No matter what you're doing with WordPress, no matter how few of you are doing it (even if it's just you), chances are very good that you are already doing project management. The reality of life in micro-enterprises is the wearing of multiple hats: accountant, designer, administrator, programmer, account manager. However, it's the project manager hat that can give you more of what you need: money. Project management skills help you to manage cost, schedule, risk, scope and customers: all the things you need to protect your margin so that at the end of your project, you will make the money you calculated that you would. Ironically enough, it's the PM hat that is most neglected and most misunderstood. In this talk, I'll cover the basics of project management, with a particular emphasis on scope, cost and customer management

1. Release your inner project
manager
and make more money
Elisabeth Bucci
WordCamp Montreal
August 19, 2012

2. Today
you don’t know what you know
why project management matters
is it a project?
start at the end
sandbox
slice and dice
if only it weren’t for the customer
a change will do you good
the end

3. if you’ve done this…
got married bought a house
started a family started a blog
built a chalet
started a company
renovated your kitchen

4. …surprise!
you’re a Project
Manager!

5. you don’t know what
you know…
unconsciously consciously
competent competent

6. why projects fail
because they grow
out of control

7. why project
management matters
only do the work that
you will be paid for
get paid for *all* of
the work that you do

8. is it a project?

9. a project…
has a beginning
has an end
is unique

10. find the projects
monthly backup start a blog
renovate kitchen
turkey dinner for 20
cook weekday meals for your family
migrate all users from Office 2003 to 2010

11. find the projects
monthly backup start a blog
renovate kitchen
turkey dinner for 20
cook weekday meals for your family
migrate all users from Office 2003 to 2010

12. unique? it depends
you decide

13. start at the end
what does “done” look
like?

14. are these ends the
same?
turkey dinner for 20
Christmas Eve “reveillon” for
our family of 20

15. is this “done”?
build a charming house
keep building it until I
like it

16. “done” is measurable
five senses

17. if this is “done”…
migrate all PCs, laptops
and terminal servers
from Office 2003 to
Office 2010

18. …do we do this?
advanced training on
pivot tables in Excel 2010

19. the power of “done”
you know you’re at “the
end”
identify changes (and get
paid)

20. define your sandbox
draw a border around
what’s in and keep
everything else out

21. sounds like…
define your scope
(inclusions and
exclusions)

22. write it down
a.k.a the Project Charter

23. fill-in-the-blanks Project Charter
Objective What does “done” look like?
“the end”
Success What does “done well” look
Criteria like?
Assumptions Truths applicable for the
project, when they become
false you have a change
Scope High level description of
what’s in, what’s out

24. fill-in-the-blanks Project Charter
Deliverables List of measurable things
that the project delivers
when it’s “done”
Schedule High level list of milestones:
it ends at “the end”
Cost This depends on all the other
things above. So it’s the last
thing you do. Not the first.
Sign-off If the customer doesn’t sign,
you don’t have a project

25. slice and dice
slice up your project
salami into smaller bits
that you can chew

26. Christmas
“reveillon” for 20
people sliced up

27. Invitations
Send e-mail, track responses
Gift Exchange
Menu
Appetizers
Turkey for 20 people
Container to brine it in
Side dishes
Desert
Wine and alcohol

28. Table & setting
Make a table extension
Extra chairs
Silverware, dishes
Name tags at each setting
2 copies of the menu on the table
Christmas decorations for the
table
Candles
Music
Synchronize iTunes Playlists to
iPod

29. if it weren’t for the
customer
managing expectations
starts at the beginning

30. before you begin,
agree on:
• the Project Charter
• how you will manage
changes
• the customer’s activities in
the schedule

31. a change will do you
good
…but only if you get paid
for it

32. no surprises
tell the customer it’s a
change
get approval before you
begin a change

33. change this this changes
project
the end
sandbox schedule + cost
charter

34. beware of…
tantquàyêtres
whileyouratems

35. the end
when you’ve reached
“done”, you’re done
watch for the
“onemorethings”

36. What we discussed today
you know what you know
project management matters
a project is…
start at the end
sandbox
slice and dice
manage the customer before you begin
changes are good…if you get paid
projects end

37. The bottom line
if you define your project
you can control your
project
you only do the work
that you will be paid for

38. There’s so much more
tools
scheduling
risks
communication
teams
…etc…etc…etc…

39. more reading
what’s a project?
http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2009/everything-is-a-project/
how to ask “dumb questions”
http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2009/02/05/894/
PM101
http://www.slideshare.net/KLIM/project-management-101-
wordcamp-to-05112011

40. more talking
www.thepassionateprojectmanager.com
Twitter: @ElisabethBucci