Master the Techniques of Project Management
Scope & Charter - Work with executives to formulate approaches to solving business problems and taking advantage of opportunities. The project scope defines the limits and end results of the project. The charter describes how the project will be managed, the risks it faces and the assumptions on which you are relying.
Work Breakdown Structure - Design dynamic project plans that deliver the desired business outcome as quickly and cheaply as possible. The work breakdown structure is a hierarchical listing of the tasks and achievements in the project. It is supported by work packages with all the detail, quality and process controls and estimates.
Predecessor Network - Map the relationship of the assignments or tasks in a project to control the sequencing of activities. Using predecessor relationships allows us to build a dynamic model and simulation of the project in the project software.
Effective Project Teams - Interact with the team members and make clear assignments that are well-matched to their capabilities. Good assignments are a project manager's principle tool for motivating and controlling work on the project.
Scheduling & Budgeting - Use software tools to accurately schedule projects and effectively utilize resources. We need to ensure that the project schedule is based on the real availability of people as well as realistic duration or work estimates.
Problem Solving - Good project managers have the tools and techniques to spot small problems and solve them early, rather than facing big problems when it's too late.
Status Reporting - Project managers keep everyone informed on the progress being made and offer solutions to problems they encounter. Status reports should be decision-making tools with quantified alternatives to consider. |
