Want this job? Large Project Delivery

I’m so over position descriptions with their passive voice and vanilla statements.

I prefer a contribution statement, active voice, which tells it like it is. Here’s one I came up with which speaks to the truth. It’s fun, relax.

All responsibility, no authority

The contribution you are expected to make is:

· Deliver the wanted outcome of a large project.

You will need to:

Ensure there is a clear and plausible reason for the project
Rework the business case to show compelling ROI (Intangibles not accepted)
Communicate with clarity and energy
Make sure everyone in and around the project is on the same page
Prepare for kick off workshops then organise the agenda,send invitations, confirm attendance, book the venue, prepare presentations, organise the food & transport. Have a backup plan to run the workshop alone when everyone pulls out at the last minute
Influence across and through the organisation to secure resources as and when needed
Negotiate 5 and 10% of people’s time to ‘help’ with the project
Plan the delivery using part-time staff – and still deliver as though they are full -time
Allocate work and chase people
Do what it takes without upsetting anyone
Work seamlessly across time zones, languages, cultures and competing demands
Work with the customer to figure out what it is that they want. Deliver what they said they wanted. Shoulder responsibility when they change their mind
Willing and able to complete seemingly endless paperwork and meet increasing and often down right strange requests for differing reports
Meet the deadline which was set before you determine feasibility and resourcing and before you made a plan

The resources you will have:

Access to key people – when they can give it
A very small full-time team but most of the resources you need will also have another job which will come first
No authority over resources
A sponsor who is too busy most of the time to actually listen and help
A delegate sponsor who can’t actually make a decision without going back to the sponsor
An antagonistic steering committee
An EPMO insisting on reports in various shades and varieties. Reports which add no value to the project, but which will take approx. 1 day a fortnight to prepare
Full responsibility and accountability for delivering the results – yes you will be ‘finished up’ if things don’t get well
Approx 2/3 of the budget you think it will take
Virtual resources who may of may not be available as needed
No authority over suppliers

In exchange you will:

Be paid
Work approx. 15 hours a day (often not continuously but broken to follow timezones)
Be criticized by all stakeholders (that’s how you’ll know you’re on track)
Attend the success party (and enjoy not being recognised for your contribution – the sponsor and team did it, you were only the facilitator); or
Shown the door if you can’t do it.

In the end:

It’s your job to make it happen. You’re responsible and accountable.

No excuses.

Want the job?

Every now and then I get in the mood to write. It’s usually about projects and their ecosystems. If you’ve like to read others of mine please click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianedromgold/detail/recent-activity/