Project Management for the Non-Project Manager

Project Management for the Non-Project Manager

Gary Gelb, MBA, PMPSeptember 29, 2016

Managing Products and BrandsFall 2016

[email protected]@garygelb.com

LinkedIn: garygelb Twitter: ggsquaredinny

Project Management for Non-Project Managers Gary Gelb

Project Management for Non-PMs

Overview• Students’ backgrounds • My background

Student Introductions• Who you are?• Project Management experience

formal or informal?• How much of your job is PM?• Biggest struggle w/ PM?


Project Management for Non-PMsGary Gelb, MBA, PMP• Undergrad – BS in MIS• Grad – NYU Stern, MBA Finance• PM roles since 1983• Television industry – 12 years:

• A+E Television Networks• NBC Universal / NBC Sports

• 3 Olympics• Linear TV systems & digital media

• SPS Student• Digital media / technology classes

• SPS Adjunct Instructor



Goals of Session• Broad understanding of Project

Management• Why it’s needed• Right way to do it• Further resources for more learning• Take-aways to help you immediately


• Introductions• What is Project

Mgmt, and why is it needed?

• Formality Objectives Project Charter Agendas

After Break• Critical Path

Anatomy of a Task CPM In-class exercise

• Project Management Tools

• Agile vs. Waterfall

Today’s Agenda

• Estimating• Break

What is Project ManagementAnd Why Do We Need It?



What’s a Project?• Temporary endeavor• Unique product, service or result• Definite beginning & end



What is Project Management?“…the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.”

- PMBOK, Fifth Edition



What is Project Management?• Define• Plan• Set expectations• Balance competing project constraints• Report progress & issues• Deliver, deliver, deliver – Meet

expectations



Why Do We Need It?


Professional Project Management


Competing Project Constraints

Iron (or PM) Triangle


Competing Project Constraints


So Why Do We Need PM?

Why are Project Delays the Norm?

• Uniqueness• Moving too fast• Poor communication• Optimism / Unrealistic scheduling• Missing information• Ambiguity• Requirements – lack of clarity and

completeness• Etc, etc, etc


So Why Do We Need PM?

Project Delays are the Norm

70% of government construction projects in UK are delayed

- (UK) National Audit Office (NAO), 1/11/2001

http://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Delays_on_construction_projects

Project Management for Non-Project Managers Gary GelbThe Formal Study of Project Management

• PMIProject Management Institute

• PMBOK Project ManagementBody of Knowledge (Fifth Ed.)

PMI Members467,000 in 204 Countries (2015)


• PMP - Project Management Professional

• CAPM - Certified Associate PM• PMI-ACP – PMI Certified Agile

Practitioner• Others…

PMI Certifications

http://www.pmi.org/Certification.aspx


http://blog.capterra.com/

The Formal Study of Project Management

PMP means nothing!

http://blog.capterra.com/10-dilbert-cartoons-that-get-project-management-just-right/




PMBOK Knowledge Areas (rows)

1.Integration Mgmt2.Scope Mgmt3.Time Mgmt4.Cost Mgmt5.Quality Mgmt

6. H.R. Mgmt7.Communications

Mgmt8.Risk Mgmt9.Procurement Mgmt10.Stakeholder Mgmt


Single-phase project

Eg. Plan a vacation, build a bookcase, design a logo

PMBOK Process Groups (cols)


Eg. Create a new blogPhase 1: Build blogPhase 2: Implement operating procedures

Phase 1


Phase 2

Two-phase project



Multi-phase project


• 10 Knowledge Areas• 5 Process Groups• 47 Project Management

Processes

PMI & PMBOK Summary

55% of Processes: PLANNING

PMBOK

Project Management Processes• 47 Project Management

Processes• 5 Process Groups• 10 Knowledge Areas

Example of Processes• Develop Project Charter• Define Activities• Sequence Activities


Formality


Formality Selectively Inject to

Improve…

• Planning• Documentation• Closing Loops & Reducing

Misses



Formality Selectively Inject to

Improve…


Clear and agreed upon objectives


Every project communicationmust have one

What are you trying to accomplish?Once identified, stick to objectives

Clear Objective


Every project communicationmust have one

Keeping the team on track is the PM’s job!!

Clear Objective

Keeping the team on track is the PM’s job!!


• Meeting Agendas• Project Charters• Informal

Conversations

Formality


Examples• Airline flight – Confirms destination • Surgery – Confirms left/right arm

Formality


• Meeting Agendas• Project Charters• Informal

Conversations

Formality


• Hi-level project summary• Business justification• Hi-level scope/requirements• Projected milestones• Key stakeholders• Hi-level risks• Assumptions/constraints• Out-of-scope• Projected costs

Project Charter Contents

Link to sample Project Charter templates

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B679GvLa167Nd04yWlF1Vm9iZG8


• Make sure you have one



Project Charter


• Project foundation• Require formal

approval• Do not begin w/out

Project Charter

Don’t forget:Operating cost & people after

project is done


• Meeting agendas• Project Charters• Informal

Conversations

Formality


• Can be delivered informally!

• Know your audience• Seeming too formal

can be a negative!

Formality

Estimating


Task Duration

Task (aka Activity)

StartDate

EndDate

Duration


•Duration, effort, or both?•Double all estimates?•PM ultimately owns

Realistic Estimating

GoalsObtain Duration estimates (&

Effort if necessary)


• Start & End date • Owning the estimate• You or someone else?• Once you accept someone’s

estimate, you now own it

Estimate Activity Durations


• Developing the estimate• Analogous estimating• Parametric estimating• Three-point estimating• Group decision making

techniques• Reserve analysis, aka buffer or

padding• Expert knowledge• SWAG


http://project-management-knowledge.com/definitions/s/swag/


• Three-point estimate


E = (O + M + P) / 3E days = (8 + 12 + 22) / 3E = 14 days

E = (O + 4M + P) / 6E days = (8 + 48 + 22) / 6E = 13 days

OrE = EstimateO = Optimistic or best caseM = Most likelyP = Pessimistic or worst case

Further reading on Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_estimation


• Nobody wants to commit to a date• Everyone is scared of missing a date• Everyone is overly optimistic• Management thinks everyone is overly pessimistic

Psychology of Estimating

Inaccurate EstimatesThe default for most human

beings & organizations


• Explore a range of estimates• Ask for historical experience• Explain nobody will be beaten• Look in their eyes or listen to their voices• Check back frequently• Keep asking why, why, why…• Talk them through it

Psychology of Estimating


• Regular validation• Revise estimates• Stay in touch w/ next step owner• Let them know what’s coming

when• Provide change info ASAP

• Communication of dates• Who should and should not give

them out?• Operational Definition of “Date”

Managing Expectations


Operational Definition of “Date”

Managing Expectations

Tell 3 different people project needs to be done by

May 1• Creative - comps done by May 1 • Programmer – code done May 1• PM – everything done by May 1

Critical Path Method (CPM)


Anatomy of a Task

Task (aka Activity)

StartDate

EndDate

DurationPred. Task

Pred. Task

Pred. Task

Predecessors- Task should have 1 or more, but- Can have none

Successor Task

Successors or Next StepsEvery task MUST have them

Successor Task

Successor Task


What is it?Critical Path

• Longest path through project• Items which can’t be delayed•Most time-impactful activities

What is it not?


Earliest or latest start & finish refer to task date

ranges whereby the project is completed in the

shortest possible time

These terms assume no project delay

Terminology CPM


1. Draw a box for each project activity, or task

2. Sequentially arrange all activities from start to finish

3. Enter task ID and duration

Critical Path Method (CPM)


Organize Tasks CPM

A

2 C

8

B

5 D

6

ID

Dur

Key:


In Every Box:1. Record earliest start

date2. Compute earliest finish

datea. Going forward, you addb. If multiple choices, use

highest number

Forward Pass CPM


Forward Pass CPM

A

2 C

8

B

5 D

6

ID

Dur

Key:


Forward Pass CPM

ES ID EF

Dur

0 A 2

2

Key:

2 C 10

8

2 B 7

5 10 D 16

6

Forward PassCalculates earliest possible

start and finish for each task


In Every Box:1. Record latest finish2. Calculate latest start

a. Going backward, subtractb. If multiple choices, use

lowest number

CPMBackward Pass


Backward Pass CPM

ES ID EF

LS Dur LF

0 A 2

0 2 2

Key:

2 C 10

2 8 10

2 B 7

5 5 10 10 D 16

10 6 16


Backward Pass CPM

ES ID EF

LS Dur LF

0 A 2

0 2 2

Key:

2 C 10

2 8 10

2 B 7

5 5 10 10 D 16

10 6 16

Backward PassCalculates latest possible

start and finish for each task, if project is not to be late


In Every Box:1. Calculate task slack

(float) as latest start – earliest start, orlatest finish – earliest finish

2. Identify critical path as tasks with no slack

Determine Slack & Critical Path


Identify Critical Path CPM

ES ID EF

Slack Slack

LS Dur LF

0 A 2

0 0

0 2 2

Key:

2 C 10

0 0

2 8 10

2 B 7

3 3

5 5 10 10 D 16

0 0

10 6 16

Critical PathComputes slack and tells you how

late any given can task be


1. What can be late, and how late

2. Schedule compression insight

3. Measure impact of change

4. Measure impact of delayed task

5. What-if analysis6. Monitor near-critical path

Critical Path Identification


Exercise: Critical Path

ES ID EF

Slack Slack

LS Dur LF


Critical Path Answer CPM

ES ID EF

Slack Slack

LS Dur LF

Key:

0 3 20 10 10 10 20 30

0 2 30 0 0 0 30 30

0 1 15 15 15 15 15 30

30 4 40 0 0

30 10 40

40 6 70 0 0

40 30 70

70 7 130 0 0

70 60 130

130 8 150 0 0

130 20

150

15 5 45 85 85

100 30

130


1. Successor – Every task must have one, except for final task

2. Automatic mode – never manual

3. Activities are activities – Use a verb

4. Resources – use person’s name

5. Display outline #s (WBS)

Project Software Best Practices


1. GranularityMatch the level to which you're managing• Too granular – list of site

sections?• Too broad – missed deadlines

2. Organization or Arrangement• Linearly by activity group, or • By deliverable or deliverable

group

Project Software Best Practices


Project Management or Project Scheduling Software Tools

Project Communication Tools

(Link)


Waterfall vs AgileWaterfall

Framework Agile Framework

Scope Fixed Flexible and changing

Customer involvement More upfront, but less overall

Throughout

Risk Technology & scope risk higher as project progresses

Less as project progresses

Work (Dev) cycles Larger and infrequent, though can be phased

Smaller with more frequent feedback

Ship End of project Incrementally at each sprint

Status Meetings Weekly (or more) Daily Stand-up


Waterfall vs Agile


• Generally for software dev

• No hard scope – open to change

• More time spent executing than planning

Agile vs WaterfallAgile

Development/PM


“The PMI (nor PMBOK) does not advocate any particular methodology”The Software Project Manager’s Bridge to AgilityBy Michele Sliger and Stacia Broderick

Agile vs WaterfallPMI Does Not

Specify


Agile Glossary• Sprint• Scrum / daily stand-up• Scrum master• Burndown chart• Backlog• User Story

For more info: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Agile-glossary-Words-2-Go

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Agile-glossary-Words-2-Go




Project Management

Thank you!

Project Management for the Non-Project Manager

Technology

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