La project management is also a profession in transformation! Digital acceleration, the multiplication of transversal projects and the “VICA” environment (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) make mastering this art ever more demanding.
In this article, we'll explore in detail. Why and how to set up a pragmatic and (somewhat) standardized project approach. An opportunity to deconstruct some prejudices about the method and to help you develop your effective project culture 🔥!
A project is a set of actions that we want to take, to achieve a goal... A word that comes from the Latin “projectum de projicere”, literally” Throw something forward ”!
Beyond the definition and the tools, they are good the key issues of exercising power and achieving transformation of the company that are at stake.
Whatever your project management method, a project approach generally respects stages and uses tools!
Behind this “academic” and ideal table of stages... what is the reality?
In summary: the project, Everyone knows... but, generally, no one puts the same definition and realization behind it.
The emergence of more and more transversal projects, bringing together different business units has made it essential to use multidisciplinary teams, “out of silos”. This coordination is, at first glance, easier if we bring people together in a period of time and with defined resources. The progress of your projects and, even more so, the efficiency of your transformation depends on it.
Digital acceleration has as a corollary a increased flow of initiatives . Extra!... unless you don't define a clear scope of initiatives and execution. The goals are good to focus and prioritize your efforts! Otherwise, we risk falling not into agility... but into restlessness and falsehood. prioritization.
Deliver methodically...! Setting deadlines and goals in stages allows you to be effective! Choosing... it's moving forward!
If you deal with issues in a continuous flow, type “run”,... how do we evaluate the results, the budget and is the added value created?
Project stages or milestones make it possible to regularly offer a precise view of what we do, and what we don't do, of drive by value!
The heritage of years of practice with “by task” project management tool repositories have conditioned our vision of implementation into a task list, schedule and resources,... then portfolio.
⚠️ No! You don't transform an organization by starting out by forcing teams to do project management “on task”, the aim is indeed to structure, communicate and then pilot a transformation plan.
Beware of the “gun for the fly” syndrome. Not all projects have the same definition... the same constraints and needs in terms of implementation methods. Three main types and their associated approaches will be distinguished.
From this simple division... you will be able to understand a redefinition of the dos and don'ts of project management by category, with a companion tool like AirSaaS.
Broadly speaking, the main phases of an (effective) project approach are:
In detail:
Let's simplify the task by entering from the “top of the wallet”! The most important thing is tohave a global vision of what you want to do, to prioritize before even saying how we will execute! Because yes, it must be repeated There is no point in putting tasks into projects that we are not going to do !
For example, at a rate of 3-6 or 9 months maximum... your first “project babies” will not be premature babies, such as “quick-win” - or future Tanguys, such as ERP projects in perpetuity!
Far too often we think that task management is what makes us successful. What creates the success of the project... is the team! After all, everyone has their own best practices... the IT department can look for a management team that is already going well... to achieve model successes. This is called the oil stain strategy!
I am updating the key elements: decisions to be taken, points of attention, milestones to communicate the status of the project to all top management;
I am integrating the other departments into AirSaaS to ensure a unified global communication, and a vision of projects and initiatives that are always transforming up to date.
I send flash reports to a large audience, to stakeholders once a week. (yes yes not once every month...!)
The fundamentals remain the fundamentals: a sponsor that plays its role, jobs that are well involved in the framework... a steering committee... the right tools... a transformation department that really values its contributors with attention to the triangle “Ambiance-sense-salary”!
In summary, for a redefinition of your project management... we reveal to you one of Project efficiency algorithm equations from AirSaaS:
Beyond the tools therefore, the approach is about methods and key steps.
Once the general fundamentals of the approach have been established, the next challenge will be to move into project mode in detail. Reading this article should help you: How do I put my business into project mode ?
