Tag: project management

An On-Site Project Manager

You need an on-site
project manager.

This seems obvious
but I’ve recently been a part
of a couple projects
where this didn’t happen.

You can’t manage projects
from a distance.

Because a big part
of project management
is firefighting.
It is quickly dealing
with emergencies
and making those fast decisions.

That’s very difficult to do
if you’re not there,
on the site.

People have to hunt you down
and then describe the situation
over the phone or a video call
and it is impossible to describe
EVERYTHING that is happening.

The nuances WILL f*ck you
and your project up.

With the projects
I was involved in
that didn’t have on-site project managers,
someone else
(one time it was the client)
assumed that role.

These volunteer project managers
didn’t have the same agendas
as the true but off-site project managers.

It was a mess.

Have an on-site
project manager.

Scope Creep

I gave myself
the project of straightening up
some shelves.

While I was doing that,
I was tempted to declutter
those shelves too.

I was already
looking at the shelves.
I might as well
evaluate whether or not
I needed those items,
right?

Wrong.
This is a simple example
of scope creep
and it places the entire project
in jeopardy.

Because the time needed
to complete the project
with this add-on task
just increased.

I had the couple free minutes
that would be needed
to straighten up
the shelf.
I didn’t have the entire day
that would be needed
to declutter it.

I had a choice
– Either I limited the scope of my project
or I didn’t complete it at all.

Part of being a project manager
is controlling scope creep.

Keep your team focused
on the task
you truly want to complete.

Managing Projects And Communication

We had an outside project manager
for our solar project.

He sucked great big donkey b@lls.

He was terrible at scheduling
and time management.
But we would have been
okay with that
if he had communicated
the changes in scheduling.

He told us
work would start
on X day.

On X day,
we cleared our schedules
and waited around the site
for the team to arrive.

They never arrived.
The start day had been pushed back
yet again
and the project manager
didn’t inform us.

Communication is a HUGE part
of project management.

Aligning everyone
is often 90%
of the project manager role.

The right people have to be
in the right places
completing the right tasks
at the right time.

Ensure you communicate well
and often.

If A Project Doesn’t Start On Time

We’re completing a
major renovation.

Thus far,
the start date
has been delayed three times,
for a total of two weeks.

The reason given
for all these delays
is the previous project
ran over the time allotted.

The probability
our major renovation
will take only the five days
the project manager
proposes it will take
is now,
based on my experience,
zero.

A late start
means predicting the time needed
to complete a project
is a challenge
for the project manager.

They’ll
miscalculate
the amount of time needed
to complete ANY project.

Including any projects
we’re involved in.

If a project starts late,
know that it will take
longer than
the project manager expects it
to take.

Plan your life accordingly.

Preparation Is Part Of The Project

In project management,
we often focus on
the planning and the implementation.

Those ARE important parts.

They’re also exciting parts.

Planning involves dreaming
and what ifs.

Implementation involves
taking big action
and seeing the project come to life.

The part very few of us
get excited by
is…
the preparation stage.

We’re implementing solar
in our house, for example.

Before the skilled tradespeople arrived,
we had to prepare the key work sites.

That involved moving shelving
and cleaning spaces
and other tasks.

These were boring tasks.
But they were essential tasks.
And they increased the probability
of the project being successful.

Remember the preparation part
of the project.

It might not be exciting
but it is key.

The Benefit Of Seeing It Everyday

I’m often asked
why I use print calendars
to track some project tasks.

I use print calendars
because most of my tasks
are done on the screen
and it takes additional minutes
to switch
between screens.

It also gives me
a quick visual
of how that project
is progressing.

I always have the information
on the printed calendar
in front of me.

It is like putting
a post-it note
on the edge of my screen.
It is a constant reminder,
one I see every day.

That’s powerful.

Never underestimate
the power
of seeing something everyday.

Know The Different Uses For Your Product

I use wall calendars
to track to-do lists
for many of my projects.

I fold them
in half
so only the calendar part
is visible.

The calendars I received
from loved ones
for 2024
all have the month and year
printed
on the image part
of the calendar.

Which means
I had to write the month
and the year
on every page
of the calendar part.

Because some dumba$$
didn’t know
a significant portion
of their target customers
use their calendars this way.

Know the different uses
for your products.

Ensure your product design
serves those uses.

Share The Work Equally

I didn’t want to hear
complaints
on a project
so instead of sharing
the work 50/50
with my partner,
I took on 70%
of the work
and assigned only 30%
to the other person.

That 30% consisted
of easy tasks.

I still heard complaints.
And when I heard those complaints,
I was admittedly
extremely bitter
because I knew the person
wasn’t doing their fair share.

Share the work equally.

Then if you hear complaints,
you can renegotiate
from a stronger and a happier place.

Set Up Auto Reminders

One of the pain in the a$$ tasks
a project manager
has to complete
is reminding team members
to do their d@mn jobs.

This task sucks
a LOT of time.

What I suggest
is setting up
automatic reminder emails
at the beginning of the project.
Base this
on the original project timeline.

Then adjust the delivery dates
as the project timeline changes
and delete future emails
when project members complete
their tasks.

These automatic reminder emails
save time
and it also saves aggravation.

Set up automatic reminder emails
for the tasks
and team members
you manage.

Adding To Your Project Checklist

I have checklists
of all the things
I need to know
or do
or gather
for each type
of project.

I add to these checklists
during or after
each project.

For example,
I tried growing bell peppers
directly in the garden
this year.
That was a disaster.
The slugs ate them.

So I added
“Grow all bell peppers
in containers.”
to my gardening project checklist.

Before starting a project,
I’ll review the appropriate checklist
for that type of project.

In the Spring,
for example,
I’ll review my gardening checklist.

I’ll see
my note about growing peppers
in containers.
Do that.
And my chances of a great pepper harvest
will greatly increase.

Our lives
are already extremely complicated.

Make projects easier
by keeping checklists.

They will ensure
we learn from mistakes
and that will increase
our probability of success!