Small Projects Need PM Too.

It’s a popular urban myth. “This is only a small project, we don’t need a project manager”.

Understandable perhaps. It is easy to think that small things don’t need as much attention as large things.

The problem is, you do a lot of small things, and if there are problems with a lot of them, that can have a major impact on your company.

Of course, you are thinking, he would say that. He’s a Project Manager. That’s how they all think. But, no, that is not the case. I always have my client’s best interest at heart. After all, have I ever lied to you before, baby?

Small Projects Mean Small PM Cost

This isn’t the most important reasons — or is it? Try as you might, as a manager or whatever you are, it’s hard for many people to look at a Project Management and not see dollar signs.

But the amount of time that a PM spends on a project is generally proportional to it’s size and so small projects should mean only a small investment on the part of your PM.

Want to Really Save Money? Streamline your PM Methodology

It’s true. The most important things a PM can do are removing roadblocks, facilitating meaningful communication, and keeping the focus on today.

But where do we tend to spend most of our time? Yep, I guessed it — filling out meaningless reports and spending a ridiculous amount of time tracking things not worth tracking.

So, if you want to use a PM for small projects and not incur a big cost, cut back on some of the methodology. It honestly can be done without sacrificing the quality of your projects. (And that goes double for big projects too.)

Small Projects Need PM

The number one reasons, albeit the least important in your taxonomy, is that small projects need PM as much as big ones, probably more.

Small projects are the kinds of things that can drag on and on. Every project that is not efficiently and timely done feeds an almost invisible fungus that says “we can’t do nothin’ on time” which leads to “we can’t do nothing right” that quickly disintegrates into “we suck” which is a direct pipeline to “I don’t want to work here anymore”.

And small projects tend to have a carry over effect on big projects. They siphon off resources. They take up time. They get in the way. And so, sometimes the best thing you can do for your big project is to get your small project over as expeditiously as possible.

Elevator Pitch(3 sentences, no excuses)

Small projects can have a big impact on what you can get done. Small projects should result in small PM cost IF you get your PM to concentrate on the big 3 (remove roadblocks, facilitate communication, focus on today).