Chapter 1 Flashcards
Why is it that the majority of projects dont meet initial objectives?
According to Standish Group’s Chaos Reports, many projects tend to sacrifice time and cost in order to deliver the demands of quality. PM’s value being on target as a more important goal that the others.
THe same group also reports that the larger the project, the higher the fail probability will be.
Why does it matter what we call a project?
If we are indeed working with a project, it will benefit us to apply project management techniques. However, they will often be costly and difficult to use. Therefore, if we dont have to use them, we would probably be better of without using them.
I suppose a lot of the reason we need different set of tools for PM is becasue of handling things like uncertainty, change etc.
Elaborate shortly on operations vs project management.
Operations are activities that follow a pattern. They could be defined as easy to understand and easy to execute.
Project management indicates that there is something to manage. If there is a need to manage something, we are most likely looking at something that can be perceived as difficult, and maybe complex as well. We need tools to navigate this unknown environment.
There are especially 2 characteristics that are repeated when defining a project. What are them 2?
1) Temporary endeavour
2) Uniqueness
List the common themes of projects
Temporary
Unique
Focused (Målrettet mot et spesifikt produkt/leveranse) MERK at dette ikke trenger være bestemt på forhånd. Et prosjekt kan helt fint være fokusert på å finne ut av hva de skal produsere/levere. PÅ en måte research prosjekt.
WE generally say that projects are there to deliver benefits. This will always be the case.
Other themes include:
Change
Uncertainty
Social construction
What do we mean by looking at a project as a process?
Studies show that when looking at how projects are being delivered, the means by which they are delivered are not entirely random. We focus on uniqueness of projects, but there are still certain activities that persist. We are in PM interested in the process of the system of delivery. How do we deliver the project? What tools are we using in our process?
We can also gain knowledge of projects from analyzing how activities are PLANNED, IDENTIFIED, EXECUTED. Also, how do the project deal with issues such as change and uncertainty?
What is volume, and what is variety, in regards to considering projects?
Volume is the level of throughput.
Variety is the number of different variations of process possible.
The point is that if we are considering something that has a very high level of throughput, say production facility, it will reduce, heavily, the uniqueness, the uncertainty, and the change factor. As a result, considering such a gathering a “project” could be a stretch.
What are “first timers” in projects?
First timers are projects that are unique because they have never been executed before.
What are “as… but…”s`
Projects that have some degree of similarity between previous projects, either in terms of processes followed or in terms of the outcome.
We can say “as per this previous project, but with the following differences …”
What painting by the numbers?
Both process and outcome are well known. There will be some variety though, distinguishing it from regular plain operations.
Why can it be beneficial to move away from considering projects as first-timers?
Considering projects as first timers imply treating it as highly uncertain and full or risk. Therefore, if we identify a project as more standardized, we can save resources.
Elaborate on the differences between line managers and project managers.
The line manager will have the following tasks:
Managing the status quo.
Clearly defined authority by management structure.
Consistent set of tasks.
Works in permanent structures.
Tasks can be described as maintenance.
Main task is optimization.
Success is determined by interim targets.
Limited set of variables.
The project manager will have these tasks:
Responsible for overseeing change.
Lines of authority can be unclear.
Ever-changing set of tasks.
Cross functional activities.
Operates in temporary structures.
Main task is innovation and the resolution of conflicts.
Success is determined by achievment of stated end-goals.
Contains uncertainties.
So, we can say that the line manager is someone who tries to optimize a workflow. He will be responsible for making sure that the production is as efficient as possible, maintaining a HIGH level of throughput. His working conditions will be less uncertain that that of the project, which cause different issues.
The PM on the other hand, is thrown into a social structure with the goal of delivering benefits. Most likely, these benefits will require innovative solutions. The uncertainty cause problems, especially involving conflicts of interests. The PM must be able to handle such events.
What are some common, almost cliche, issues in projects?
Ready, fire, aim. Begin the project without a clear objective.
It’s all in my head: The PM starts the project without really engaging in the entire team. Perhaps he do in fact know everything, or he might not. Either way, this is highly destructive.
We dont have time for this: The thought of being in a fast paced environment that doesnt allow for solving the necessary problems. Rationalize by saying there is no time.
We have a procedure for that: Stuck in the past, no innovation. Will often be followed by bureaucracy. This practice will often by perceived as way too formal. Decision making takes too much time.
It wont work here: The thought of a certain practice not working here, so it never gets tried.
