To Me, Everything’s a Project.
How About You?

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

I was recently talking to a teaming agreement partner and they said to me, “You’re a project manager. To you, everything’s a project.” Interesting. I’m also a business owner. The combination of business owner and project manager means I look for opportunities and processes everywhere.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the meaning behind his comment. The advantages are that because of the structured approach and tools I have been taught and have successfully used, I have a formality and a structure in which to approach initiatives, both new and familiar. I have or create a logical structure and process for almost everything I undertake.

This was echoed to me by a different teaming agreement partner who commented that since he earned his PMP, he has noticed he is able to apply project management to so many aspects of life. These include operational improvements, new initiatives, business trips, long drives, vacations, home and garden projects, etc.

I agree. To me, sound project management principles represent sound business practices, including good communication, solid planning, reporting and controls, milestone checks, expectation management, accountability, etc. I also see how structured approaches apply at the macro level as well as in managing the details.

It is interesting how universally applicable project management can be. Of course, that’s my opinion. When I talk to engineers, it’s funny how they can relate the very same things we are talking about to a concept in engineering. Once they explain it to me, I see it both from their viewpoint and my own. Both work. That’s the benefit of having a frame of reference.

That said, there are some disadvantages behind seeing everything as a project. One is trying to make everything fit into the project management mold even if it doesn’t necessarily belong. Another is that the structure or formality can lack flexibility if applied incorrectly. It can introduce unnecessary constraints or limit spontaneity. We all know managers and project managers who have done that!

So the good news is that I can create processes and/or intelligently select the pieces of best practices to apply to positively influence any particular effort I am undertaking. I simply have to remember to apply the framework and still remain flexible.

What is your frame of reference?