Ihab Salloum[ad_1]
Today’s marketplace is riddled with technology-based products that are must in order to compete. Programs and applications have evolved to a more dynamic arsenal for efficiency; and smarter devices have lessened the need for mass and rigorous employee training. The result is small and medium size companies’ organizational infrastructure changing from functional to more project-based. With the shift, the company dynamics and procedures also need a makeover to adapt with the changes. The most apparent dilemma is how to create project managers or administrators who can dynamically engage with the company’s shift of organizational structure and thus produce more successful project-based operations. Developing project managers requires training in project management in order to facilitate a better procedure, maximize efficiency, enhance procedures, and improve overall performance.
Identify the problem:
The critical issue is to develop existing functional managers into project managers in order to tackle initiatives or projects successfully, which is now becoming the normal operational procedure for the company. How the company operated years ago with different functional departments working on specific tasks of operations has changed into more project-based initiatives, with work tackled by a group of employees from multiple departments. This change has created an issue where there are no procedures in place to follow, no form of scalable process, or any success measurements for any projects initiated. There are numerous times that projects and initiatives have been completed, but there’s no formal indication of successful or failed processes or documentation of scalable measures. So, operationally, it may seem to be running well, but there are missed opportunities that can be beneficial for the organization.
Analyze the tasks and conditions of the job:
The first task is to assess the current procedures in place to create a baseline for measurement. Documenting how the projects or initiatives are received and delegated is a good place to start. This should serve as the first task of analysis in the process. This involves documenting current managers’ success ratio in terms of how many projects they have successfully completed, as well as how many projects they are handling at any given point. Assessing managers’ experience and skill sets in administering projects is detrimental to the project’s success or failure. This will also help in documenting a matrix of knowledge to fit different roles in a project management team. With the current conditions such as an influx of multiple projects, there is an obvious constraint such as time to finish the deliverable as well as managing their current working hours. As the project takes its life cycle in the company, continuous assessment is also needed to manage different aspects of changes.
Identify the causes of the problem:
The shift in organizational structure is inevitable; every company at some point will change direction to drive profits. Companies will change if the market demands a different service, product, or solution. Many brick and mortar companies have now embraced the Internet and launched their strategies for online presence. Other companies have completely shifted to just online operation. The cause of the problem is that the company has to adhere to the project-based operation, and to do that, managers and everyone involved in the operation of tackling projects needs to gain knowledge of project management culture. Employees that possess prior experience in project management are great to have in developing a project team. But, with no supporting cast for a successful journey in accomplishing a project in time, within budget, and with a quality output for deliverables, it becomes a very difficult job. Aside from this fact, there’s also a matter of performance analysis. How will the company measure the efficiency of the team in executing their tasks in a project without establishing a systematic and systemic approach in their process? How can the company find any wiggle room for success if there’s no baseline for procedure as a starting point in a roadmap to improvement? Ultimately, the cause is that there’s no training for procedures in undertaking a project, and there are no guidelines to follow for success.
Identify the desired performance outcome:
There are many performance outcomes that the company desires to accomplish in establishing project management training. The initial outcome is for all those involved in any project to be well informed and knowledgeable in the aspect of project management. Familiarity with project management practices and procedures is the first goal of the training; to be able to define and identify a project to be managed. Understanding the life cycle of the project is the second priority, so that managers can prioritize time and schedules better in order to work with other existing projects. In addition, it’s also important to identify the different phases and order arrangements of the life cycle for more clarity on the timeline for projects. Allocating resources is next in the desired performance outcome. Project managers need to develop a systematic process for allocating funds, scheduling timelines for employees to avoid overtime, risk management to be better informed for unforeseeable expenditures, and a systemic approach to improving employee motivation. Above all, the company needs a performance baseline for the process in order to maximize efficiency in future project endeavors.
Identify the expectations of your training as related to the outcome:
The general design for the training is to apply knowledge of project management methodology, to give project managers a straightforward way to get together to work on the how, the what, and the when of projects. This will give the managers and their team more confidence in any project they will be tasked to do because they will be able to identify the different parameters of the project management process and implement them. The training should also provide processes to apply in effective planning, execution, and administration to develop a streamlined approach, such as categorizing and allocating necessary resources to their rightful places. With the outcome of the training, project managers will be able to recognize objectives such as budgeting, planning, scheduling, and risk management, allowing for a better flow in executing work for any project.
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