Project Management How to Tackle Complexity!
The Projects, whether small or large, can cause stress for the person managing them, even before they begin. Fortunately, there’s a way to organize them so that we don’t fear them but rather enjoy our performance in them!
How a “Project” Is Defined
We all have an idea of what a “project” means. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines it as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
- A project is considered temporary because it has a defined beginning and end, as well as intermediate stages.
- It’s also unique because it’s not a repetitive process, it’s a set of
(a) planned activities and (b) combined resources that serve the specific goal of the project. A project can be complex. Let’s look at the criteria that determine their degree of complexity.
What Makes a Project “Complex”?
Let’s clarify first that complexity is not only about the size of the project in terms of time or money. In the modern workplace, most projects could be considered complex. According to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, complex projects have the following characteristics:
- Uncertainty about outcomes
- Ambiguity in key parameters
- Complex human interactions
- External influences
Kitty B. Haas, consultant in complex projects, adds more traits:
- Multiple sources of influence
- Unpredictability
- Rapid change
To be fair, most projects today could be described as complex because of factors like the vast amount of available information, technology connecting people across regions and teams and the demanding expectations of stakeholders. What helps manage complexity is breaking it down into smaller, self-contained parts. The first step is to recognize the stages of project management.
The Stages of Project Management
Whether a project is complex or simple, it follows five stages. According to the PMI (and our own experience), these are:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Monitoring and Controlling
- Closing
It may sound cliché but all five of these stages are important and can influence the success of a project. It is not true that things will automatically work out in the end if we neglect the beginning. Nor does a strong start guarantee that we can relax and take it easy later on. Every stage matters. You can’t succeed by focusing on one and neglecting the rest. At every phase of a project, there are things we can do to ensure a smooth workflow, without too many unpleasant surprises. These are the well-known “Best Practices”.
Best Practices
There are extensive articles and a rich body of literature on project management, as well as training programs and international certifications. Certainly, information and proper training can only improve the performance of anyone managing projects. However, if we look at the core of project management, we will always come down to certain fundamental elements. These could be divided into two categories.
- Process Best Practices: related to the technical side of managing a project.
- Relationship Best Practices: related to social and interpersonal skills that shape teamwork.
Below are what we consider the key points in each category. For further reading, you can access online magazines here, here and here. Disclaimer: In all the following tips, it is assumed that you are the Project Manager.
Process Best Practices
Σε όλες τις παρακάτω συμβουλές ισχύει η υπόθεση ότι είστε ο Project Manager (Υπεύθυνος Έργου).
Clarify Expectations from the Start Make sure your team knows exactly what you expect from them, quality standards, responsibilities, etc. And if there’s a client involved, clarify their expectations, too. Never say “yes” unless you’re sure you can deliver.
Define Key Parameters
- Deliverables
- Costs
- Timeline
- Available resources
- Stakeholders
Document the parameters and steps, and secure the project team’s commitment
All the key parameters of the project, as well as its individual steps, must exist in written form (digital and/or printed), not only for you to remember them, but mainly so that the entire project team is always aligned with them. Your collaborators must understand all the details from the beginning. They must also be able to function as a team with a shared goal, and not as individuals taking initiatives without communicating them to the rest. The concept of discipline is important for you and your collaborators, as during a complex project, stressful and unexpected situations arise that require you to operate like a well-tuned clock.
Set measurable success criteria
Both in terms of internal effectiveness (how you and your collaborators perform) and external effectiveness (how those affected by the project perceive your performance).
Follow a template
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when organizing a project! There are ready-made lists of sub-tasks that make up a project. A good source of inspiration, for example, is Redbooth’s templates. These lists can serve as the starting point for organizing your project, helping you build your own unique checklist that serves your specific goals.
Maintain an effective filing system
Managing a project involves many documents, files, emails, etc. You need to decide from the start how you’ll file them, so that you can easily find what you’re looking for when you need it.
Check progress against the original plan
It’s important to monitor the project’s progress while it’s ongoing. For example, whether the stages are being completed effectively, deadlines are being met, and resources are sufficient. Good practice is also to keep a project journal, so you can both self-evaluate at the end and improve your performance in future projects.
Hold frequent meetings
In these meetings, you’ll have the opportunity to share updates with your collaborators regarding the project’s progress and discuss how the team (including yourself) has been performing so far.
Evaluating the project outcome
The final review of a project is extremely important, even if it’s used only internally. In it, you can include quantitative data (e.g., the total number of participants involved) and qualitative data (e.g., evaluation feedback). This review helps identify areas for improvement and, of course, allows you to “celebrate” what you’ve managed to achieve!
Use specialized software tools
There are numerous websites and applications that assist in project organization. Two popular applications used by companies such as Dropbox, Pinterest, The New York Times, and Tumblr – and by us 🙂 – are:
Both are free in their basic versions (which are more than sufficient), can be used on a computer, tablet and/or mobile phone, and are completely user-friendly. Both their project organization interfaces and the individual features they offer (e.g., assigning tasks to team members, adding “guests,” flexible sub-lists, etc.) make these tools extremely helpful in organizing complex (or simple) projects.
Relationship Best Practices
Embrace the role of project leader
You are responsible for keeping the project on the right track, especially when things get stressful. It’s important to embrace this role and lead the project team, ensuring deadlines are met, the budget is monitored, and collaborators are organized with calmness and sensitivity. “Leaders must be cheerleaders and bulldozers at the same time” Says Tera Simon, a project management expert with numerous talks on the subject. This is because the Project Manager must handle both the minor and major aspects of the project and ensure the harmonious coexistence of all developments. How wonderful it would be if everything always went smoothly… but that’s rarely the case! In such situations, it’s important to have backup plans and alternatives defined early in the organization phase. Regular, two-way communication with key stakeholders also helps significantly.
Adapt
When conditions change unexpectedly, you must quickly accept it and revise deadlines, resources, etc. Changes are never easy, especially when important things are at stake, but if they’re inevitable, it’s better to make them without delay.
Communication
In project management, transparency in both ways and across all levels helps significantly. The more people contribute their opinions, ideas and foresight to a project, the lower the risk of something going wrong. Most importantly, transparent communication strengthens relationships.
Collaborate
Projects, complex or not, can be energy-consuming and often mentally draining due to the high stress they involve. A counterbalance to this is good collaboration. A good collaboration, paradoxically, does not depend solely on good intentions but also largely on proper boundary-setting.
Closing
Project Management is not something to be afraid of! With sufficient (self-)discipline and organization, everything is possible. In fact, the more challenging a project is, the more empowering its completion will be even if the result doesn’t fully meet your highest standards, the lessons you gain will be numerous and invaluable for your further growth! 😉