Project Management should not be about firefighting.
On this episode of the Navigator, Brad Malone is joined by Tofiq Indawala, Director of Product Management at Solutions360 to continue our series of discussions on project management.
Too often, we see integrators that believe the role of the Project Manager is to be a great hero and save the day. But mature project management is about planning and addressing things early.
That said, we are seeing a shift in the industry, and many integrators are recognizing the importance of professional project management. We are also seeing a lot more interest in forming a Project Management Office (PMO).
What is a PMO?
Navigate often finds that there is confusion over the difference between a Project Manager and idea of project management as a function.
It is an important distinction that a PMO is not one person.
A PMO is a group of people that typically includes a Project Manager, a Sales Rep and Operations Manager. The PMO could also include a Project Coordinator, and people who do the resource calendar as part of that PMO and assigning resources to the project schedule.
What is essential for PMO success?
Beyond the role of a Project Manager, your integration company should consider how you sell and manage projects.
Projects always have uniqueness to them, but many projects have a lot of similarities. So, how do you sell projects that have a lot of similarities to them?
This is where having project management standards will make a big impact.
“I’ve trained thousands of people in project management for the Project Management Institute,” says Malone. “And to me, a mature Project Manager is managing a non-event if that makes sense. It’s like the Lao Tzu quote, where a good leader is one that people barely know he exists, and at the end of the battle, they wonder why they needed him.”
If you manage your project incredibly well, it will make that project look easy.
And there will be a real reduction in drama, chaos, and callbacks.
Doesn’t that sound good?
If you want to forward the discussion, or learn more about forming a PMO, we added a new document to our Resource Library. You can find it under Forms & Tools.
This tool lists all the questions you need to answer if you are thinking about forming a PMO.
Click the link below to download your copy for free!
