PMcrunch

In managing a project or program, we start with an objective, work in the details, get buying, put together a schedule, and implement. Of course, that is a very simplified version of what happens in project and program management but…

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Projects, like anything else, are subject to change. One of these changes is changes in stakeholders. Many times a project will be very viable for a particular stakeholder, but priorities might change with a new stakeholder. This is also especially serious when the stakeholder is actually the sponsor of the project, the number one stakeholder. Let’s look at some key aspects of maintaining project control during these types of changes.

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With the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and his coming inauguration in January, we are beginning to see what his priorities would be; this is an opportunity to think through what some of the impacts will be in the project management world.

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There are certainly many lessons from the American presidential election, but I simply want to focus on one idea that I have believed in for a long time. That idea is very simple — change is good. While Barack Obama’s campaign was all about change, I would argue that the entire election was about change. Let’s take a look at how this change theme is important to project and program managers.

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In these tight times, we are acutely aware of cutbacks, of scarcity, and of the need to streamline. However, really, these are indicative of management practices that should be occurring all the time. In portfolio management, especially, it is important to have a healthy balance between short term considerations and long term considerations. It is all a balancing act and the equation really only changes slightly during a downturn, such as we are currently experiencing.

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It’s human nature to stay with what is familiar, even when we know that a big change is needed. The prospect of venturing into the unknown comes with fear and risk. Tough times, like that presented by our current economic climate, might make changing necessary.

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By definition all projects must come to a close. This definitive ending to the project represents the end of the project management process, but that end also signifies a new beginning. Successful execution of the closing process within a project helps to ensure that the value of the project is realized.

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Many people who consider getting into the project management profession are also considering other options, such as earning a degree perhaps in project management. There are also certificate programs where students earn a certificate in project management. The options for programs like this are many. Earning a certificate could include going to school full time, night school, or various online courses. Another option is simply to take some kind of training in the classroom, or online, or maybe in independent study groups, or some combination of those, and simply earn a certification like the PMP Certification.

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One of the challenges that many managers have is organizing the plethora of projects AND processes that are part of their organizational realm. The first step to dealing with this is to clearly distinguish what is a project and what is a process. Getting clear on gray areas can pave the way for a forceful visions and way ahead on any program.

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As Project Managers, it is our charge to maintain high ethical standards. Strong ethical standards are a key ingredient of great leadership. The responsibility of ethics leads me to think about 2 immediate dilemmas or challenges:

Do we ask ourselves whether or not we are doing the right thing?
Do our team members and stakeholders ask themselves that same eithical question?
These 2 questions cover the basics of ethics, but there is a broader organization challenge we must consider to ensure these ethical questions are being handled.

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