An old Irish saying includes the line “may the wind always be at your back”. I was reminded of this a few days ago while cycling to work along Boston’s esplanade. With a stiff breeze off the Charles River, it made the journey that much more difficult and unenjoyable. While I’m not yet crazy enough to suggest that one can change the direction of the wind (I tried that once using a shamanic ritual but it didn’t work), I can recommend some project management tools to align the wind to be at your back. Using these tools can make your project journey that much more enjoyable and successful.
Some of these tools include a well-written and sponsor-supported project charter. The charter document starts the team off on the right foot, communicates the project at a high-level to the team and other stakeholders, and authorizes the project to begin. Another great tool is a communications management plan. This document enables the team to identify who needs project information, when they need it, how often they need it, and in what format.
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is another wonderful tool the team uses to break down the work into manageable tasks (typically with duration of one week or less). Each task can then be estimated and assigned to a resource. By using a WBS, it is possible to get an idea of the overall duration of the project, and it can be used to plan the entire effort.
A project manager’s toolbox contains many other tools to align the wind to your back. Some of these include a responsibility matrix (RACI document), status reports, risk planning, team building exercises, etc. The good news is that all of these tools are available on the PMO’s website.
By using these tools, the team can minimize strong head winds and turbulence. Proper planning with the right tools can and does make all the difference on projects. I’m still not sure what methodology to deploy to avoid cycling against the prevailing winds of Boston, though. What might you suggest?