| Project managers are team leaders. | | | | and legislative events, or timing of competitor |
| If you are responsible for new project | | | | introductions), your "event chart" might include: |
| development, you must have defined procedures | | | | Published dates of Board of Director meetings; |
| for establishing boundaries and to differentiate | | | | timing of corporate and functional budget cycles |
| between stages of the project. You must know | | | | and strategic planning cycles. Also include |
| the standard for evaluating progress at any given | | | | expected completion dates of projects which |
| check point or stage which requires review. In | | | | share your project's resources, or whose |
| order for your projects to pass from one stage | | | | introduction may influence distribution. Other areas |
| to another in an orderly fashion certain | | | | of interest are: customers or competitors of your |
| requirements must be adhered to. At each check | | | | project - expectations about future economic, |
| point, the generated progress reviews provide an | | | | social or environmental conditions - dates of |
| excellent opportunity for presenting proficiency | | | | expected competitor product introductions - and |
| reports to executives. This is also a very good | | | | expected changes in technology which might also |
| time to present any new data that has been | | | | affect the project. The report must be clear and |
| collected in support the project | | | | direct for best deliverability. Make it |
| As the administrator you will proceed through the | | | | understandable for everyone concerned. The best |
| review process, usually focusing on passing | | | | way to get everyone on the same page that you |
| through the procedure so you may provide | | | | are on, is to make the report as simple and to |
| approval for moving to the next stage. This | | | | the point as possible. |
| intense focusing on internal issues could cause you | | | | All projects begin with an idea or concept and |
| to overlook external issues which could effect the | | | | proceed to realization or completion. When lying |
| projects outcome. If the review does not include | | | | out a project it is best to include all members of |
| all possibilities internal and external, the project | | | | the team. The entire team should brainstorm the |
| could be jeopardized and be subject to failure. | | | | scope of the project including its possibilities on |
| Therefore all issues must be addressed at each | | | | the one end and its limitations on the other. The |
| inspection point. You, as the administrator, are | | | | impact of the project on policies and procedures |
| responsible for taking the time to distinguish | | | | should also be evaluated before the start date. |
| between problems that may raise from within the | | | | How is the project going to effect other |
| project as-well-as all external pressures. | | | | departments within the organization? What if any |
| Internal issues lie within the clear boundaries of | | | | legalities will be in question? These and thousands |
| the administrator's responsibility and influence. | | | | of other details should be considered before the |
| External issues on the other hand, involve | | | | project becomes active. Don't allow anything to |
| pressure from outside the defined scope of your | | | | cause a disturbance once the project is in motion. |
| responsibility. There are some external issues | | | | Projects are a team effort and just like any well |
| which may arise from executive management | | | | functioning team, each player has his/her duties to |
| and are external in nature yet internal in scope. | | | | preform. The better each team member is in his |
| These issues may help the administrator to define | | | | her role, the better the success of the project. |
| areas which are often overlooked by project | | | | Team members must be prepared for any and all |
| supervisors. The clarification of some issues could | | | | problems which may surface. |
| very well prove useful in making you aware of | | | | In Conclusion |
| possible risk, which areas are being influenced as | | | | When planning and executing a project don't take |
| well as any shift in responsibility that project | | | | anything for granted, even when it seems like |
| supervisors may have overlooked. | | | | victory is imminent. Take into consideration what |
| Managing External Forces | | | | happened to a new projects team manager at a |
| How well can you, as the administrator, develop | | | | major Fortune 500 foods company. At the |
| your new project keeping in mind the external | | | | direction of an executive, he was prepared to |
| forces that may be brought to bear. What will | | | | launch a new marketing project when the |
| you do if you have to go on the defense to save | | | | company's president decided to cancel it. Later |
| the project? Are you willing to take appropriate | | | | when he was put in charge of starting a new |
| and effective action to secure the project? Some | | | | project, he regrouped his team and mapped out a |
| techniques you may find effective, such as using | | | | strategy for dealing directly with management. His |
| "event charts" to fortify your position as well as | | | | team members interviewed department |
| the the validity of the project. An event chart is | | | | managers to find out just what each one wanted, |
| different then a " milestone chart" in that a | | | | and to discover if they had any objections or |
| milestone chart identifies key accomplishments or | | | | conflicting concepts that might surface to |
| delivery dates that must be met while an event | | | | influence the project's directive. They also |
| chart shows what is likely to occur in the external | | | | checked out the managers understanding of the |
| environment as the project proceeds. | | | | team's mission. As the project proceeded, a |
| In order to identify and track as many external | | | | senior officer was entrusted to play the role of |
| factors that may influence the project, an event | | | | arbitrator, listener and influencer. She kept in |
| chart should be drawn on a plane in which the | | | | touch with executive management to be sure |
| horizontal axis represents time and the vertical | | | | that the project continued to have its needed |
| axis represents areas of subjectivity. After | | | | support. A lesson learned - never leave |
| brainstorming the relevant areas (such as | | | | management support to chance. |
| corporate calendar, upcoming political, regulatory | | | | |