Hi Reader,
Everywhere we turn lately, companies everywhere are facing the challenge of doing more with less—be it budget, deliverables, or people.
How do you manage your project portfolio under these constraints?
By getting creative.
Outsource: The fastest path to project success
The fastest, easiest way to build out your project portfolio while experiencing a low internal head count is to outsource some quality project management talent.
When resources are limited, it can be the best time to lead projects. Tasks are prioritized and completed efficiently without redundancy because staff are motivated to contribute to the company's success and also secure their jobs.
This ensures that everyone is focused on meaningful work rather than less important tasks.
The advantages to outsourcing are:
- The new outsourced resource can start working on projects immediately
- There’s no need to stretch your current team members who might already be overwhelmed
- Increase your team's project management capabilities with new insights from an external perspective
- Avoid the hassle and expense of hiring a full-time project manager, especially during busy and uncertain times
Insource your project team
However, you may not want to outsource as you have enough internal resources, but want to make the most of these resources to get projects done. We call this insourcing.
Some of the creative things we’ve trained internal teams to do is:
- Learn rapid prioritization and requirement gathering techniques to move projects through faster
- Lead a feasibility study to determine whether the project really can be accomplished in the time and budget allocated
- Identify who else can temporarily assist with project tasks to help out the main project people
In lean times, prioritizing your project portfolio is key. And stay strong on what stays and what goes!
Next week, we'll chat about how to effectively communicate your project's value to leadership, once your resourcing is in order.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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Getting By With Less: Lean times can be good times
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