10 Principles for PM Success
1. Project managers must focus on three dimensions of project success.
Simply put,project success means completing all project deliverables on time,and to a level of qulity that is acceptable to sponsors and stakeholders.The project manager must keep the team’s attention focused on achieving these broad goals.
2. Planning is everything—and ongoing.
On one thing all PM texts and authorities agree:The single most important activity that project managers engage in is planning –detailed.systematic,team-involved plans are the only foundation for project success.And when real-world events conspire to change the plan,project managers must make a new one to reflect the changes.
3.Project managers must feel,and transmit to their team members,a sense of urgency.
Because projects are finite endeavors with limited time,money,and other resources available,they must be kept moving toward completion.Since most team members have lots of other priorities,it’s up to the project manager to keep their attention on project deliverables and deadlines.Regular status checks,meetions,and reminders are essential.
4.successful projects use a time-tested,proven project life cycle.
Good Models can help ensure that best practices are built into our project plans.Not only do these models support quality,they help to minimize rework.So when time or budget pressures seem to encourage taking short cuts,it’s up to the project manager to identify and defend the best project life cycle for the job.
5.All project deliverables and all project activities must be visualized and communicated in vivid detail.
In short,the project manager and project team must early on create a tangible picture of the finished deliverables in the minds of everyone involved so that all effort is focused in the same direction.Avoid vague descriptions at all costs;spell it out,picture it ,prototype it ,and make sure everyone agrees to it.
6.Deliverables must evolve gradually,in successive approximations.
It simply costs too musch time spent in rework to jump in with both feet and begin building all project deliverables.Build a little at a time,obtain incremental reviews and approvalw,and maintaion a controlled evolution.
7.Project success is correlated with thorough analyses of the need for project deliverables.
Our research has shown that when a project results in deliverables that are designed to meet a thoroughly documented need,then there is a greater likelihood of project success.So managers should insist that there is a documented business need for the project before they agree to consume organizational ressurces in conpletiong it.
8.Project managers must fight for time to do things right.
In our work with project managers we often hear this complaint:”We always seem to have time to do the project over;just wish we had taken the time to do it right in the first place!”Projects must have available enough time to “do it right the first time.”And project managers must fight for this time by demonstrating to sponsors and top managers why it’s necessary and how time spent will result in quality deliverables.
9.Project manager responsibility must be matched by equivalent authority.
It’s not enough to be held responsible for project outcomes;project managers must ask for and obtion enough authority to execute their responsibilities.Specifically,managers must have the authority to acquire and coordinte resources,and make appropriate,binding decisions which have an impact on the success of the project.
10.Project managers should acquire the best people they can.
By acquiring the best people — the most skilled,the most experienced,the best qualified – the project manager can often compensate for too little time or money or other project constraints.Project managers should serve as an advocate for these valuable team members,helping to protect them from outside interruptions and helping them acquire the tools and working conditions necessary to apply their talents.
【Exercises】
Write T(true) or F(false) for each statement.
1. A plan should never be changed.
2. Time,money,and other resources available are all limited in a project.
3. It is necessary to build all project deliverables in the beginning.
4. Project managers should be only responsible for project outcomes,and there is no need to ask for enough authority to execute their responsibilities.
【Vocabularies】
Dimension n.方面,特征
Deliverables n.可提供的物品
Budget n.预算
Sponsor n.发起者,赞助者
Stakeholder n.利益共享者
Conspire v.导致
Priority n.优先考虑的事
Deadline n.最终期限
Visualize v.使可见,使具体化
Vivid a.清楚的,清晰的
Tangible a.切实的,实在的
Vague a.不明确的
Prototype n.制造某产品的样品
Successive a.连续的
Approximation n.接近
Approval n.赞成,承认
Correlate v.和……相关
Equivalent a.相当的
Coordinate v.协调
Binding a.有约束力的
Compensate v.补偿，抵消
Constraint n.约束
