Implementation of a Project Management Methodology: Where to start?
If you work as a project manager in a company or in your own organization recognizing the need to improve project execution, here are three steps that can help you get started.
Each industry has its own work culture that has an impact (sometimes ignored) on employees and processes. We refer to the organizational culture where the general guidelines of the organization, its values and vision are established. Like each country, each company has a work culture that is lived at all levels and has an impact on the way decisions are made and the effectiveness of processes.
Thus, to implement a project management methodology, the first step is to create an alliance with this work culture. In other words, the organization with its beliefs, experiences based on processes and values must, first of all, agree to implement a methodology and visualize the generation of value that project management can bring to the organization.
We consider it the first stepBecause similar to the positive or adverse reactions that may occur in a country due to the modification of any norm or regulation, the organization can react in favor or against implementation. Perhaps the reaction does not imply a public march or strike, it is something more subtle, such as not actively participating in the meetings, not applying the necessary actions for changes in the process, or a general disinterest of those assigned to manage the change. These attitudes are what can stop the implementation of a project management methodology from the beginning. Are you a leader or project manager and are you in this process? So remember to work to create alliances with the main directors or members of your organization who make the decisions so that change management can be more effective.
The second step is a self-diagnosis on how the projects are managed, what have been the failures and what have been the improvements. Ask yourself what is the definition of “a better project” for your organization. What characteristics does a project have to be classified as "the best executed project"? Here are some questions to ponder:
- Did the project deliverables meet the objectives established at the beginning? Was the project within the assigned budget? Were the specifications indicated by the client met? What are the most frequent failures when executing a project? Communication between the Was the team leading the project effective? Can I go back and review the project file and understand what the critical steps and lessons were?
Remember, this self-diagnosis must be participatory with members from different levels of your organization. And it must generate as deliverable the identification of the activities and indicators that are or are not, generating value for the project.
Third step, once you have detected the positive aspects and failures that have been incurred, begin to manage the change as a project. That is, the projects according to the PMBok guide are divided into: Start, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, and Close. So you must define at the initial stage what the objectives are that your organization wants to achieve and how the implementation of a project management methodology will be measured. In this step, it is important to have participatory work sessions with the key players of your organization. The following steps will be aligned to the goals you set; Focus your vision so that the organization can clearly see the increase in the efficiency, execution time and deliverables of the project thanks to the implementation.
At each stage, the motivation of the project manager to implement this methodology is vital, remember that you as a project manager must reflect the passion for this methodology and impregnate it in the organization. You must be a manager of change. Cheer up! Implementation and obtaining more efficient projects will lead you to further develop your leadership capacity.
References
Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge 5th edition.
Ginna Espinosa Certified Project Manager
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