MM Consulting Services is a firm that specializes in IT Consulting Services and Organizational Processes Improvement.
How many times have we heard about the importance of being proactive? It is said that being proactive can help you in many aspects of your life, including project management. But it is that true?
Being proactive is dealing with a potential future event before it becomes a reality. That makes sense. Almost all projects, even those properly managed, need to deal with obstacles, challenging moments, unsatisfied users, technical problems or fewer resources for execution. So it is important that we avoid surprises in our projects that can increase pressure and uncertainty: factors that can lead us to a mediocre or poor performance. It is more cost-effective to deal with a potential risk than to attempt survival when a serious issue arises. Dealing with a future event is more effective than the cost associated with an issue that impacts the project.
It should be any projects goal to achieve excellent performance even in the most challenging environment. It is there when you can differentiate between a mediocre project manager and a successful one. If we choose to be reactive to what can happen in our projects, then we reduce the chance to be successful. Issues and risks can arise and will arise and we will not be prepared unless we decide to be proactive.
As I think of projects that I have worked on, I consider that the most important value to the customer, since they see us as proactive project managers, is that they simply trust us. If you think about that, they are allowing us to run their projects; if the project fails they will fail. Their reputation will be affected. So, it is very important that in each and every project that we are part of, we perform at a high level of excellence. Gaining customer confidence is key to success.
There are some things to take in consideration if you want to be a proactive project manager:
- Assure that your projects are always on track, continuously reviewing the scope, budget and timeframe. You need to constantly monitor any deviations from the planned schedule and take corrective actions immediately when needed.
- Establish strategic relationships with project sponsors so they know you and understand what is there for them when the project is completed successfully. If there is a potential risk and they can be part of the solution, they will be there for you.
- Always support your team. Spend time getting to know your team and be there for them.
- Maintain a strong relationship with IT and the Business, assuring that all their requirements are being considered for project purposes.
- Keep users fully involved. If they feel involved and that you value their opinions and recommendations, your project has better chances of being successful. Statistics show lots of projects that have everything for being successful and when the time came to implement the project, it was a complete failure. Why? Users are key to project success.
- Project Managers need to look ahead and discern warning signs, taking action early when needed. You should not wait for the problems to arise in order to address them, it could be too late to avoid the project impact. An experienced Project Manager can anticipate possible problems and plan alternate ways of dealing with them before they become an issue. You need to respond to problems that occur in a controlled and effective manner.
- Build a successful and strong work team. You should clarify project team members their roles so there are no misunderstandings between them. Also, you should monitor and measure their performance and resolve any conflicts between team members constructively so it does not impact your project. Delegating responsibilities and tasks appropriately and following up on them is key to avoid possible project issues.
- Always, always, always try to identify risks, to mitigate risk potentials and to respond efficiently to any issue impact. Bring the project under control and maintain in that way.
- Assure that any issue that arises is closed out and that its status is properly communicated to key people.
- Assure that proper project documentation is prepared, updated and distributed to key people.
- Always follow up on assigned tasks and be consistent on that, no matter what. If you do so, you can avoid many of the surprises that might otherwise come your way. Finally, each team member must be held accountable for their project deliverables as scheduled.
Effective planning will definitely help you ensure a successful project. Being proactive will allow you and your team to achieve maximum results while keeping focused on meeting project goals.
Written by:
Lissette López, Project Manager
MM Consulting Services
Account Manager