Project Management for the Small Business or Organization

Defense AT&L, Jan-Feb, 2008, by Wayne Turk

Good project management: Is it art, science, or just dumb luck? The answer is that it’s not one but actually a little of all three. There is plenty of room for creativity and flexibility, but there are some good rules to follow. And to be successful is going to require at least a little good luck most of the time. But let’s go back to the rules. I would like to present 20 guidelines or key principles that, if followed, will give a project manager the highest probability of success. Sorry, no one can give a money-back guarantee of success. There are just too many variables over which the project manager doesn’t have control.

Here are the 20 project management guidelines I think are critical. They aren’t in any type of priority listing because all are important. Some readers are going to say they’ve heard all this before, that it’s old hat, tradition, common sense, or something similar. Maybe it is tradition because the guidelines work!

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So now that we’ve established that you have been doing projects all along and maybe didn’t realize, the next question is who has been managing it.

So whats a Project Manager……

A project manager run projects, define what needs to be done to meet what the users want, put together the project plans, gather and manage resources. And pretty much make sure that everything runs on track and the project completes on time, on budget, and to the specifications that were requested.

I know your thinking well we have somebody who does all that. We’ll you’re right, I’ll be the first (or maybe the second, LOL) to tell you that many people who don’t have the job title or the certification are indeed project managers. In small businesses and/organization often the person who manages project is the owner, supervisor, president, chairperson, or just a volunteer designee. Although these people may not have the formal training or the background they still manage projects and many manage them very well. So when you think well where’s is our Project Manager look around with a little training, education, and experience many people right in your organization can be project managers.

So if you are aspiring to be that project manager in your group or you just want to hone your skills, this blog is here to help. 

Here’s a little funny clip on how NOT to be a good project manager:

According to the PMBOK 3rd Ed. a project is a “temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result“. The key words her are temporary and unique.

So what is temporary? Temporary meaning it has a definite beginning and an end (PMBOK, 3rd. Ed)

And what is unique? Unique meaning it is unlike any other project or process undertaken by this organization

So how does that relate to your organization? Well here are some examples of projects: the Annual Bake sale, The Winter Dinner Dance or Gala, the Bus Trip to the Capital, the new Food Bank you’re starting, the annual coat drive you hold. See you have been doing projects all of this time and maybe didn’t realize.

But wait some of these projects have the word “Annual” which means they aren’t unique, they happen every year. Well that’s where the definition of project gets a little tricky, even if you do something regularly it can still be considered a project. If key elements change every time you hold an event then it’s considered a project. For example if every year you change the theme, location, season of your Annual Gala it’s a project. If for this year’s bake sale your hosting at the school and only focusing on cookie baking; and next year you are moving to the fair and focusing on cakes then you have a project.

So now your thinking everything we do is a project, Wow that’s a lot of work. Well not quite everything you do. Things that you do regularly and only make minor changes is not a project. So if you always hold your Gala in the Spring, at the church, with a Shooting for the Stars theme, and you only change the colors then that’s not a project. If you meet monthly but always at a different member’s house, that to is not a project.

Whew!!! this project stuff just got a little easier. Well here’s an even better part about project management once you set it up, you have all the tools in place to easily do a similar project. We’ll discuss planning in another topic but the plans you put in place for that first bake sale or first meeting can easily be adapted to help with the next event.

I know I have  focused on events for this example but there are many other things you do that is a projects, like the definition say a unique product service, or result. So here are a few more examples:

• creating a new specialty pizza recipe for your restaurant (product)
• revamping the constitution and bylaws for your organization (result)
• developing the curriculum for a new class in your tutoring program (product)
• expanding your business to now offer cat sitting(service)

So there you have it many things you have already been doing are projects, so read on and see how you can improve some of things you have already been doing.

Many people when they think Project Management and Project Mangers they thing big business, huge coorporations, and a lot of work.

They don’t think mom and pop shop, church choir, PTA or local philanthropy group. They also don’t think cost effective, can reduce the number of people needed, smooth and efficient programming and blue prints for years to come. All valuable things that smaller groups can use to improve your everyday operations.

Well this blog is dedicated to you…..

In this blog you’ll  find valuable information on how to incorporate simple project management techniques to help improve your groups programming. 

Sooo What Makes me an expert?

Well I’m not, but I am a certified Project Management Professional(PMP) certified by the Project Management Institute. And I have worked for over 6 years managing IT projects for a leading healthcare institution. But more importantly I have been active member of a community conscious action oriented orgainzation where I have served as fundraising chair, advisor, coordinated community service events etc. Through the years I have found that incorporating some of the skills I aquired as PMP to my local group we were able to achieve bigger and better things. And now I want to share with all of you.