Hi,
OK, this seems a good way to find out whether anyone is reading this, and to get some input to the book at the same time. You can see from the entry ‘The Back Page’ that I have a bit of an idea of where this book is going, but to ensure it will meet the needs of its audience, I am going to ask you to use the Comments below to tell me what problems people responsible for small projects suffer, so I can make sure the book will be relevant.
From my experience, the problems people suffer include:
* Inadequate resources – for example, the required people and the actual people do not match.
* Inadequate planning – so people do not know what needs to be done by when to accomplish the eventual outcome.
* Lack of leadership – so we run around in circles at cross-purposes with each other.
* Meddling leadership – so we are not allowed to get on with the job to the best of our abilities.
I could go on, but this is your opportunity. So go on, respond…
In appreciation (in advance), …Geoff
PS. My friend Doug will probably want to add his comments about ‘management by committee’ here, and I’m sure he has some other ideas.
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2 comments:
I'd say the problem that we have least control over is the resource issue. My experience is more in being part of a project team rather than as project manager, but I can identify with the problems you've identfied. The meddling leadership and inadequate planning can also be related - you may have a great plan all worked out, then the meddling leadership kicks in, goal posts shift, and the plan isn't looking so good anymore.
That resource issue comes up time and again, and recently I have been pursuing it (intellectually at least) by asking 'What can we do about this?'
Some of the things organisations are already doing are keeping a small core 'permanent' workforce, and a bigger contracted workforce, so they can contract for the right person. Other individual project managers are willing to 'go back to the drawingboard' to review the project approach based on available resources. In some cases, organisations are even putting projects on hold until the right resources are available.
What else could organisations do?
...Geoff
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