communication between all parties involved
I think the hardest part in project management process to take preliminary acceptance certificate PAC and Technical Completion Certificate
in this stage you Summarize all project stages and face a lot of negotiations and problems . every one need to escape from his responsibilities
This small time before project delivery need strong management to control your staff , your subcontractors and satisfy the owner
Clearly assigning tasks framed in dates, taking correcting actions on time if something goes not as per the plan.
The most hardest part in any project management are;
1) Meeting up with deadline
2) Manpower management
3) Cost effectiveness
4) Clear communication at various point.
Maintain Budget and Time schedule is the hardest part in Project management process.
The hardest part is when the project falls apart for some reason, and you are getting "whipped" by Client and other team members. To put the pieces back together to make it work again!
I think that all of PM elements are hard and all have connected together as a result integral project which acheive all it's objectives and goals
It should be the people behaviors, humans in most of the times do irrational things in hard times.
