Hi Reader,
These are lean times.
Even with limited resources, such as reduced staff due to layoffs or other reasons, projects can still be managed effectively. Although it may require a different approach than usual, success is possible.
Critical resource crunch
I’ve participated in many projects where it’s been challenging to pull together the stakeholders.
There was one project that stands out. In the beginning, we lost key stakeholders because of a conflict between the company and its software vendor. Once that issue was settled, the company decided to switch vendors—not just once, but twice. They almost switched a third time, but fortunately changed their minds at the last minute.
As project managers, it's important for us to keep track of our stakeholders, or the people behind our projects. In this particular case the list of stakeholders was extensive, which made it quite challenging to maintain.
After streamlining the list and creating a very lean project team, we found that our progress sped up significantly compared to when we were managing the larger group.
Creative ways of thinking
We introduced "project buddies", pairing up team members to collaborate and share deliverables. This approach allowed them to rely on each other to accomplish tasks effectively.
Given our significantly shortened timelines, we implemented an online status reporting dashboard. It became part of everyone’s routine to update the tool daily, allowing leadership to stay informed easily and for all team members to track each other's progress.
We adopted a hybrid project management approach, blending together elements of agile and waterfall, using a lot of highly visual tools. We focused on completing weekly deliverables while keeping an eye on the entire project's timeline.
Ultimately, our work paid off. The company's new product launched with record-breaking sales, marking a great success.
Take note! Lean times can be good project times.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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