It’s Time To Start Looking Forward – Here’s How!
It’s obvious that not all Project or Program Managers are the same… but how can you tell the difference? Well, it’s not as difficult as it sounds – in fact you might find the answer lies right here.
Effective project and program managers are always looking forward. Looking for potential hurdles, challenges, and obstacles; then moving or planning around them so they don’t impede progress. Such people have a good handle on whether and when success will be declared.
Ineffective project and program managers are always looking backwards. Telling you what’s gone wrong and where things were up to the last time they reported. Not helpful.
Unfortunately there are far more ineffective than effective project managers, and in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the ineffective, there’s been a significant increase in reporting requirements on projects and programs. ‘Red, Amber, Green’ (RAG) reports have become a default standard but how often do they tell the true story? What’s the actual status?
Here’s a sample of a report I use to show what should be completed, by when, and where the investment should be against progress (each colour is a project within a program but it works just as well for projects on their own).
I find this is well understood and accepted by senior management and boards. It really doesn’t allow for obfuscation and percentage driven indications – which are so often just wishful thinking. I call it binary reporting – it’s either done or it isn’t. Add to this a simple page listing assistance required and you are sure to get the actual picture.
Please feel free to use the format – just click on the link to access the full size sample report: http://www.slideshare.net/rncglobal/programme-timeline-sample-final-version-1072010
Better to have looked ahead and planned for a disaster that didn’t happen than to be blindsided by one that could have been foreseen.