Maximizing the Success of Project Based Work

Maximizing the Success of Project Based Work

In another life I was a project managerwe just didn't call it project management. I was the creative director for a small advertising agency. And we did "projects" everyday, we just called them "campaigns." They rarely included anything to do with IT, but we had project teams, milestones, and a project work-flow. I managed my team with a whiteboard, sticky notes, and a spreadsheet. Sound familiar?

Since joining AtTask, I've come to appreciate that there are many businesses who rely on project based work to be profitable, and they use project management methodologiesthey just don't call it that. Whether your organization does formalized projects or depends on short-time-line adhoc initiatives to get things done, let me share something I've observed successful projects have in common.

My grandmother used to say, "Well begun is half done."

I think that's true of all the work we do, regardless of whether you are using an online project management solution like @task, or sticky notes and a spreadsheet. To be successful, you have to work on the right stuff. Keeping people busy isn't the answer to being successful, anyone can do that. Keeping people busy working on the right things is how project based work helps make a business profitable. The question then becomes, "How do I do that?"

If your organization is like most, your "project teams" have a lot of competing demands for available resources. Sifting through which projects you're going to tackle and which you can't is a challenge. Here's where I would start:

1. Create a formalized evaluation process for potential projects. It should include things like, what kind of value does this project provide our organization, how much will it cost, what are the risks associated with project failure, is there anything we can do to eliminate or mitigate those risk, and do we have the resources we will need to complete the project on time and on budget?

2. Establish a committee of stakeholders who's responsibility it is to formally evaluate every project, based upon the answers to the above questions.

3. Ensure that anyone who has a potential project for consideration formally answers those questions for their project to be considered. If they aren't able or willing to do so, their project is rejectedregardless of who they are or the position within the organization they hold.

These three suggestions will help you know that every project undertaken by your organization is "well begun." And, you'll have the confidence of knowing that your "project teams" are working on the right projects.

What do you think? Are you finding success with a formalized evaluation process for potential projects in your organization?

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