Understanding The Work Structure of Project Management
The project management process requires a team to be formed who can successfully complete a project. At the head of the team is the project manager, and they must be able to delegate the tasks of the project to each member. The ability to do this properly will play a role in the success of the overall project.
As you can see, teamwork plays an important role in the project management process. One of the most common mistakes made by project managers is to have too many tasks for a single project. This tasks become so numerous that they turn into chores. It is easy to believe that the project must have a large amount of detail.
Another common mistake made by project managers is thinking that the project plan will basically be comprised as a step-by-step guide that will allow the team to complete the project. To make matters worse, a number of sponsors will also promote these techniques. They often see "beauty" in these large and overly detailed plans. The reason for this is because the misconception will be created that the project manager came up with all the aspects of the project. The truth of the matter is that this view is not realistic, especially for multi-functional products. Contrary to popular belief, having project plans that are too detailed can actually weaken the ability for a team to successfully complete a project.
The reason why I say this is because creating a project plan that is too detailed can lead to a situation where project managers need to micro-manage different members of the team. While micro-management can be useful when you are dealing with team members who are lazy or uncooperative, very few teams will actually be comprised of these individuals, since they would have a negative impact on the project. Those who are truly skilled and responsible will not enjoy being exposed to micro-management. When a project manager micro-manages their team, there is a tendency of the team to become dependent on them, and this can be detrimental to the success of the project.
When the members of a team are independent, they will each be responsible for the decisions they make. A number of studies have shown that project managers tend to be much more successful when they allow the members of their team to take responsibility for their own actions. When a project is based on tasks that are properly conceived, there is little that can stop the project from becoming a success. However, it is important for the members of the team to make sure they don’t forget the desired goals of the project. Another problem with creating a project plan that is too detailed is that it is often hard to handle. When team members are reporting to the project manager on each task they complete, the reports may be both inaccurate and late.
The project manager is responsible for processing a tremendous amount of information. The project manager may find that they are forced to stop some of their tracking because they have too many issues toe deal with. While this may not sound common, you would be surprised by how many projects have failed because of it. It is best for a project manager to have a weekly status update that gives information about the hours that members worked, as well has how much of the project has bee completed. The remaining time necessary to complete the task should be listed as well. When this is done, the project manager will have more control, and the members of the team will be responsible for their own actions.
One of the most popular tools for properly delegating tasks is called the WBS, or work breakdown structure. Those who use this will be able to design tasks and a method for monitoring their progress. It may be a good idea to break down tasks into specific achievements that each team member will be responsible for. By using this strategy, each member of the team will have a clear idea of what they must do, and there will be no need for the project manager to micro-manage anyone. It is this strategy that will lead to success on a project, because the team must be organized. If the team is not organized, there success will greatly be in doubt.
