3. Introduction
What is a project?
A cluster of activities that is clear cut, with a distinct mission and
termination point
What is project management?
Planning, scheduling, and controlling of project activities to achieve
performance, cost, and time objectives
Projects come in all shapes and sizes!
Project Management
4. Your Role with Project Management
What are common projects you are
involved with at Triumvirate?
Project Management
6. Scoping your Project
Determine the end goal by:
Meeting with peers, managers, consultants, vendors
and/or clients
Gathering data
Organizing ideas in your head
On large projects, you can write specification documents to clearly define the scope.
Project Management
7. Planning your Project
Plan the various stages and activities of the project
Focus on the project’s goal and work backwards
List out all of the things you need to do in order to achieve your
goal
Make a list of “needs” vs. “wants” and rank them
Be realistic - maybe you need a separate project to achieve all of the
wants!
Project Management
8. Planning your Project
Conduct a critical
path analysis exercise
either in your mind or
on paper, depending
on the scale of your
project
Project Management
9. Launching your Project
Get people excited at a kick-off meeting
Set realistic expectations
Set deadlines (large and small)
Determine clear roles and responsibilities within the team
Delegate tasks
Execute the plan
Put team members in the right roles, based on their strengths
Project Management
10. Monitoring Progress
Use a variety of tracking mechanisms to monitor your
project’s progress.
Smaller Projects:
Telephone
Emails
Meeting Minutes
Larger Projects:
Excel
Databases
Microsoft Project
Be detail oriented – double check any documents you distribute to the team, especially if they will end up in
the hands of a client!
Project Management
11. Monitoring Progress
For smaller projects with shorter time frames,
send out meeting minutes or make phone calls
If you create meeting minutes, follow these tips:
Use brief and concise language
Use bullets
Clearly state who has to do what and by when
Note the date of the next meeting
Carbon copy (“cc”) yourself and add the minutes
to the next meeting invite (if using Outlook)
Project Management
12. Monitoring Progress
For bigger projects with longer time frames, you can use a
simple Excel spread sheet to track the progress or you can
even use special project websites.
Item Priority Assigned to Deadline Status
Keep the spreadsheet or other tracking mechanism up to date and bring to team meetings.
Project Management
13. Managing the Project: Communication
Use various communication methods – not just
email!
Follow up and check in on team members often!
If a client is involved, make sure he or she is happy
Stick to established meeting times
Listen to the feedback of your team members and
make decisions accordingly
Project Management
14. Managing the Project: Interacting with Others
Exhibit informal authority with managers, clients
and your peers
Be level-headed
Take charge of uncertain situations
Get support and buy-in from others at the start and
along the way
Mentor and coach your team members towards the
end goal
Project Management
15. Managing the Project: Overcoming Obstacles
Missed deadlines
Difficult or negative team
members
Scope creep
Reduced resources (i.e.,
people)
Other unexpected curve
balls or changes
A successful project manager uses creativity to overcome some of these obstacles
Project Management
16. Managing the Project: Rewards and Incentives
Celebrate along the way!
Keep the team excited and morale up
Examples:
Handwritten thank you notes
Recognition during team meetings or other meetings
Emails
Dinners, sporting events, etc.
Project Management
17. Wrapping up your project
Create a punch list for remaining items
Conduct an after action review (AAR)
Get the team together to talk about what worked,
didn’t work
Take a step back to look at the big picture
Make plans for the future to prevent mistakes from
happening again
Trainings
SOPs and cheatsheets
Emails
Meetings
Project Management
18. A Poor Project Manager…
Isn't interested in the project and lets it show
Doesn’t listen to the team’s ideas
Is quick to criticize others
Doesn’t ask for help when obstacles come up
Changes the scope of the project without getting
support of others
Does not recognize a job well done
Doesn’t share the vision of the project with the team
Doesn’t follow up with others
Doesn’t let the team members know what is
expected of them
Doesn’t wrap up the remaining loose ends
Project Management
19. A Successful Project Manager…
Can see the big picture
Is organized and plans ahead with the resources at
hand
Can communicate and resolve conflicts
Is not afraid to use innovative solutions
Has a positive attitude
Is decisive
Listens to others
Isn't afraid to get her hands dirty
Doesn’t play the blame game
Delegates certain tasks
Is not afraid to make tough decisions
Project Management
20. Questions?
Several project management articles can be found here:
G:TrainingSharePresentationsSoft Skill CoursesProject ManagementArticles
Project Management
