Companies that want results need to ensure that every task an employee performs adds value to the organization. That requires a close examination of why expectations aren't being met in order to improve processes. It's time to take a head-on approach to issues that prevent companies from hitting performance targets. You'll take a fresh look at the most common issues that hurt companies and learn how to properly incorporate planning into the work process track the costs of defects and repairs when determining project costs form teams with a clear mission and the authority to complete tasks work toward a common goal instead of working against each other Break down complex project methodology into principles that are easy to understand and that actually work. Multiple exercises reinforce principles and best practices that can be applied to diverse situations. Examine the important factors that are hurting results at your organization, and start focusing on adding value with A Fresh Look at Improving Your Work Environment.

A FRESH LOOK AT IMPROVING YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

Using Project Management PrinciplesBy Steve Houseworth

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Steve Houseworth, PhD, PMP
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-5623-1

Contents

Introduction: Adding Value................................................................xiSection 1: Foundations....................................................................1Chapter 1: The Work Environment...........................................................1Chapter 2: Quick Reference about Projects.................................................10Chapter 3: Instilling Foundations in Your Organization....................................15Chapter 4: Steps of all work – in or out of a project framework.....................23Section 2: Form and Function..............................................................31Chapter 5: Facilitating processes.........................................................33Chapter 6: Work Breakdown Structure Discovery Sessions....................................48Chapter 7: Metrics........................................................................57Section 3: Mobility and Traction..........................................................69Chapter 8: Methodologies..................................................................69Chapter 9: Roles and responsibilities.....................................................84Chapter 10: Create your future............................................................94Closing Comments..........................................................................103Appendix..................................................................................105Index.....................................................................................115

Chapter One

The Work Environment

The Ethic

My goal is to describe how to create an ethic within your organization so that everyone understands how work should be structured to add value to the organization. Secretaries, administrators, executives, business analysts, architects, electricians, etc. would be able to recognize things like:

? Risks

? Changes

? Cost and Quality

? Planning and Scheduling

Here are a few sample scenarios:

Risk scenario:

Fred sees something that seems odd. "I need to read the work order one more time to be sure it means what I think it does. OK, I was right and I see problems if I complete the work order "as is". Seems that not everything was thought through. Hmmm, this work order presents several risks that if they happen can mean serious issues. I guess this is a good time to see if my boss and his boss are serious that part of my role and responsibility as an employee is to raise these concerns."

Comment: In this example, the work culture should empower, encourage and reward Fred for raising these risks. Even if they eventually don't amount to anything. Fred is about to find out if the work culture supports him. How would people in your organization evaluate management's support to prevent risks? Also, see the section in Chapter 10 about the value of finding defects early. A sample tool is provided that helps evaluate cost savings.

Change scenario:

Irene is walking back to her desk thinking: "I just attended a meeting where executives insisted that two new features be added to our product by next month. The product has been under development for two years. No one on the project team dared to challenge the executives, but these changes are minor "nice to haves". If they are so important they should have been known and added long ago. Adding them now will take at least six months – not one. Bummer because, every month delay is costing us $100K of missed opportunity."

Comment: The work culture should constrain executives from doing this and should empower, encourage and reward others to challenge this type of action. In this example, the executive sponsor of the project is in an excellent position to protect the project from these unnecessary scope changes. In fact the value of executives understanding how they can support projects is the reason why I wrote the companion book, "Project Management for Executives and those who want to Influence Executives."

Cost and Quality scenario:

Norm is incredulous at what is happening: "I can't believe what I'm seeing. We electricians wired three floors before the drywall was installed, per the work sequence. Now, the crew cutting holes for outlet boxes are cutting through the drywall too deep, severing our wires. What a waste and cost increase because fixing this will take longer than the original wiring installation. Quality is going to be compromised by splicing the wiring to fix it. This means electricians will need to return to fix a problem we did not create before we can install the outlet boxes." "I have to stop this from getting worse."

Comment: The drywall installers are operating with a limited view of their job: "Get in, get out, get paid"; rather than an overall view of the value their job adds to the organization. Even if the drywall installers and electricians are vendors who are just executing their work orders, the work culture of their companies and the culture that develops contracts between companies, should empower, encourage and reward people to ensure that their one job is viewed within the total value of the work.

Planning and Scheduling scenario:

Robert came across several design documents that Jill posted to the project folder that were not expected at this stage of work. He decides to ask. "Jill, you're already working on designs and developing test cases? Aren't you supposed to submit the client's initial work request to the project manager so that we can plan and schedule the work before we begin designs?"

Jill: "Oh, that will just take too much time. Besides, all that planning stuff sounds good, but the client will just keep dragging their feet and we'll end up working evenings and weekends for the last two months, just like the last time. We didn't have a schedule nor did we plan the work then either. I'm the unit supervisor, so I don't have to follow that project process stuff."

Comment: See the slogan in Chapter 3 "Just because people are busy does not mean they are productive". Jill is potentially creating a lot of rework by making assumptions regarding designs and requirements for tests. Without the designs and detailed requirements the final solution and necessary tests can be quite different. Everyone in the organization should be willing to structure and plan work to ensure that the right work is planned and is performed as scheduled. Adjustments can always be made along the way, but planned and scheduled work allows adjustments to be controlled rather than uncontrolled. In fact, employees with higher levels of responsibility, like a unit supervisor, should be positive examples for others rather than negative examples.

I actually worked with people like Jill who knew that not planning or scheduling work would lead to problems, but they pushed ahead anyway – bouncing from one crises to the next like riding a wild stallion and complaining every moment about the situation they created. A central point here is that everyone can identify the right things to do, if they are provided the right structured environment and reinforcement. From secretaries to contract employees to research engineers, a project management oriented work environment can be used by all.

Development Exercise: I want to give you something to think about while you...