tools of the trade. project management

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Performance Improvement Volume 41 Number 1 43 TOOLS OF THE TRADE By its nature, a performance intervention is a temporary and unique activity designed to fix a problem or to seize an opportunity. A successful intervention typically involves planning, budgeting, organizing, and executing tasks and processes, as well as coordinating with a variety of people. For these reasons, a successful human performance specialist should have a basic understanding of project management and possess good project management skills. Two high-quality resources on the topic of project management are Managing Performance Improvement Projects: Preparing, Planning, and Implementing (1997), by International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) member Jim Fuller, and No Surprises Project Management: A Proven Early Warning System for Staying on Track (1999), by ISPI member Timm Esque. Fuller’s Managing Performance Improvement Projects features a system for man- aging performance improvement projects. Unlike many generic project manage- ment books, this book is specifically written for the human performance technology (HPT) professional. It takes a comprehensive approach that addresses the importance of obtaining project sponsorship, how to manage the performance change within the organization, and how to accelerate a project to get it done as soon as possible. Esque’s No Surprises Project Management provides step-by-step how-to guide- lines in the form of detailed checklists, logistical information, and suggested agendas and templates. Esque has designed this to be a practical workbook that can be used quickly to develop commitment-based project plans originating from focused team planning meetings. In addition, HPT professionals can benefit from high-quality project management software. One of the most successful and largest selling project management products is Microsoft Project 2000 (developed by a small company out of Redmond, Washington). At the time of this writing, Microsoft had not yet announced a new version of Project 2000. Project 2000 can assist the efforts of all HPT professionals, whether they are working as part of a multidepartmental performance effort or working solo as an outside contractor. Using an interface that will be very familiar to those who use Microsoft Outlook and other Microsoft Office programs, Project 2000 opens with a variety of viewing options in a task bar configuration that runs down the left side of the screen, while the chosen view is displayed to the immediate right. Projects can be viewed in 23 different ways, such as calendars, Ganntt charts, Project Management by Mark J. Lauer

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Page 1: Tools of the trade. Project management

Performance Improvement • Volume 41 • Number 1 43

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

By its nature, a performance intervention is a temporary and unique activitydesigned to fix a problem or to seize an opportunity. A successful interventiontypically involves planning, budgeting, organizing, and executing tasks andprocesses, as well as coordinating with a variety of people. For these reasons, asuccessful human performance specialist should have a basic understanding ofproject management and possess good project management skills.

Two high-quality resources on the topic of project management are ManagingPerformance Improvement Projects: Preparing, Planning, and Implementing(1997), by International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) member JimFuller, and No Surprises Project Management: A Proven Early Warning Systemfor Staying on Track (1999), by ISPI member Timm Esque.

Fuller’s Managing Performance Improvement Projects features a system for man-aging performance improvement projects. Unlike many generic project manage-ment books, this book is specifically written for the human performancetechnology (HPT) professional. It takes a comprehensive approach that addressesthe importance of obtaining project sponsorship, how to manage the performancechange within the organization, and how to accelerate a project to get it done assoon as possible.

Esque’s No Surprises Project Management provides step-by-step how-to guide-lines in the form of detailed checklists, logistical information, and suggestedagendas and templates. Esque has designed this to be a practical workbook thatcan be used quickly to develop commitment-based project plans originating fromfocused team planning meetings.

In addition, HPT professionals can benefit from high-quality project managementsoftware. One of the most successful and largest selling project managementproducts is Microsoft Project 2000 (developed by a small company out ofRedmond, Washington). At the time of this writing, Microsoft had not yetannounced a new version of Project 2000.

Project 2000 can assist the efforts of all HPT professionals, whether they areworking as part of a multidepartmental performance effort or working solo as anoutside contractor. Using an interface that will be very familiar to those who useMicrosoft Outlook and other Microsoft Office programs, Project 2000 opens witha variety of viewing options in a task bar configuration that runs down the leftside of the screen, while the chosen view is displayed to the immediate right.Projects can be viewed in 23 different ways, such as calendars, Ganntt charts,

Project Managementby Mark J. Lauer

Page 2: Tools of the trade. Project management

44 www.ispi.org • JANUARY 2002

network diagrams, resource graphs, milestone charts, andtask sheets and task usage charts. Users can modify the for-mat and views using standard or easily customizable toolbars.

A number of specific features in this program may be usefulto HPT professionals. Users can do the following:• See one critical path in master projects to calculate the

latest finish date across all subprojects.• Access templates to build and modify a project to fit a

particular situation. For example, users can clear previ-ously saved baseline information for an entire project,or just for selected tasks, so a project or set of tasks maybe used as a template for a future project.

• Order tasks and entire projects by priority to improve visi-bility, planning, and efficiency in using project information.

• Assign task times in extremely flexible ways. Timeoptions range from a single day to years.

• Use graphic indicators to convey critical information.This includes “stoplight” indicators that representalerts when aspects of a project are not going as planned.

One of the most unique and sophisticated features is theProject Central. Project Central allows users to communicateproject information using a combination of Project 2000, theInternet, and a company’s intranet. This could be of greatbenefit for performance projects that are predicated on suc-cessful integration of individuals who may be spread acrossa corporate campus, a country, or the world. Task assign-ments, task status updates, and other reports may be sentand displayed via the Internet or an intranet. Project filesmay also include hyperlinks that launch network documentsthat can provide access to Excel spreadsheets, Word docu-ments, or Access databases. It should be noted that multiplelicenses are needed to take advantage of this feature.

HPT professionals need a basic understanding of projectmanagement, as well as a good command on project man-agement skills. Without such skills and knowledge, they

cannot use Project 2000 to its fullest capabilities. That is,project management software packages like Project 2000 aretools that should be used to leverage the information andskills previously derived from other project managementresources and experiences.

If you have a good handle on project management conceptsand practices, chances are you’ll be off and running imme-diately with Project 2000. If you are a project managementnovice in need of high-quality information about the topic,start by reviewing books and other instructional materials,including those written by ISPI members Fuller and Esque.By using a solid base of project management informationand a powerful tool like Project 2000, HPT professionals canincrease their effectiveness and chances of success in mostperformance interventions.

References

Esque, T.J. (1999). No surprises project management: Aproven early warning system for staying on track. MillValley, CA: ACT Publishing.

Fuller, J. (1997). Managing performance improvement projects: Preparing, planning, and implementing. SanFrancisco: Pfeiffer & Co.

Tools of the Trade contributor Mark J. Lauer is a perfor-mance improvement consultant with PerformanceKnowledge, Inc. Mark is also a doctoral candidate inInstructional Systems Technology at Indiana University.

If you have suggestions for software or other tools thatwould be of interest to performance technologists, emailPerformance Improvement Editor James A. Pershing [email protected]. Additional products will be fea-tured in future issues of PI.

Esque Bookis Makingan ImpactOne of the greatest challenges facing training and performance improvement professionals is thesustainability of the solutions we implement on behalf of our clients. As we and our clients directour attention to the next important performance issue, problems we thought we had fixed tend toresurface.

In Making an Impact: Building a Top-Performing Organization From the Bottom Up, performanceimprovement consultant Timm J. Esque offers a viable alternative to conventional performance con-sulting—the Self-Sustaining Performance System.

In this innovative approach individuals, teams, and whole organizations are taught to set up threeconditions to ensure that performance issues are either avoided or addressed promptly and withlong-term impact. In the simplest terms, the three conditions are 1) clear performance expectations,2) frequent, self-monitored feedback, and 3) control of resources needed to meet the expectations.

Making an Impact is filled with real-world examples, flowcharts, and templates that will help youmake a valuable and sustainable impact on any organization.

ISPI Publications/CEP Press.©2001 • 114 pages

List Price: $16.95

ISPI Member Price: $15.25

To order call, 301.587.8570