TMN’s 12 Rules of Project Management

Project management.

These two words bring thoughts of complexity, confusion, and even fear to many companies.

People believe that project management is some sort of secret art that few people can master.

I am here to tell you, it’s not that difficult.

It just takes hard work, discipline, and more hard work.

Unfortunately, many companies fall short in these areas.

Making Project Management Hard

Want to know why so many companies have problems with project management?

It is simple: They overcomplicate things.

Really.

If your corporate project has meetings with 15 people present and project updates that are mini-novels… then your project has gotten too complex.

If your project documentation is larger than the manual needed to start up a nuclear reactor… then it has gotten too complex. (I would know.)

If over half of your time is scheduled for project updates with various stakeholders… then it definitely has gotten too complex.

Why do companies do this?

For many, they feel that they have to “include” everyone before they make a decision.

For others, it is because they are incapable of making a decision. Sometimes it’s both.

Many companies confuse complexity with skill and work accomplished.

“Unless you are planning the next deep space mission, you don’t need a 48-page Gantt chart on how you are going to launch that new project.”

Oh, but your company doesn’t have issues with project management, you say?

Do any of these sound familiar…?

– Projects don’t finish on time (Sometimes they don’t finish at all.)

– Budgets are expected to be exceeded

– Deadline extensions are assumed

– Status updates are sent out more often than actual work products

The simple fact is that most companies are their own worst enemy when it comes to project management.

TMN’s 12 Rules of Project Management

In the name of simplicity, I am not going to provide a dissertation on project management.

Instead, here are my 12 thumb rules for project management:

1. Keep It Simple. – I wish I had something flashier as Rule #1. But, this is always #1. The most common reason projects fail is because they are made too complex. Often they don’t start that way, but they quickly become overrun by too many people, too many status updates, & too many documents. What begins as a 4 person project becomes a review by 24 people and the entire executive suite.
2. Bring the A-Team – Important projects aren’t done by one person. It takes a team of people with different skills and strengths. Allow team players to contribute their individual strengths. You may have a technical expert. A detail person. The get-it-done action hero. Each brings different skills needed to make the overall project a success.
3. You Don’t Have Time For Non-Participants – Every project has their share of critics, nay-sayers and non-participants. My recommendation: Don’t bother with them. If someone is not contributing or doesn’t want to be part of the team, remove them and be quick about it. Their presence will only to serve to obstruct and demotivate the other team members. The sports coach is swift to bench the player who is complaining and not giving 100%. Yet, in the corporate world, companies often feel like they owe everybody the chance to participate.
4. Have a Plan, Not a Thesis – Ah, the infamous project plan. You have to have one, right? Yes, you do need a plan. However, abide by Rule #1. Don’t make a NASA-sized plan for a simple project. Keep it simple, straightforward, and lean. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it has to be effective. Bloated, colorful project plans only serve to waste time and add unnecessary complexity. I worked with one company that was more concerned about the look and format of status updates than the quality of work being done on the actual project.
5. Use the Right Tools – What are the right tools? They are the tools that get the job done and that your team will use. It may be a white board or written status board. It may be project management software. Whatever it is, make sure that you and your team are using it religiously.
6. Speed is Key – Many projects get bogged done in the planning phase. They are slow to start and some never get out of the gate. Speed matters. It builds momentum. Haste doesn’t always make waste. Don’t underestimate the power of speed to get work done.
7. Keep Deadlines Deadly – Why is it OK to miss deadlines in today’s world? Make sure your projects live and die by their deadlines. Keep deadlines tight and do not be afraid to allot projects less time than initially estimated. Deadlines bring accountability, creativity, and hard work.
8. Make Decisions – Make decisions and make them often. A project without swift decisions is a research project. It isn’t going anywhere. Good project managers make good decisions with the information at hand. Good decisions now are always better than perfect decisions later.
9. Every Project Hits the Wall – Heads up, your project will have a crisis. Every project does at some point. Even the best of plans will hit rough spots. Be ready for them. Expect them and allow enough resources and time to deal with them. Every successful project has a low point, the key is pushing forward when it occurs.
10. Listen to the Doers – Want to know how a project is going? Ask those doing the work. Many projects derail because they start “listening to the sidelines.” That is, they begin listening to people not directly involved in the project. Don’t let sideline chatter change the actual work being done. Ignore it, and instead listen to the ones doing the work.
11. Beware The Fire Drill – Some projects are within inches of completion when someone pulls the fire alarm. This can stop a successful project in its tracks. Often this will be a minor detail that threatens to derail the larger effort. It can even be when a senior leader decides late in the game that they are going to try and influence the project at the last-minute. Avoid fire drills that do not serve the goal of the project. When the fire drill comes, stop and ask, “Is this something that needs to be addressed before the project completes?”
12. You Have to Finish to Win – Have you ever been on a project that runs out of gas within sight of the finish line? It never quite gets there. It doesn’t come to completion and loose ends abound. Unless there is a decision made to cancel the project, make sure that your project actually finishes.

A Dozen Rules, Plus One

I thought I would go ahead and make it a baker’s dozen… here is a bonus rule…

13. Beware the Buzzwords – You should be very concerned if you find yourself in endless meetings hearing words like: stakeholders, Gantt chart, gap analysis, and post-mortem. These are terms that are often bandied about by those trying to avoid work. Or covering up the lack thereof. Run… run the other way.

Remember, there are 3 things that get projects done: hard work, discipline, and more hard work.

What are you best project management rules? How is your company at project management?