Reviewing and Improving Existing Project Management Processes

1. Map It Out: This step is about understanding your current project management process from start to finish. Visualizing your process can make it easier to identify what's working, what isn't, and where there might be room for improvement.

To map out your process, you'll need to document each stage of a project's life cycle. Depending on your organization's methodology (like Agile, Waterfall, etc.), this might look a bit different. Here's a general breakdown to get you started:

• Initiation: This is the stage where you define the project, identify the stakeholders, and set the project's overall goal. Essentially, you're identifying the "why" behind the project.
• Planning: During this stage, you're setting out the "how". This can include creating a project plan, developing a timeline, identifying necessary resources, and setting up a budget.
• Execution: This is where the rubber hits the road. You're carrying out the project plan, managing your team, and working towards your project goals.
• Monitoring/Control: At this stage, you're keeping an eye on project progress and making sure everything is on track. This can involve tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), managing risks, and making necessary adjustments to the project plan.
• Closure: Here, you're wrapping things up. This involves delivering the final product, getting client approval, conducting a post-project review, and documenting lessons learned.

To visualize this, you could write each stage on a whiteboard, use sticky notes, or even a digital tool like a flowchart or mind mapping software. The idea is to get a clear picture of each step you take in your project management process.

Remember, this is your process - it might not be textbook perfect, and that's okay. The important part is to understand it as it currently stands, so you can identify areas for improvement.

2. Team Talk: Team insights are invaluable when it comes to evaluating your project management process. After all, your team members are the ones who are knee-deep in the action and often have first-hand experience of the challenges and successes.

Here's how you can go about this:

• Hold a Meeting or One-On-Ones: Create a safe and open environment where team members can share their feedback. This could be in a team meeting or in individual one-on-one sessions. The best method depends on your team's dynamics and the size of your team.
• Ask Open-Ended Questions: You want to encourage your team to share their thoughts fully. So, instead of asking yes/no questions, ask open-ended ones. For instance, instead of asking "Did you find the project execution stage difficult?", you could ask, "Can you share your experiences from the project execution stage?"
• Listen Actively: It's essential to listen carefully to your team's feedback. Show them that you value their insights, make sure you understand their point of view, and ask follow-up questions if needed.
• Document Feedback: Record what your team members share during these sessions. These insights will be crucial when you're identifying gaps in your project management process.

For example, during your "Team Talk", a member might bring up that task handovers often feel disorganized. They might mention that they are often unsure what the previous task owner completed, leading to confusion and double work. This feedback points to a potential gap in your project handover process that can be addressed to improve efficiency and clarity.

3. Project Post-Mortem: Don't let the gloomy name scare you away; conducting a project post-mortem or a project review is actually one of the most enlightening parts of the process. This is where you take a step back and scrutinize completed projects to learn from your victories and, let's call them, 'not-so-victorious' moments.

Here's a bit more on how to get this done:

• Identify a Range of Projects: Look at a range of past projects, including the ones that had you high-fiving all around and the ones that felt like pulling teeth. Your aim is to get a comprehensive view of different scenarios.
• Review Project Documentation: Dig out all the records – project plans, emails, change requests, risk logs, and even those sticky notes if you've got them. Review these to understand what happened at each stage of the project.
• Evaluate Against Objectives: Look at each project's original objectives. Did you hit the mark? Did you deliver on time, within budget, and meet the scope? If not, try to identify why.
• Identify Patterns: Do you see any patterns? Maybe your projects tend to go over budget during the execution phase, or communication breakdowns often occur during project handovers.

For example, while reviewing a project that didn't quite hit the bullseye, you might notice that there was a constant struggle to stay within the budget. Digging deeper, you realize that this was due to frequent scope changes mid-way through the project. Bingo! You've identified a gap: your scope management needs improvement. Maybe it's time to develop a more rigid scope sign-off process or to set clearer expectations with clients about the impacts of scope changes.

In a nutshell, a project post-mortem is like your very own time machine. It allows you to go back, identify what exactly happened, and then bring those lessons to improve your future projects.

4. Best Practice Peek: This is the stage where you play a bit of detective, looking into the industry's best practices for project management. You compare these with your own process to see how you stack up.

Here's a detailed breakdown of what you can do:

• Research: Start by finding out what's considered the best practice in your industry. This could involve reading industry reports, attending webinars, or even reaching out to peers in your network.
• Comparison: Once you have this information, it's time to put your process under the microscope. Look at each stage of your project management process and compare it with the best practices you've identified.
• Take Notes: Keep a record of where your process differs from best practices. These could potentially be areas for improvement.

For example, suppose you discover that the best practice in your industry is to use a project management tool to assign tasks and track progress. In contrast, your team has been managing tasks through email threads. This difference could be contributing to inefficiency in your process, indicating a gap.

Recognizing and aligning with best practices doesn't mean you have to copy what everyone else is doing blindly. Instead, it's about learning from others in your field, applying what makes sense for your team, and ultimately making your project management process the best it can be.

5. Tool Time: When we talk about tools in project management, we're referring to the software and systems you use to manage your projects. These tools can be major game-changers in terms of efficiency, communication, and organization.

Let's break down the steps for this point:

• Evaluate Current Tools: Begin by taking a good look at the tools you're currently using. This might be project management software like Asana, Trello, or Jira, or it might be something more old-school like spreadsheets and email threads. Ask yourself: are these tools helping or hindering your project management process?
• Collect Feedback: Don't forget to get your team's input. They're the ones using these tools day in and day out, so they'll have valuable insights. Are they finding the current tools easy to use and effective? Are there features they wish they had?
• Research Alternatives: Now, time for a bit of market research. Look into other project management tools out there. Does something else offer features that better suit your team's needs?

For example, you might find out that your team is struggling with tracking their tasks via emails. In that case, a dedicated project management tool like Asana or Trello, which provides clear task lists, might be a more efficient alternative.

Remember, a tool is only as good as its user. So, whatever tool you decide on, make sure your team is comfortable with it and is trained to use it effectively. After all, the fanciest hammer in the world won't help much if you're trying to screw in a bolt!

6. Spot the Gaps: Now that you've got all your information from mapping, team talks, project post-mortems, best practice peeks, and tool evaluations, it's time to put on your investigator hat. This is when you start connecting the dots to spot the gaps in your project management process.

Here's how you do it:

• Analyze the Information: Revisit all the information you've gathered. Look at your process map, team feedback, project review notes, best practice comparisons, and tool evaluations.
• Identify Differences: Spot the areas where your current process differs from the best practices, where team feedback suggests improvement, or where project reviews showed a consistent issue.
• Mark as Gaps: Each of these differences or issues is a potential gap in your process that needs to be addressed. Mark these out.

For instance, maybe you noticed during your process mapping that you don't have a formal risk management step in your process. Your team feedback might have highlighted this as well, with team members expressing concern about unforeseen issues derailing projects. In your industry's best practices, you found that risk management is often given a dedicated step in the process. Boom, you've spotted a gap!

Remember, being an effective detective in this case isn't about finding who's to blame. It's about understanding the situation, spotting the gaps, and then moving on to planning how to close these gaps. This isn't a crime scene investigation, it's a gap scene investigation! Happy hunting!

7. Plan Action: You've identified your gaps, which is a big win, but now comes the truly exciting part - planning how to close these gaps. It's like a puzzle game, figuring out the best moves to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

• Prioritize Your Gaps: Not all gaps are created equal. Some might be causing more issues than others, or some might be quicker to fix. Prioritize the gaps you've identified based on factors like impact, ease of resolution, and resources required.
• Brainstorm Solutions: For each gap, think of possible ways to resolve it. This could involve changes to your process, additional training for your team, or implementing new tools. Don't be afraid to think outside the box - the best solution might be something you've never tried before!
• Create an Action Plan: Once you have your potential solutions, it's time to make a concrete plan. This should include what steps need to be taken, who will be responsible for them, and a timeline for when they should be completed.

For example, if you've identified a gap in communication within your team, an action plan could involve implementing a project management tool to streamline communication, setting up weekly team meetings to discuss project progress, and providing training to your team on effective communication strategies.

The action plan is your roadmap to closing the gaps in your project management process. So, buckle up, grab that map, and let's start the journey towards improvement! Just remember, change doesn't happen overnight, so be patient, keep your team engaged, and celebrate small wins along the way. Now, ready to roll? Let's get moving!

8. Implement & Monitor: Once you've drawn up your action plan, the next step is to put that plan into action and monitor the results. This is the part where you get to see your hard work pay off as your project management process becomes more efficient and effective.

Here's how you can do this:

• Implement Changes: Start by implementing the changes according to your action plan. This could involve anything from tweaking your process, to training your team, or even introducing new tools.
• Communicate: Make sure you communicate these changes to your team. Explain the reasons behind the changes, how these changes will be implemented, and how they will benefit the project management process.
• Monitor Impact: Keep an eye on how these changes affect your project management process. Are they having the desired effect? Have the gaps been closed? Remember, change takes time, so give it a little while before you judge the impact.
• Adjust as Needed: Don't be afraid to adjust your approach if things aren't going as planned. Maybe a new tool isn't as helpful as you thought, or a process change has unexpected consequences. It's okay to go back to the drawing board and make necessary adjustments.

For instance, you might have introduced a new project management tool to streamline task management. After a month or so, check in with your team and evaluate the tool's impact. If it's not working as well as you'd hoped, don't be afraid to try a different tool or revisit your training approach.

The key to successful implementation and monitoring is flexibility and open communication. Remember, it's a bit like learning to ride a bike. You might wobble, or even fall off a few times, but with a little patience and persistence, you'll soon be cruising smoothly down the road of efficient project management. So, keep your helmet on and your eyes on the road ahead, and enjoy the ride!