PROJECT MANAGEMENT 101: COMMUNICATION IS 90% OF THE JOB

Beth Fischi Alcatel-Lucent

Motive – Customer Experience Solutions

beth@motive.com

2015

Introduction

Beth Fischi

• Technical communicator ~17 years

• Sr. Technical Publications Manager

• Project Management Professional (PMP)

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

What we’ll cover today

• High-level overview of project management

• Best practices for common project issues

• Info on project management certification

• Q&A

WHY

NOT

JUST

WING

IT?

(There’s not enough time to plan anyway, right?)

Wasted

time

Lost money

Missed

opportunity

Death marches

Ruined

reputations

Yours, your coworkers,

your company.

A

t

t

r

i

t

i

o

n

Constant

interruptions

by your

boss

Why risk it?

Project Management –

the art of not winging it.

What project management is NOT

• The mere use of processes, tools,

techniques

• Using Microsoft Project to create a

schedule and then watch it unfold

like a precious rosebud

• Whipping underlings

• Making team members crazy:

• “What percent done are you?”

• “What about now?”…

• “What about now?”…

What project management IS

• The art of applying a consistent, defined framework and body of

knowledge (BOK) to a project to ensure its requirements are met

• The ability and experience to tailor the approach to the project

• Working in concert with your team, stakeholders, sponsors

• 90% communication

As defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI):

The application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute

projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for

organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals

— and thus, better compete in their markets.

PM and communications

90% of PM is

communication…

sound familiar?

As a

communicator,

you’ve got this!

Communication = Increased project success!

Right audience /

stake-holders

Right time

Right information

PM Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®)

• Defined by PMI’s PMBOK®

Guide

• Process-based, described

in terms of inputs, tools &

techniques, and outputs

• Includes:

• Framework

• Process groups

• Knowledge areas

• 47 processes

Framework highlights

• Project: Temporary & unique (not routine operation)

• Triple constraints… and more complex models

Customer Satisfaction

Process groups

Similar to:

• Start

• Plan

• Do

• Check & Act

• End

Knowledge areas

Stakeholder

Management

Best practices for common issues

Some takeaways from PMP study that overlap with

concerns we have as technical communicators:

• Estimating tasks better

• Resolving competing requirements

• Preventing disagreements over deliverables

• Dealing with conflict

• Influencing people

• Handling project changes

Our focus

today

Estimating tasks better (1/3)

• Example: My doc task took 10 days longer than planned

because <fill in usual reason>.

• Best practice:

• If possible, the person doing the work does the estimation.

• The estimator:

• Undertakes reasonable effort to understand and clarify requirements.

• Clarifies how refined the estimate must be.

• Records risks and assumptions made when estimating.

• Does not pad the task or include calendar time yet. Start with pure work

effort. (Reserves will be added later.)

• Uses the same units (hours, days, etc.) throughout.

• Can involve team members (communicate!) whenever feasible to get

other expert opinion – but ultimately the person doing the work should

decide.

TIME MANAGEMENT

My dog ate my

laptop

Estimating tasks better (2/3)

• When uncertain of task estimates, you can use one of the three-point estimating techniques:

• Triangular Distribution (Simple Average):

• Simple average of Pessimistic + Optimistic + Most Likely estimates

• Gives equal weight to all estimates

• Beta Distribution (Weighted Average):

• Weighted average of Pessimistic + Optimistic + Most Likely estimates

• Use when you want to give more weight to a type of estimate. Here, the “most likely” estimate is given the most weight, but you can modify this formula

TIME MANAGEMENT

Estimate key

P = Pessimistic

M = Most likely

O = Optimistic

(P+M+O) / 3

(P+4M+O) / 6

Estimating tasks better (3/3)

• To estimate risk, use Beta Activity Standard Deviation:

• Shows possible range for the estimate = potential variance for the task

= i.e., the larger the number, the riskier the activity

• Compare result of activities; work with project manager / leader to give

ones with larger numbers (higher risk) more reserves

• Reasons to work with PM before adding reserves:

1. PM needs to know risks to project and, as project integrator, standardizes

how reserves are created across team

2. Otherwise, team members arbitrarily determine padding

3. PM will love you and appreciate your assistance!

TIME MANAGEMENT

Estimate key

P = Pessimistic

O = Optimistic

(P-O) / 6

PMI and PMP

• The Project Management Institute (PMI) = not-for-profit association

for the project, program, and portfolio management profession

• About 700K members and 590K PM practitioners

• Standards for project management are the most widely recognized worldwide

• Requirements to become a Project Management Professional (PMP):

• Experience in PM: 4500 hours w/Bachelor’s or 7500 hours w/high school

diploma

• Professional PM education: 35 hours

• Approval to sit for the PMP certification exam: Application ($129 +$10 initial

fee; students $32) + exam fee (US $405 if PMI member)

• Pass exam: 4 hours, 200 questions

• Tips to move forward (see handout)

• For more info: www.pmi.org

Closing

• Reasons not to wing it

• What PM is and is not

• Role of communications in PM

• The PMBOK, including framework, process

groups, knowledge areas

• A best practice in time management

• Some information on how to get your PMP

certification

Q&A

Credits

• Slide 14: Photo credit: U.S. Signal Corps / Wikimedia Commons / Public

Domain – Stalin 1943.

• Slide 15: See: http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/About-Us-What-is-Project-

Management.aspx

• Slide 18:

• Image credit (left): Mapto / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

• Image credit (right): Recreated from Rita Mulcahey’s PMP Exam Prep, 8th

edition

• Slide 19: Image credit: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information

and Technology / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

• Slide 20: Image credit: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information

and Technology / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain (with added

“Stakeholder Management” to bring image up to PMBOK® 5th edition)

• “PMI”, the PMI logo, “PMP”, the PMP logo, “PMBOK”, “PgMP”, “Project

Management Journal”, “PM Network”, and the PMI Today logo are registered

marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.