The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.
– Sun Tzu, Military Strategist
Creating Project Management Principles
The basic principles of project management are fully extensible from the smallest initiative to the largest program. The key is that project management practices should be understood as principles: accepted or professed rules of action or conduct. It is on this belief that I encourage my clients to establish project manager guiding principles, as well as construct project management frameworks (not detailed, step-by-step methodologies). By maintaining the governance rules at the highest level, the organization maintains the flexibility to scale the implementation of principles based on specific needs.
For example, one of the project manager guiding principles could be:
The project manager is responsible for creating and delivering a written update of accomplishments, challenges, issues, and plans at appropriate level of detail. This update is to be sent to the appropriate stakeholders on an agreed-to regular basis (e.g., weekly).
While this principle does not define the format or the appropriate level of detail, it clearly establishes that for every delivery initiative with an assigned PM (regardless of project size) there will be a status report. It is surprising to me that this type of foundation and guidance is not practiced in many companies. Project managers are often left to decide for themselves whether and how they will track issues, report risks, actively manage dependencies, or if they must meet regularly with their sponsors. Regardless of the size of the project, each PM will be held accountable.
Scale the Project Principles to Size
As Sun Tzu reinforces, “Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals.” To paraphrase, once the principles are established, the implementation can be adjusted to the size of the need. An overall program plan for a global project will include a higher level of detail than a specific, detailed plan for implementing a single project within the initiative. This adjustment to scale is critical. If a program does not adjust its implementation approach, one can expect to see a plan at the program level that is tens of thousands of lines long. This level of detail is off-putting for many of the executive sponsors leading the initiative. A program plan can lose its value as a conglomeration of details with little to no meaningful summary, accommodation in visibility, nor tailored executive information. Without changing the signs and signals, as well as differentiating between the focus needed to implement vs. the focus required to lead, governing bodies may make missteps when initiating planned practices.
Standardization and the Value
Standardization and rigor are key to establishing guidance for your project managers. The ability to adapt while applying standards (based on scale) is crucial to successful implementation. While success statistics are not overwhelming, 70% of projects with standardized practices are successful, according to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession study. One of the reasons that the success numbers are so low – and decreasing over the past four years according to the study – is that many of the respondents said their organizations do not fully understand the value of project management.
Unfortunately, I have witnessed this lack of understanding firsthand. In one company, there was a recognized need for structure in delivery. The PMO was assigned to implement a more structured level of delivery for the company. As a result, standard templates and control processes were defined, and an authoritarian rule was cast over projects. However, the organization did not clearly establish the value proposition of the PMO. In addition, there was not sufficient organizational change management around levels of rigor, articulation of the principles for success, or the appropriate scalability for implementing standards across the organization. Therefore, the PMO was the red tape that hindered delivery, instead of the grease that enabled success.
So Why Do You Care?
Creating standards is important. Scaling implementation is key for success – one size of operating model does not fit all. Articulating the value of the standards is imperative. An PMO should create standards, allow for flexibility in their use, and communicate and engage organization in the value proposition. Creating and implementing a scalable set of standards becomes an internal sales process to convince the company of the value to be attained.
To borrow from French writer and military veteran Francois de la Rochefoucauld,
The height of ability consists in a thorough knowledge of the real value of things…
As we look to improve the capabilities of our delivery teams, let us focus on the established principles, clearly articulating the value they deliver. From there, we implement based on the scale of the situation.
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