That's the problem with Project Management

Today an executive in a nonprofit again told me about "the problem with Project Management".  This time "the problem" was defined as the requirement to meet stated goals within budget and on time.

Huh?  Being required to bring things in within budget, on time, and up to spec is a problem?

Well, no.  Further discussion of the project in question revealed the biggest problem was the requirement to meet totally unrealistic budgets and irrational schedules.  That is not a problem with Project Management.  In fact, the problem arose because Project Managers were largely left out of the development of the schedule and budgetary baselines.  Even more importantly, basic Project Management approaches were ignored.  Stakeholder assessments were not performed.  Neither were risk assessments.  And estimations from previous projects that were shown to be inaccurate during their previous implementations were applied almost verbatim to the project being discussed today.  So when stakeholders engaged in sabotage of the project, risks came to fruition and there were no contingency plans, and the budget & schedule were shown to be unrealistic to the point of being irrelevant, people were surprised?!

Only well performed estimates can be utilized if one desires cost and schedule baselines that are anywhere near accurate.  This is not a problem with Project Management.  It is a problem for those who choose to mis-apply Project Management tools and techniques.

ejt
www.npmanagement.org

Cloud Computing: Yes or No, and if yes then How?

The cloud is an option that should not be ignored.  Rather, it needs evaluation for its ability to meet our organizations' needs.  For me, the primary sources of hesitance have both been about the internet:  privacy protection and reliability of connection.  I have since become inclined to use the cloud for processes and storage that are not mission critical, and am considering the possibility of using it more.

If you are interested in learning more about the cloud you might want to read an article here on NPManagement.org.  This brief but informative article was written by Sumac.com, which provides cloud-based services but gives its usual balanced advice. 

If you have decided to use the cloud but are not sure how or how much to do so, you might like an article by David Linthicum located here: http://t.co/fh14JUOv  It addresses the three surefire ways to screw up an attempt to implement cloud computing.

ejt
NPManagement.org

Project Management in Nonprofits

It seems the usual way for the Project Management discipline to enter nonprofits is through their IT departments.  Most if not all IT departments that generate software or arrange hardware installations have some level of understanding of Project Management tools and techniques.  So the good news is that there is an avenue for Project Management to enter nonprofit organizations.

Unfortunately, I have heard and observed that only bits and pieces of the discipline make it out of the IT department.  There appear to be some misunderstandings.  For instance, moving post-it notes around on a wall is not Agile (a popular approach to managing projects, especially in software development); and, as one of my professors said to his students in the first class of my first grad school course, "Knowing how to use Microsoft Project doesn't mean you know how to manage projects".  Using Kanban and project management information systems are useful tools for a project manager.  However, execs who are initially introduced to them usually miss the point.

The central idea is to obtain business value by getting the most out of what you have, and if you don't have enough - to recognize that and decide whether it's worth it to get more or just can the project.  There are many layers of skills needed to do that but unfortunately it seems most nonprofit execs only get a superficial introduction to cute tools rather than a full explanation of how to use Project Management to focus organizational energy like a laser in order to further their organizations' strategies.

Guess it's about time I make an article about the use of Project Management in nonprofits a higher priority.

ejt
NPManagement.org

NPManagement articles about teams are buzzing again

Articles about teams on the NPManagement.org site have surged again.  This happens quite frequently.  Sometimes they stray from the top for a month or two, but there is always a resurgence of interest.

Is this because many recognize the power of teamwork and they want to tweak and slightly improve what their teams deliver?  I doubt it. 

My guess is they are members of teams that are major sources of headaches and they're looking for something to make that dull throb in their foreheads lighten up a bit.  I hope they find the info on the site helpful.  If even a few people find something that helps them obtain the sense of mission, empowerment, and sheer energy that comes with great teamwork, the site is well worth all the effort that this team puts into it.

ejt
www.npmanagement.org

New article at NPManagement.org about making management decisions

We will miss Steve Jobs.  He drove the invention of things that I didn't know I wanted, and soon I needed them.  But it wasn't his legendary force of will alone that led to success, it was also because Mr. Jobs put the "art" back in smart.  His decisions were often risky and frequently brilliant.  Mistakes?  Of course.  That comes with taking risks (and with being human), but the payoffs more than made up for any losses.  A lot more.

This post isn't meant to be an homage to Steve Jobs and the NPManagement article isn't the secret to having his success.  However, the article "The Art and Skill of Decision-Making: Are you making good managerial decisions?  Are you sure?" addresses some major pitfalls in how we make decisions.  These are not problems that arise due to a manager being substandard in some way.  They arise because managers are human.

If you're human, you might want to take a peek.

ejt
NPManagement.org

Summer Hiatus

NPManagement.org is on hiatus until September.  New articles will be added only intermittently until then.  One article expected in September deals with decision making.  From what I've seen so far, it's going to be interesting - and useful.

EJT
Management in the Not for Profit Organization

Do You Have a Strategy?

Have you developed a strategy for your organization?  Or are you trapped in wishful thinking?  Some state a strategy that is so much of a stretch, it sets their people up for failure.  Others confuse goals with strategy.  The concept of "Bad Strategy" has gained some traction, and an article that makes the distinction between effective strategy and "Bad Strategy" clear can be found at the McKinsey Quarterly site here.

As a social worker who is a project manager, ensuring solid linkage between my projects' objectives and the nonprofit organizations' strategies is a critical success factor.  That is, a project that achieves objectives aligned with "Bad Strategy" will have poor results, even if the project is successfully executed.

If we all read and utilize the information in this article, "Bad Strategy" might become a lot harder to find. 

ejt
Management in the Not for Profit Organization