1-_Rita_Mulcahy_s_PMPÂ®_Prep_Course

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ProjectManagement, Inc.

N ine Things Y ou r

B oss Shou ld B e D oing b y R ita M u lc ah y

1. Support the creation of historical records.Historical records include, at a minimum, the WBS, estimates, risks, and lessons learned

from every past project. These records are used to better plan, estimate, and manage future

projects.

2. Provide a project charter with dear goals and objectives.

Charters include a description of the project (one paragraph), the project manager's name,

clearly defined quantitative goals and objectives (i.e., a lO percent improvement), and an

explanation of why the project is being done. The project charter serves a s a "target" for the

project. The goals and objectives provide a way to measure success.

3. Protect projects from outside influences, changes and resource stealing.

4. Allow teams the time to properly plan projects.

Teams need time to plan projects in order to achieve substantial decreases in project length

and cost. A project schedule cannot be delivered in only a few days.

5. Ensure a finalized scope of work before the project starts.

There is little excuse for not having a finalized scope of work. Changes made later can cost

100 times more.

6. Prioritize projects within the company or department.

Everyone should know which projects are number one, two, three, etc., in priority at any time

within your organization.

7. Require that project management be done.

Your support of project management is critical for it to be used in your organization. Focus

on project charters, the WBS, and risk management.

8. Do not run at 100percent capacity.

Overtime is not an option, because anyone problem will cause massive problems in all projects.

9. You cannot get something for nothing.

Though you do not want to believe it , changes in scope, time, and cost will impact project

scope, time, and/or cost. Do not allow people to ask for little extras and not expect to "pay"

for them.

Copyr ight © 2 00 6 b y R ita M u lc ah y. A ll r ig hts r es er ve d. R ev , 9 .2 6.0 6

RMC P ro je ct M a na gem en t, In c. • 5 00 E as t Tr av ele rs T r ail, S uite 1 00 • M in ne ap olis , M in ne so ta 5 53 37

info@rmcpro jec t .com • www.rmcpro jec t .com • (9 52 ) 8 46 -4 48 4

T he c op yrig ht o wn er h er eb y g ra nts p er mis sio n to m a ke c op ie s o f th is h an do ut fo r p ers on al, n on comm er cia l u se o nly .


http://www.rmcproject.com/





~RMCE O JO I1 01 O

ProjectManagement, Inc..

T ricks o f the T rad e® fo r H and ling U nrealistic

Schedu les b y R ita M u lc a h y, P M P

T r ic k s o f t h e Irade"So, you have been given a project completion date from management or the customer that you

think i.sunrealistic. Did you know that this is the project manager's fault? Yes, I mean that. 'This

only happens if a project manager is not using the tools of project management properly. Here

is how to handle this situation once and for all.

'When given a date by management or the customer for project completion, a great project

manager will do the following:

1..Ask, "How was this date determined?" Then ask, "Is the date a desired date or based on a

real business need? What is that need?" In other words, push back to get clarification.

2. Tell management you will get back to them if you discover a problem in meeting that date

as you plan the project.

3. Ignore the desired date, and plan the project (charter, WBS, network diagram, risk,

estimate, budget, schedule, and a schedule reserve to account for risks). Determine a date

for project completion based on those factors.

4. If the planned date is within the desired date, get approval of the schedule from the team

and team members' bosses and publish it. If the planned date is later than the desired date,

work with the team to compress the schedule if you can by crashing, fast tracking, and

reestimating some of the activities on the critical path. (You know what these activities are

if you are a PMf', right?) Come up with the best schedule that you can based on meeting

the project charter and controlling the overall project risk,

5. Create options that management may be able to implement to save time.

6. Present the actual end date needed to management, and explain how it was derived

(charter, WBS, etc.),7. Ask for the end date to be changed to what you have determined. This is an important

step. Management is learning that the project manager has tools to create project schedules

that are standardized, used internationally, and make logical sense and that the project

manager is the only one who can compile a project schedule.

8. Ask if that schedule is acceptable. "So can we go with a project schedule of 30 months?" If

you do not ask, you will not get it.

9. If management says no, present your options. Options usually are choices that only

management can make. They take the form of, "I have looked at ways to make that end

date, and we can do it if you elimi.nate this activity from the project, give us this many

more resources, get commitment from the customer that they will give us this information

by a certain date, or decrease project quality in this way" If the actual project date islater than the desired date, something must change to get everything desired within the

requested time-frame. Under this process, any option selected leaves a viable project, and

management is involved in a way that benefits the project and does not hinder it.

10. Invite yourself to be involved when the next project is being discussed to avoid this

problem in the future.

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R M C P ro je c t M a n a g e m e n t, In c . • 5 0 0 E a st T r a v e le rs T ra il , S u it e 1 0 0 • M in n e a p o l is , M in n e s o ta 5 5 3 3 7

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T h e c op yr ig h t o w n er h e r e b y g ra n t s p e r m is s io n to m a ke c op ie s o f th is h an d o u t lo r p e r s on a l , n o n co m m er c ia l u se o n ly .

- P r o j e c t

M a n a g e m e n t

lnsritute







If you follow this process, yo u can get these valuable results:

• You have proof that project management works and should be supported.

• You look competent and in control of the project.

• You have pushed back in a way that management wants. (Yes, 100% of management in my studies say

they want their project managers to push back.)

• Managemen t has been involved in proj ect decision -making in a positive way instead of the less-than-

positive way that frequently happens, and the project manager has gotten management buy-in.

• You achieve a realistic project schedule that al l can believe in, and a sense that the project can be

completed successfully,

Yes, this process is part of the proj ect management process. Ifyou are a PMP , you are professionally responsible

for managing realistic schedules, not just living with unrealistic ones.

With a few Tricks of the Trade", any project manager can improve their project

Good luck!

"P MP "a nd the P MI R EP L og o a re m ark s o f th e P ro je ct M an ag em en t In stitu te , In c. R MC P rojec t m an ag em en t h as b ee n re vie wed a nd a ppro ved a s a pro vid er

o r p ro je ct m a na ge me nt t ra in in g b y th e P ro je ct M an ag em en t ln st ln ne (P M !) . A 5 a P M I R eg is te re d E d uc ar lo n P ro vid er (R . E .n R MC P ro je ct M an ag em en t h as

a gre ed to a bid e b y PM I -e st ab li sh ed q ua li ty a ss ur an ce c ri te ri a.

Copyright © 2 0 0 6 b y R ita M u lc ah y, PM P . A ll r ig h ts r es e rv e d. Re v . 09 , 26 .06

RM C P ro je ct M an age me nt, Inc . • 50 0 Eas tT rave le r s T ra il , Su i te 1 00 • Minneapo li s , M inneso ta 55337

[email protected] • www.rmcproject.com • ( 9 52 ) 8 4 6 -4 4 8 4

T he c on vrtc ht o wn er h ere bv o ra nts p erm is sio n to m ak e c op ie s o f th is h an do ut fo r p ers on al, n on co mm erc ia l u se o nlv .

Page 2 _ of 2

Project

Management

_ Institu te







c0RMCE O lO ilU iO

ProjectManagement, Inc.

T ric ks o f the Irade" Is Y ou r Lack o f R isk

Management Hu rting You? b y R ita M u l c a h y . P M P

T rick s of th e Irade"

In my recent study of 61 companies from around the world, I discovered that most companies

have huge misconceptions about the risk management process an d what risk i s . .As a result,

mar,y companies have wasted time, money and resources. Let's make sure this does not happen

to you.

First, temptations to ponder:

-Do you want to control your project, or have your project control YOLl?

~ Can you imagine going on vacation at the beginning of the executing of your

project because everything is under control?

- How would you like to prevent 45 to 90 percent of the problems on your project?

You can ... if you use risk management.

Here are some of the greatest misconceptions about risk. How many did you not know?

• Risk identification cannot begin without having inputs to the process. These include the

creation-or identification of-a scope, WBS, team, stakeholders, network diagram, budget

and schedule.

• R isk management is not completed using only a checklist or just using a Monte Carlo simu-

lation. Itinvolves the identification of risk for the project and by work package.

• Companies stop risk identification after only a brief effort, which results ina short l ist of

risks (20 or less), Because of the huge benefits of risk management in the real world, risk

identification should involve the stakeholders and result in identifying hundreds of risks,

• Risks should not be evaluated as they are identified, but rather qualificative and quantita-

tive risk analysis should be done later on in the process. Evaluating risks at the wrong time

decreases the number of total risks identified.

• The risks identified are not really risks. A risk is an event that is uncertain! Ifyour project has

too few resources, this is not a risk; it is a fact and must be addressed in the project manage-

ment plan, not in risk.

• Risks are not ptoperl y stated. A risk of "poor communication" is too nondescript to be llse-

ful in the risk management process ..Risks should be described more fully, e.g., "poor com-

munication of customers' needs regarding installation of system XXX will cause two weeks

of rework."

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M a n a g e m e n t

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Copyr i gh t © 2006 b y R ita M u lc ah y . P M P , A l l r ig ht s r es er ve d, R e v. 0 9.2 6 .0 6

R M C P ro je ct M a na ge m en t, In c. • 5 00 E as tIravelersT r ail, S u i te 1 0 0 • M i nn e ap o l is , M in n e so ta 55337

i n lo@rmcpro jec t .com • www.rmcpro jec t .com • ( 95 2) 8 46 "4 48 4

T h e c op yr ig h t o w ne r h er eb y g ra nt s p er m is sio n to m a k e c op ie s o f th is h an do u t fo r p e rs on a l, n o nc omm e rc ia l. u se o nly .







• Whole categories of risks are missed. Companies focus on only technology risks, cost risks, etc.,

when there are also project management-related risks, aswell as risks relating to various depart-

ments, lack of knowledge, the marketplace, or any number of others.

• Only one method is used to identify risk (such as only using a checklist), rather than a combination

of methods.A combination helps to ensure that more risks are identified.

• The first risk response strategy identified is selected without looking at other options to find the

best option, or combination of options.

• Team meetings talk about everything but what they should be di cussing-risks!

• Contracts are risk mitigation tools and must not be created and signed until the project manager is

assigned and a fisk analysis is done.

• Companies forget that risks can be good or bad. Though they are sometimes called risks and op-

portunities, the good things must be improved willie the bad things are diminished.

• I will save the biggest item for last. Most companies, through lack ofknowledge, equate risk man-

agement with adding a pad to the project time and cost. Proper risk management will result in a

"reserve" but it isnot apad since it can be based on analysis and calculation and can be justified.

Most of these items have a huge negative impact on the project. How welldid you do? What will you

do to better understand the risk management process?

With a fewTricks of the Trade", any project manager can improve a project. Good luck!

..P MP " and the P MI R EP Logo are m arks of the P ro ject M an agem enllnstitL Jte , Inc. R MC Pro ject m ana gem ent has bee n rev ie wed an d ap prov ed a s a pro vider

o f p ro je ct m a na ge me nt t ra in in g b y th e P ro je ct M an ag em en t In stitu te (P MI) . A s a P M I R eg is te re d E du ca tio n P ro vid er ( R . E . P . l , R M C P ro je ct M an ag em e nt h a s

a gre ed to a bid e b y PM I- es ta bl is he d q ua li ty a ss ur an ce c ri te ri a.

Copyr igh t © 2006 b y R i ta M u lc ah y , PMP . A ll r ig ht s r es er ve d . R e v . 0 9. 26 .0 6

RMC P ro je ct M a na ge m en t, In c. • 5 0 0 E as t T ra ve le rs T ra il, S u ite 1 0 0 • M in ne ap olis , M in n es ota 55337

in fo@rmcpro je t t .com • w ww ,rm cp ro je ct.(o m • (952) 846 -4484

T h e c oo vr ia ht o wn er h er eb y a ra nts p er mis sio n to m a ke c op ie s o f th is h an do ut fo r p ers on al. n on co mme rc ia l u se onlv

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Project

Management

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1-_Rita_Mulcahy_s_PMPÂ®_Prep_Course