Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking, under-appreciated moms out there! Here’s Jennifer Bedell’s great tribute post. Enjoy!
Practice Project Management at home
By jennbedell, November 25, 2008
It is essential for Moms to know where everyone is at all times, what time they will be there, and what they’re doing while they’re there. It’s really that simple.
It is essential for Project Managers to know what each project resource is doing at any given moment, how long they will be working on it, and what it is. It’s really that simple.
Mother’s Day in Project Management – photo by mikelehen via flickr
A Mom is the boss. The Mom is the boss of the house. They set the rules and everyone follows them. They can change the process at any time, but they don’t need to discuss it with anyone. They just announce the changes and everyone will comply with them.
Wouldn’t it be great if this were true? This is not the case. A Mom/Project Manager must earn respect from their team, whether they are their family or colleagues at work. Respect is earned by first showing respect. Respecting your team will lead to respect.
Before changing the rules, Mom should consult her children’s team. While this doesn’t mean the children have to make the rules, it does mean they will accept the changes and be more willing to follow them. Before making any changes to the process, a Project Manager should consult their team.
How does a Project Manager implement a process change? To determine if and where a change is needed, they must first examine the current process. Then, take the time to draw up the current process and share it. The team might not have understood the process if it was not documented previously. This could solve the problem.
After the process is documented and shared with the team ask for feedback about areas where there are inefficiencies or opportunities for improvement. Sometimes the team is doing more work than necessary at any given point. The issue may be solved by understanding and following the clarified process.
Once the current process is documented, reviewed, and discussed, you can try it for a few more weeks before deciding where to make changes.
If a change is necessary, the next step is to discuss with the team areas for improvement. This will satisfy two requirements: 1) The team is engaged and ready for change; 2) The project manager is not alone in creating the new process.
A Change Management consultant should be hired in extreme cases to facilitate the process change.
We live in a world that is constantly changing. We must manage change so that people who are not comfortable with it can embrace it.
The good news for the Mom is that children are adaptable and will accept change easily. However, the Project Manager has to deal with adults who aren’t as open to accepting the?new?. rules. Everyone will feel like they played a role in the creation of the new process and this will motivate them to embrace it.