10 Golden Rules for New Project ManagersBy Duncan Haughey, PMP

Today dozens of new project managers willstart their first project, a daunting prospect.Here are my tips for surviving life as a projectmanager.

Rule 1: Develop a StrongBusiness Case

Ensure you have a strong business case foryour project, with high-level support from yoursponsor. The business case is the justification for the project and should list theexpected benefits. This is something everyone involved in the project can focuson, and the reason the project is taking place. Projects move us from one stateto another by delivering a change, product or other required outcome, with thebusiness case explaining why.

Rachel Agheyisi, an economist and Executive Director of Report Content Writersays, "A good story is memorable. A case study is essentially a success story. Awell-written business success story is arguably one of the most effective waysto create a visual image of achievable results in the mind of a prospectiveclient." Ensure you have a good business case study for your project.

Rule 2: Define Critical Success Factors for YourProject

Define with your customer the critical success factors that will make the projecta success. Ensure they are measurable, for example, 'a 15% cut in the cost ofraw materials by the end of 2011.' Use these factors at the end of the projectto measure your success. This is what counts and the 'must have' items theproject needs to deliver. All other issues are secondary to these as the criticalsuccess factors effectively form the contract with your customer.

A favourite question of mine, is "In 25 words or fewer, what would you defineas the critical success factors for your project?"

Rule 3: Create a Good Project Plan

Time spent planning is time well-spent - as the saying goes. Ensure you have aproject plan with enough detail that everyone involved understands theprojects direction. A good project plan provides the following benefits:

1

Clearly documented project milestones and deliverables.Valid and realistic timescale.A way to produce accurate cost estimates.Detailed resource plan.Early warning system, providing visibility of task slippage.A way to keep the project team focused and updated on progress.

Lack of planning will lead to problems. Ensure that you build in contingency toany estimate. I recommend between 10-15 per cent. I prefer to be a littlepessimistic and deliver early, rather than too optimistic and deliver late. Becareful though; adding too much contingency and under running an estimate isjust as bad as overrunning an estimate.

Number 10 on Rick Klemm's 'Top Ten Things Overheard on a Failing SoftwareProject', "Project plan? This project is too simple to spend time creating aproject plan!" A serious mistake no project manager worth his salt would make.

Rule 4: Manage Expectations

Managing expectations is the number one activity of a project manager.One-way to do this is to break projects down into smaller chunks orsubprojects with frequent milestones and deliverables - commonly known asthe 'Agile' approach. This way you manage expectations by making regulardeliveries, and letting the customer see work as it progresses. This approachensures the project delivers to the customers' expectations by giving themearly visibility of what you are building, and allowing them to feedbackquestions and concerns.

To quote actor Bruce Bennett, "All clients' needs and expectations are vastlydifferent." Don't assume you know your customers' needs, even if you have runsimilar projects - find out what they are!

Rule 5: Keep Your Team Motivated

A motivated team will go the extra mile to deliver a project on time, on budgetand to the right quality. Keep your team motivated by involving themthroughout the project, and planning frequent milestones to help them feelthey are making progress. Communication is important here - so let your teamknow when they are performing well, not just when they are performing badly.

Lee Iacocca, best-known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the1980s, said "Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, butyou can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down theline and get him to inspire his people." Keeping your team motivated paysdividends.

2

Rule 6: Communicate and Never Assume Anything

There's an adage 'never assume anything', and this is especially true in projectmanagement. Good communication with customers, end-users, your sponsorand especially the project team are important for project success.

Does everyone in the team understand you?Do they know exactly what is expected of them or have you assumed theydo?Do they communicate well with one another, with the customer and withother departments?

The importance of good communication cannot be overstated, so ensure youare talking to all of your stakeholders continuously. Don't assume peopleunderstand what is expected of them.

Make sure you avoid number 9 on Rick Klemm's 'Top Ten Things Overheard ona Failing Software Project', "Since I didn't hear otherwise; I ASSUMED all wasgoing well." Sign of a project manager failing to communicate effectively.

Rule 7: Say No!

The most valuable and least used word in a project manager's vocabulary is'no'. Never promise anything you know you can't deliver, this will guaranteeproblems later. Stay strong no matter how important the person in front of youis - they'll thank you for it later. If they don't, perhaps you are in the wrongjob. If saying 'no' be firm and prepared to justify the reasons behind yourdecision.

Samuel Dash, widely known for his role as chief counsel to the SenateWatergate Committee, said "Learn to say no in situations where saying no canbe difficult, where it could mean getting fired. Say no anyway, because it couldlead you to greater opportunities."

Rule 8: Avoid Scope Creep

Scope creep is one of the most common reasons projects run over budget anddeliver late. Customers will often forget you have put in extra work and effort.Ensure that you set expectations at the beginning of the project and clearlydefine what is in and out of scope. Record it in the key project documentation.Don't assume the customer will read and understand these documents. Irecommend that you spend at least an hour with the customer to walk themthrough the project and ensure that they understand and agree the scope.Don't continue without firm agreement.

At number 5 on Rick Klemm's 'Top Ten Things Overheard on a Failing Software

3

Project', "This one small change shouldn't affect anything." Wrong! Smallchanges mount up and create overruns on both budget and schedule. Avoid!

Rule 9: Identify Risks to Your Project

Nobody likes to think about risks, especially early in a project. However, avoidrisk management at your peril. I recommend that you produce a risk log withan action plan to lessen each risk. Send your risk plan to all the stakeholders ofyour project and spend time to talk to them about the risks. Knowing whataction you will take, should the worst happen, is a great stress reducer.

Bart Jutte, founder and consultant at Concilio, says "The benefits of riskmanagement in projects are huge. You can gain a lot of money if you deal withuncertain project events in a proactive manner." Don't let risks sneak up andderail your project.

Rule 10: Close Your Project

By definition, projects have a finite life. A project that isn't closed will continueto consume resources. At the end of a project agree with the customer whetherthe critical success factors have been met. Ask them to sign-off, otherwise fixany areas of deficiency. I like to use a Customer Acceptance Form, which Ilodge with the PMO. At this point, you may like to ask your customer to fill outa customer satisfaction survey. They may have valuable information that willhelp you improve for future projects.

Manjeet Singh, in his 'Quick Guide to Project Management', says "During theclosing process, you formally accept the deliverables and shut down the projector its phases. You will also review the project and its results with your teamand other stakeholders of the project. At the end of the project, you willproduce a formal project closure document, and a project evaluation report."

In conclusion...

The job of project manager is a challenging one; however, it need not bestressful if you follow these 10 golden rules. Good luck in surviving life as aproject manager!

2013 Project Smart. All rights reserved.

4