At this year’s NCBC, I had the pleasure of attending breakout session, “So You Have a Project – Applying Lessons and Tools from Project Management to Your Own Project. Instructor Richard Marshall noted when you have a project to do, “Plan the work; work the plan!” It is often perceived that once a timeline has been established, the path to the realization of a goal is almost certain. In actuality, there are many more components to consider. Planning what is needed and how to get to a desired goal greatly improves the successful completion of a project. Essentially, planning provides a framework of information needed to produce the desired outcome of a project.
Now, of course you had to attend the session in order to be privy to all the juicy details. Since one component of NCBC is about sharing, here is the quick “411”, if you will. Be gone scratch paper and Post-Its© of notes that no one can understand, not even you! Enter now the Planning Definition Document (“PDD”)! Sounds official right? It is the why (purpose), who (stakeholders), what (goal, success criteria, constraints, risks, recommended approach, organizational change issues), when (scope) and how (resources) of a project. A portion of that information may be provided at the time the project is assigned. However, it also provides for additional information so that we can be assured the project will head towards the desired goal.
But wait, there’s more!! Once the PDD is completed, create a Work Breakdown Structure (“WBS”). It is an ordered diagram of the work needed to be done to complete the project. As instructor Marshall noted, it should, “show what HAS to be done, not WHEN”. The when comes in during Sequencing and Scheduling. The aforementioned is the determination of what has to be done in what order and what can be done simultaneously. The latter incorporates the information provided and as various stages of the work is planned and accomplished, it demonstrates the movement of the project to fruition.
Exactly, who knew!?! Now as I mentioned, that was just the quick “411”.
Since knowledge is power, I would like to share with you, two book suggestions instructor Marshall provided at our breakout session:
1 - The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande
2 - Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management, by Greg Horine
“If you didn’t learn anything at NCBC, then you weren’t there.”
Quote by Johanne Rémy and possibly many others
Now, of course you had to attend the session in order to be privy to all the juicy details. Since one component of NCBC is about sharing, here is the quick “411”, if you will. Be gone scratch paper and Post-Its© of notes that no one can understand, not even you! Enter now the Planning Definition Document (“PDD”)! Sounds official right? It is the why (purpose), who (stakeholders), what (goal, success criteria, constraints, risks, recommended approach, organizational change issues), when (scope) and how (resources) of a project. A portion of that information may be provided at the time the project is assigned. However, it also provides for additional information so that we can be assured the project will head towards the desired goal.
But wait, there’s more!! Once the PDD is completed, create a Work Breakdown Structure (“WBS”). It is an ordered diagram of the work needed to be done to complete the project. As instructor Marshall noted, it should, “show what HAS to be done, not WHEN”. The when comes in during Sequencing and Scheduling. The aforementioned is the determination of what has to be done in what order and what can be done simultaneously. The latter incorporates the information provided and as various stages of the work is planned and accomplished, it demonstrates the movement of the project to fruition.
Exactly, who knew!?! Now as I mentioned, that was just the quick “411”.
Since knowledge is power, I would like to share with you, two book suggestions instructor Marshall provided at our breakout session:
1 - The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, by Atul Gawande
2 - Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management, by Greg Horine
“If you didn’t learn anything at NCBC, then you weren’t there.”
Quote by Johanne Rémy and possibly many others