HOT TOPICS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT MASTERY
There is no "magic bullet," when it comes to mastering the art of Project Management, but there are plenty of other weapons in your arsenal to make for a successful outcome. Project Management should be approached as an opportunity for you to shine, rather than a process mired in pitfalls.
A concise way to remember the basic building blocks of a successful project is to key on Communication, Notification, and Coordination.
Communication is not a one time skill, but an on going and never ending quest to know what needs to be told, to whom it needs to be told, and when it needs to be told. Communication starts before the project, as architects and engineers attempt to discern what is wanted and how that can be best fit to a budget and schedule. Communication "drops," at the level of design and or planning, are the most costly to correct once the project has begun, due to the fact that they are unanticipated and disrupt and mutate the original considerations of fundamental constructability and budget. The only way to minimize this outcome is to make sure that all the key players are given the opportunity and responsibility to give their input before the design is complete and gone out to bid.
Notification is a key ingredient, but often times missed, in the formulation of small to medium projects, because all the potential impacts haven't been considered. Here is where brainstorming possible scenarios helps you to anticipate the unexpected. If you are working on or constructing a building near a residential zone, have you considered the noise impacts, extra vehicle traffic, and safety considerations around the site. If you are working inside an occupied building, have you properly notified key building contacts of all the impacts and important dates for blocking off traffic to elevators, stairs, or points of circulation? Have you considered the scheduling of utility shutdowns during off peak hours to minimize disruptions in the work flow? Are you familiar with all the activities that occur in the building, or just the ones you've witnessed while on a site visit in the middle of the day.
Coordination happens successfully when all the elements of a project work in harmony to minimize down time and maximize productivity. It's the sequencing of activities that avoids conflict, which in turn can minimize downtime and lost hours. The worst example of a lack of coordination is when materials are handled twice or work is done, and then has to be re-done, in order to accommodate trades that are out of proper sequence. Even the smallest project can be de-railed if the manager has not been informed that furniture is being moved into a building where they have scheduled floors to be waxed the same day. If a road into the site is being paved the day that a tractor trailer is scheduled to deliver a key piece of equipment, then time and money are lost.
If it sounds like the best practices in Project Management are like looking into a crystal ball to see the future and what may go wrong, then that isn't a bad analogy. Although even the best Project Managers are not immune to the totally unpredictable, like transportation strikes that disrupt supplies, or catastrophic weather events and natural disasters; the majority of things that "go South," on your project are probably the kind that you should have anticipated at the start. One additional strategy for uncovering problems lurking in the future is to key in on collaboration as you brainstorm with colleagues you work alongside everyday. They can help you to envision that which you would never see when left to your own devices.
An interesting web site that I have found to further provoke your thinking and give you tips on handling your most complex projects is www.projectsatwork.com
by Mark Mankin, Coordinator, University of Delaware
