Reality Check, the Unspoken Role of the Project Manager
By Craig Covello, PMP:
I’m sure it’s been quite a while since many of us who have earned PMP certification actually studied the PMBOK in preparation for the exam. It is not surprising, then, that we move forward in our careers as project managers utilizing our own style. Some of that style may be based upon selective PMBOK concepts tailored to our unique personalities and skills sets. But more than likely, much of what we do as project managers is based upon the corporate culture in which we find ourselves, particularly in larger organizations which develop their own sets of tools and techniques. Nevertheless, having a point of reference, such as the PMBOK, is useful, if not comforting, because it attempts to foster continuity and standards within our profession.
To refresh my memory, I recently reviewed old notes taken while attending a PMP boot camp several years ago. The exam questions were based upon the following areas of project management knowledge: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring/Controlling, Closing and finally Professional/Social Responsibility. Specific topics found within these areas include project charters, scope management, work breakdown structures, team organizational structures, cost control, quality control, risk management… well, you get the idea. The list goes on and on. And although these topics are presented in a generic, project-agnostic format, each is addressed in significant detail. So much detail, in fact, that sometimes we may lose sight of one of the main roles of the project manager – looking at the larger picture and taking a reality check. Allow me to explain.
I often work on innovative pilot projects that are proof of concept endeavors with specific objectives, deliverables and relatively brief timelines. Accordingly, these projects have limited resources, not only in dollars, but also limited in scope, time and particularly limited in staff. That last point should be underscored, because limitations in staff resources require the project manager to assume many roles and wear many hats. Sometimes we might act as a second set of eyes for quality assurance. Other times, we may get involved with finding technical solutions to specific problems. And of course, we are always managing the project sponsor’s expectations. So viewing the project from a larger perspective and applying proactive, commonsense judgment is a critical PM talent. Yes, the templates, methodologies and concepts presented in the PMBOK are important, but remember that these are simply tools to be used at the discretion of the PM. Projects are comprised of a unique mix of cultures, personalities, objectives and constraints that often cannot be approached mechanically in a “paint by numbers” fashion.
To illustrate, I once worked on an innovation project sponsored by a rather large healthcare organization. The vendor selected to provide the technology was a relatively small company with limited staff. So limited in fact, that many of the vendor’s employees had roles and responsibilities that were somewhat blurred and interchangeable. That said, it was not surprising that this vendor had some weaknesses in areas of quality control. So I took it upon myself to act as an impartial Q/A analyst, if only for a few days. By temporarily offering my services as a pinch-hitter, we were able to identify three or four critical errors in workflow and functionality prior to implementation. It was a reality check utilizing common sense in a proactive fashion appropriate for the scope and limitations of this particular project. It could be argued that the responsibility for quality assurance belonged to the vendor, but in reality they had their plates full with too many competing tasks. Only the PM had the larger perspective to assess the Q/A situation and identify the weakness. And the temporary role assigned to myself spared the project for failure and also saved the healthcare organization from embarrassment. The reality check allowed me to identify a need that might have been missed under a template approach with tasks checked off.
So make it a practice to take a reality check at least once a week. Use your unique perspective as PM to ensure that issues are identified and resolved before they become someone else’s headache after implementation. Don’t get lured into repetitive, templated motion. In contrast, take time for some serious, objective assessment of the project’s status and health. This habit requires insight and judgment, but then again, but that’s why project managers are put in charge. That’s reality.
How do you remember to take a step back and give your project a reality check? How often do you do that?
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