SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND TEAMWORK

Jarmila Potomková Palacký University Medical
Library Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Introduction MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

• Who Moved My Cheese?
• by S. Johnson
• self-help book providing a simple, powerful
  message to the people confronted with unwelcome
• CHANGE.

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WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?

• A story of two mice (SNIFF and SCURRY) and two
  little people (HEM and HAW) living in a maze
  (labyrinth).
• Cheese is a metaphor for whatever you want in
  your life (food, success, happiness, financial
  security).
• Cheese found in Cheese Station C was a symbol of
  stability.
• One day, the cheese disappeared..

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Problem DefinitionPROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES

• Brainstorming
• SWOT Analysis

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BrainstormingKEY POINTS

• Brainstorming is a way of generating radical
  ideas.
• During the session there is no criticism of
  ideas.
• Ideas should be as broad and odd as possible, and
  should be developed as fast as possible.
• Ideas should be evaluated after the session.

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Brainstorming TYPES

• In groups
• experience and creativity of all members
• development of fewer ideas
• formal rules required
• Individual
• broad range of ideas though shallow
• chance for creative, but quiet people
• no time limitation

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BrainstormingRULES

• Focus on a problem
• Offer plenty of unusual solutions
• Push the ideas as far as possible
• Do not criticize or evaluate any ideas
• Analyse the results
• Select the best options

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BrainstormingSESSION LEADER

• RESPONSIBILITIES
• Session control
• Problem definition
• Enthusiastic and non-critical atmosphere
• Adequate participation of all members
• Orientation on practical solutions
• Keeping records

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SWOT Analysis DESCRIPTION

• Identification of internal
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Examination of external
• Opportunities and Threats
• Orientation on areas you are strong
• Determination of greatest opportunities

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SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS

• What are your advantages?
• What do you do well?
• What relevant resources do you have?
• What do other people see as your strengths?
• GOOD ADVICE
• Do not be modest
• Be realistic
• Consider internal and external points of view

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SWOT Analysis WEAKNESSES

• What could you improve?
• What do you do badly?
• What should you avoid?
• GOOD ADVICE
• Face an unpleasant truths as soon as possible
• Consider internal and external points of view
• Clearly specified weaknesses can be converted
  into challenges and serve as incentives

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SWOT Analysis OPPORTUNITIES

• Where are the good opportunities facing you?
• What are the interesting trends you are aware of?
• EXAMPLES
• New technology and markets, pricing policy
• Changes in government policy related to your
  field
• Changes in social patterns, populations profiles,
  lifestyle
• Local events

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SWOT Analysis THREATS

• What obstacles do you face?
• Are the required specifications for your job or
  services changing?
• Is the changing technology threatening your
  position?
• Do you have financial problems?
• Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten
  your organization / library?

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Project PlanningTITLE

• Title mini-abstract
• single sentence
• two-part title separated by a colon
• Writing tips
• professional
• neat
• clear
• unambiguous
• well-worded
• without words unnecessary for understanding

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Project PlanningOVERVIEW

• Paint a picture of your proposal
• Be specific and concise
• Do not go into detail on aspects clarified
  further
• Highlight collaboration with other organizations
• Make reviewers positive about your ideas
• WHEN?
• After you have completed the entire
• proposal

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Project PlanningBACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Make a review of relevant literature
• Cite previous projects and studies
• Minimize
• jargon, colloquial expressions
• redundant phrases
• confusing language
• trendy words
• abbreviations
• Make sure the language is readable
• Show how your project is unique
• Describe small steps done before proposal
  (surveys, interviews etc.)

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Project PlanningGOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• Goals are large statements about your planned
  achievements
• Objectives are
• operational
• specific
• measurable
• basis for future activities and evaluation
• Remember
• Proposal is easier to understand if you describe
  objectives in a measurable way.

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Project PlanningCLIENTELE

• Include specific information on the population or
  clients related to your project
• Who are the clients?
• Have you had contact with them?
• Can you demonstrate their support?
• Have they been involved in the preparation of the
  project?

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Project PlanningMETHODS

• Make clear links between methods and objectives
• Present innovative aspects of your ideas
• Describe collaborative relationships
• Demonstrate value of your outcome for others
  outside your project

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Project PlanningSTAFF AND ADMINISTRATION

• Roles of different people associated with the
  project
• Characteristics of key participants
• name, title, qualifications, brief CV,
  experience, committment
• Steering committee /advisory board
• Part-time staff
• Remember
• Notify the people before you submit your
  proposal.

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Project PlanningAVAILABLE RESOURCES

• Describe existing facilities to be used for the
  project
• Indicate how much money would be necessary
  without existing facilities
• Emphasize impact of collaborative relationships
• Look for local resources (volunteers, local
  experts, friends)
• Get supportive letters

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Project PlanningBUDGET

• Check with the potential funding agency if budget
  categories are required
• If there is no suggested structure, organize your
  budget around MEANINGFUL categories, eg.

• Personnel, consultants/salaries
• Equipment
• Rental of facilities
• Supplies, consumables
• Communication
• Travel, subsistence
• Indirect costs

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Project ManagementKEY POINTS

• Good discipline
• Relevant skills
• Remember
• Good PM skills do not necessarily mean
• NO PROBLEMS, NO RISKS, NO SURPRISES
• Standard processes
• deal with all contingencies (events,
  eventualities, possibilities, uncertainties etc.)
• achieve predictable results
• Committment of organization

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Project ManagementSCIENCE AND ART

• PM as a science
• Proven and repeatable techniques to achieve
  success
• PM as an art
• There is never a complete guarantee of success
• Involvement of people
• complexity
• uncertainty
• absence of absolute control
• creativity
• flexibility
• intuitive skills

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Project ManagementVALUE

• Proactive management Time Effort
• Resolve problems quickly
• Envisage future risks
• Communicate with team members, clients and
  stakeholders
• Complete project on time and within budget

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Project Management SHORTCOMINGS

• Projects completed late, overbudget, not meeting
  requirements
• Reactive management
• Successful project without planning and
  management
• heavy stress
• overtime work
• Work in areas outside of the project

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Project ManagementOBSTACLES

• Fear of control from team members
• people prefer creativity with a minimum of
  supervision
• Fear of the loss of control from organizations
• project manager must be given a level of
  authority
• coordination is not a sufficient role
• responsibility, control and decision making
• FEARS
• natural, logical vs. emotional, irrational

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Project ManagementCOMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES

• STATUS MEETINGS
• Short (60-90 min.)
• Agenda sent ahead
• No lengthy discussions
• Facilitator /rotation
• Documentation of action items
• Recapitulation of decisions

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Communication TechniquesSTATUS REPORTS

• Standard set of useful information
• Minimize ad-hoc reporting
• Frequency
• Weekly /medium projects
• Monthly/large projects
• Daily/critical actions
• Quality data for decision making

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Communication TechniquesSTATUS REPORTS

• Focus on
• Accomplishments against the workplan
• Comments on work behind schedule
• Problems encountered and how to resolve them
• Newly identified risks
• Good Advice
• Use attachments for the details
• Respect organizational level of audience

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Project ManagementCOMMUNICATION MEDIA

• Paper
• reports
• Authorized webspace
• reports
• Voicemail
• simple messages
• E-mail
• routine messages

• Tips
• Do not shoot the messenger
• Aaccept good and bad news
• Use status indicators
• green (on track)
• yellow (some risk)
• red (trouble)