Project Management — the Common Sense Approach
Not all PMs wear capes
All hail the PM
The role of a Project Manager (PM) is critical to the success of a project. Critical. I wouldn’t entertain the idea of undertaking a project without a PM to manage it. It can mean the difference between a project being delivered within all the usual metrics (time, scope, budget, etc.) or not. But it doesn’t mean that the PM performs some sort of magic to make things happen.
Project Management is common sense.
My PM journey
For as long as I can recall I was fascinated with the idea of project management. To be in charge of delivering a project that would, ultimately, be of benefit to others. Whether in IT or Healthcare (my areas of expertise) I could see the real-world implications.
After graduating from uni (college) I undertook post-grad studies to gain a diploma in PM. What first stood out for me during this course was just how “common sense” a lot of this was. Sure, it had the structure of a specific methodology, but the application was logical to me. I remember thinking, “Of course I’d do that. What else would I do in that scenario?” Duh!
After working as a PM for a number of years, I decided that more formal qualifications were required (mainly because many tenders that I responded to stated as much) and Prince2 was the winner.
This methodology closely resembled what I’d previously learned and was already practising…albeit, using different terminology. But, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Project management is common sense.
Down the road
Many years down the track, it is crystal clear to me that to be able to successfully manage a project to completion, above all else you must exercise common sense with key decisions. Times when the project appears blocked. Times when resources seem unavailable. Times when people seem to be doing the opposite of what was asked of them. It’s about being flexible and taking a step back to look at the bigger picture. Would a formal qualification make you “better” at that? Maybe. But, without common sense thinking, you would most certainly fail.
To be clear, I’m not arguing against PM qualifications nor the myriad of project management approaches out there. However, I know many PMs that have successfully delivered big ticket projects without formal qualifications. I’m sure you know what worked in their favour — Project management is common sense.
In my view, the formal qualification route is a “box-ticking” exercise– conforms to requirements. And most will need to do that to get a PM role in the first place. But don’t let the methodology define you. It’s not what you know, it’s how you use what you know.
So many choices!
Prince2. PMBOK. Lean. Agile. Waterfall. Scrum. Six Sigma
As the ProjectManager website states:
A project management methodology is a set of principles, tools and techniques that are used to plan, execute and manage projects.
A set of principles, tools and techniques. Pick a couple of these methodologies and have a closer look at them. At face value they may look vastly different. But when you zoom out, the message and high level methodology is clear and consistent — do everything you can (ie. apply your influence) to ensure that tasks remain on schedule, and the project remains on course for timely completion. If anything veers off course, do everything you can (ie. apply your influence) to correct that course.
Sure, each methodology has it’s own nuances…workflows, documentation requirements and terminology, but it’s all relatable. Nothing is unique or groundbreaking.
While each methodology will give you the tools to apply in all instances, it comes down to the PM to execute.
Project management is common sense.
