Elizabeth Harrin's Blog, page 30

Everything You Need to Know About Release Managers

Do you have a release manager on the team? Or are you wondering whether it would be a pretty good job to move into?

It wasn’t until I worked in IT as a project manager that I had a lot of contact with the release management process. My software projects needed releasing, so we had to follow the formal process and engage with the release manager to make sure that the bug fixes and new features got pushed to the production environment in a controlled way.

It’s an essential role… because without her, we risked putting any old thing live and ending up with software conflicts and no process to roll back changes if we messed up.

In this article, I’ll explain what a release manager does and what skills you need to make a success of this role.

The role of a release manager is crucial in ensuring that software projects are completed on time and within budget.

What does a release manager do?

Release managers are responsible for coordinating the release of new software versions and ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of and prepared for the changes.

They work with development teams to track progress and identify potential risks, as well as liaise with other departments such as QA, ops teams, service management, and support. They ensure that new versions of software are released on schedule and without any major issues.

So what does a typical day in the life of a release manager look like?

The day could be quite varied. The release manager at my last job worked closely with the development team to review what code changes would be coming. She attended the Change Advisory Board, so she was aware of what requirements would be coming. She understood how each change impacted the projects and would help prioritize.

Once everything looks good from a technical standpoint, the release manager could start working on preparing communications about the upcoming software change. The comms may come from the project team or a functional consultant, or via the minutes of the CAB, or another mechanism.

On launch day itself, the release manager will be closely monitoring things behind-the-scenes to ensure that tech implementation goes smoothly.

They may also need to provide customer support if there are any issues reported after launching changes. And then the cycle begins again!

We had a fortnightly release (and therefore a giant scrabble to try to get your changes in before the cut-off and presented to the CAB in time), but your company might have monthly releases or use a different cadence.

Key roles and responsibilities of the job

As a release manager, there are three key areas of responsibility: planning, scheduling, and coordination.

Planning

The role involves planning the release scope (the contents of what’s going in). In my experience, they try to make sure there is balance and that different projects get a chance to get their projects in the code updates. They also make sure that there is a rollback plan in case something goes wrong.

You’ll need an understanding of the software development lifecycle and analytical skills will help you stay on top of how changes are impacting the different environments.

Scheduling

They are responsible for ensuring that new features or products are released in a timely and efficient manner. That work has to be scheduled. There will be a release calendar that they stick to.

They’ll also be responsible – or contribute to – the decisions around code freezes at certain times of the year. For example, we have a code freeze at Christmas as there are a lot of staff off or working fewer hours for the holiday season. So that we don’t have to call people in to fix bugs or roll back changes, we simply don’t do releases for a period over the final few weeks of the year and the first week of January.

Coordination

Release managers work with development teams to make sure all code changes go through proper testing before being released into production. They’ll work with project teams as well.

In addition, they also create and maintain documentation for each cycle, in the release repository. This ensures that all stakeholders have access to information about upcoming releases and their corresponding timelines.

The documentation is also useful if you want to know what code change failed in the release or what clashed with what and needs to be backed out (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything!)

Key skills for the role

You have to be technically-minded, with good technical skills. Our release manager was previously a tester, so she fully understood the different environments and how code made its way between them.

Soft skills are also important because there’s a lot of communication, negotiation, and stakeholder expectation management to do.

You also need to be confident and a little bit tough. Because plenty of project managers like me will ring you at the last minute begging for their changes to be put in because they’ve just been approved via an emergency CAB, and they can’t wait for the next spot in the release pipeline!

Where a release manager sits in the organization

The role of the release manager is crucial to the software development process, so you’ll normally find the role in the IT or Technology team, working in an apps or software development function.

While the role most often sits in the IT function, it has close links with product management (which often isn’t part of the IT function).

Release managers play an important role in managing risk during the software development process – because no one wants buggy software in prod.

By coordinating testing and deployments, they can help reduce the likelihood of errors or unforeseen issues arising when new code is introduced into production systems.

In doing so, they help protect the stability and reputation of the software development team.

The benefits of being a release manager

Release managers are often the unsung heroes of software development projects! They’re the gatekeepers of the current code and the first to know when something has gone wrong. When you look at it like that, it’s a pivotal and important role, with a very specific yet essential skill set.

Here are three career benefits of the role.

1. Being a key part of the team

If you enjoy working with people, this is a good role for you. Yes, it’s tech, but it’s not the kind of job where you work solo.

As the coordinator between different team members working on various aspects of a project, you play an integral role in making sure everything comes together seamlessly for each release.

A successful launch can be attributed in large part to an effective release manager who kept everyone and everything on track leading up to it.

2. It’s always something new

Well, this might be obvious. Every change is something new. Projects bring new requirements to core software systems. There’s more to learn, more to understand, and the role is varied.

If you’re bored easily or thrive off change, this is definitely the job for you! No two days (or even two hours) will ever be alike, as priorities constantly shift throughout the course of any given project.

4. Remote work options galore!

In many cases – though not all – remote work is an option. So much of software development can be done from wherever these days. It’s no longer necessary for agile teams to be co-located, either.

Software changes can be packaged and deployed remotely too. And the CAB meetings have always been conference calls for us unless the members of the CAB happened to be on-site at the same time.

How to become a release manager

So does this sound like a job you’d like to try out? Assuming you want to become a release manager in the software development industry, there are a few things you should know.

First and foremost, being a release manager requires strong organizational skills. You must be able to keep track of multiple projects at once and ensure that they stay on schedule. You’ll have a release management tool and templates to help with that, but it’s worth understanding that attention to detail and being able to keep several plates spinning at once is going to make it easier to do the job.

If I haven’t managed to put you off the job, I’d suggest starting with getting some project experience in the software field so you can see tech development first-hand. This will give you a better understanding of what goes into developing software and how to manage different aspects of the process.

Additionally, it is helpful to learn about project management tools and practices so that you can more effectively coordinate releases. A lot of software teams use agile methods, so focus on understanding the agile environment, development practices, and activities as that will help you ‘speak the right language’ in the role.

From within the tech team, you might be able to make a lateral move into release management. There’s no harm in trying direct entry as well. Check out the job adverts for the exact requirements of roles near you.

More questions answered

What is the salary of a release manager?

The average salary for a release manager is approximately $89,000 per year in the United States.

What is the role of a release manager in agile teams?

The role of the release manager in agile is to manage the release process and ensure that software releases are coordinated and happen according to the cadence of the iteration.

They also work with other teams involved in the project, such as development, QA, and operations, to ensure that each release is smooth and successful.

Could you do the job?

If you’re considering a career as a release manager, hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of what the role entails and what skills are needed to be successful.

Release managers play an important role in ensuring that software projects are completed on time and without any major issues.

If you have strong project management skills and enjoy working with teams, then being a release manager could be the perfect job for you.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

Get Your Project Overview Statement Right: Tips and Tricks

Have you ever worked on a project where you got going, and then there was confusion about what you were actually supposed to be doing? The client thought something different, or you didn’t have the agreement from the internal stakeholders that you thought you had.

How frustrating.

The project initiation phase is where you start to pull together all the stakeholders and what they want, to get the whole project team aligned behind the idea. And the project overview statement is a document that can help.

I’ve used this format (see the example layout and structure below which gives you a template to follow) to summarize projects when we didn’t have the time or inclination to put together a gigantic project initiation document. And before we created a project plan.

In this article, you’ll learn more about overviews, how to write them and when to use them.

What is a project overview statement?

A project overview statement is a document that includes a brief description of the project, its rationale and objectives, and its expected outcomes. It is a summary of the work and what is expected.

A project overview statement should be clear and concise, providing just enough information to give key stakeholders a general idea of what the project is about and why it is important without getting into too much detail.

The purpose of an overview statement is to get everyone on the same page about the basics of the project before more detailed planning begins.

It’s similar to a Project Charter or Project Brief. Like those project documents, the aim of the project overview is to secure support to move the project into the next phase: the doing. It’s a document you produce during initiation to summarize the work at a high level and get everyone on the same page.

Literally, a page.

Try to keep your overview document to a single page, or a couple of slides.

How to Write an Effective Project Overview Statement

As a project manager tasked with kicking off a new project, it can be easy to get bogged down in the details and the pressure of having to get going. That’s where the overview helps.

These are the steps to get started writing an overview for your project.

1. Keep it short

You only have a page to summarize your project, so each sentence count. Get to the point quickly, and don’t try to cram too much information into your overview.

I find that it’s easiest to write it myself first, and then share it with the team for finessing and agreement. They have to agree on it, but if we try to co-create the document, we’ll still be working on it in a month.

2. Focus on the problem you’re solving or the need that you’re filling

There should be a problem or opportunity that the project is addressing. This needs to go toward the top. This is the headline of the ‘why’ of the project.

Sometimes this section will include a nod to the expected project timeline, for example, if the problem has to be solved by the end of the year.

Bonus points if you can put this in the language of your client or users. They are the ones having the problem that you are trying to resolve with this project.

If you don’t know how to phrase the problem in a couple of sentences, ask them.

3. Explain how the project addresses that problem or need

What makes your project special? What are the goals you are going to achieve by delivering this project?

List out 1-3 project goals that summarize what you are hoping to get out of the work. You can lift these from the business case if there is one, or, you’ve come from the solution design and requirements gathering phases; those should have given you enough information to put in a few bullet points about the specific goals for this piece of work.

Alternatively, if you are creating an overview statement as a proposal to convince senior leaders that the work should happen, go with what you know about the problem. Be data-led in all cases, and as specific as possible.

4. Add in the project objectives

The next section should be all about the objectives. Well, I say ‘all about’ but you really only want a couple of bullet points in here. They lead on from the goals.

They could include the project deliverables: delivering the deliverable is an objective.

Be as specific as possible to make them measurable. For example: “Deploy the software to 150 staff in 3 offices.”

5. Document the success criteria

Next, your project overview template should have a section for success criteria. How will you know if the project has been a success? How will you (and the rest of the team) be judged?

The solution design or investigation phase will have flagged up what project stakeholders think is important, and generally, that is how they will judge success. Still, it’s useful to have that written down so you can refer back to it later.

The success factors normally link back to project requirements: once you’ve delivered the requirements, you’ve hit the goals and met the criteria, but double-check that’s the case for you.

If the success criteria don’t directly link to requirements, should they? Or do you need to add new requirements?

Try to make the success criteria measurable, so think about how you can track whether or not they have been reached (so you can close the project).

6. Provide the context

Finally, provide some context around what is happening on this project. Consider the assumptions, risks, challenges, constraints, known issues, and anything else that is going to affect how the project moves forward from this point.

Does it all still fit on one page? Good. Don’t reduce the font size, now. If you still have space, add a list of project milestones and key dates. I wouldn’t go for a full project schedule in here, but make the most of the space you have.

When you are writing the document, use language that will resonate with your audience – make sure you know who you’re talking to! Your overview should be tailored to your audience. Use language that they will understand and that speaks to their needs.

Typically, that means choosing business-oriented terms and not highly technical jargon (unless your senior leadership team are highly technical and expecting that).

Finally, this warrants saying again: be clear and concise – no one wants to read through pages of fluff just to get to the basics about the project.

Get approval

When the document is complete, it’s used to get approval from the project sponsor (and any other important people).

Will this document alone prevent project failure? Not at all. But at least it’s a start, so you have an agreement to proceed, and there is clarity about what happens next.

Essentially, getting this document approved is a stepping stone to creating a more detailed project management plan, digging into product features and business processes that are going to be created or changed, and anything else you need to do as you move further through the project lifecycle.

Should I use an overview or a Charter/Brief/something else?

Honestly, it doesn’t matter. The point of creating a document at this stage of the project is to make sure everyone knows what to expect next. As long as you have something, and people agree to it, that’s fine.

I like the overview format because it’s short, and I like short. Having said that, I do put a lot of info into project plans, so we do have other documents later that flesh out all the detail for completeness.

How is this different from a scope statement?

The overview is not very different from a project scope statement, but I don’t like using that term as scope means something very specific in project management.

The scope statement, in my experience, tends to be longer and covers things like a list of deliverables, a list of stakeholders, budget information, constraints and exclusions, more on timing, and maybe an overview Gantt chart. It should also have a summary of project scope – what’s in and out – which is something that is only lightly touched on in an overview document.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what you call the document and what goes in it. I recommend the bare minimum to meet your governance requirements and secure support for a project to move into the next phase with everyone understanding what’s required. So if you need to add another section, just do it.

Next steps

Are you ready to write your document now? Here are some next steps.

Make the decision: are you going for a one-page overview or a longer Charter/Brief document?What help from other people do you need writing it?What data do you need to complete it?What is the process for getting it signed off?

We hope this guide has helped you learn everything you need to know about writing an effective project overview statement. By following these tips and tricks, you’re on the road to a successful project because you’ve got this bit right: aligning your stakeholders behind common expectations. And that’s no mean feat.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

The Impact of Framing in Decision Making

When it comes to decision making, we often think that we are rational beings. However, there is a lot of research that suggests otherwise.

The framing effect is a cognitive bias that can lead us to make different decisions based on how information is presented to us. For example, imagine you are considering two job offers.

The first offer pays $50,000 per year, and the second offer pays $60,000 per year.

Which would you choose?

Most people would choose the latter option because it seems like a better deal financially. However, what if I told you that the first job offer also included health insurance and the second did not?

Would you still choose the same option?

Some people might change their mind because they now see that the first job offer isn’t just about money – it’s about security as well. This shows how our decisions can be swayed by seemingly small details.

What is framing in decision making?

When it comes to making decisions, we all have different ways of going about it. Some people are more spontaneous and just go with their gut instinct, while others like to plan everything out and think things through before making a move.

But there’s one thing that all decision makers have in common, and that’s the way they frame their choices.

So what is framing in the context of decision making?

Simply put, framing is the process of how you look at a problem. Studies show that if you frame the context of a problem in different ways, people choose different outcomes.

The psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky discussed this in their work, The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice. They discuss what they called ‘prospect theory.’ That theory is all about how humans perceive losing out to be more significant than gaining. In other words, we seek out loss aversion more than we seek out gains.

That affects how people make choices – and we can influence those choices by how we frame a statement.

Framing occurs when people identify the key issues in a situation and then present them in a way that will influence the decision that is made. It’s a form of cognitive bias.

Let’s take a project management example.

You create a Gantt chart to reflect the work that has to be done on the project. You assess the likelihood that the project will meet those dates based on the confidence levels related to the estimates.

There are two ways to present the assessment to your project sponsor:

Positive frame: “We have a 75% chance of being able to meet these dates.”

Negative frame: “We have a 25% chance of failing to hit the dates.”

The two ‘frames’ share the same facts, but one is presented positively, and one is presented negatively. How do you think the sponsor will react to each statement?

The way you present a statement shapes how people respond to it.

It’s about taking into account all the different factors that could impact the outcome of your decision.

Framing example: choosing a gift

Consider a situation where you’re going to buy a gift for a colleague. There are two choices: one gift is $15, and the other is $40. The higher-priced gift seems a lot higher priced than $15; what exactly is in the box? Why is it better?

You might be tempted to go for the lower-priced gift.

Now consider the situation where you have three choices: one at $15, one at $40, and a top-price product that is $80. Eighty dollars?! That’s a lot. The middle-priced one seems reasonable now.

But the mid-priced gift is $40, the same price you rejected when you only had two options to choose from. As a reference point, it’s now in a different place.

This is why a lot of products (such as online software) with cost options have three options: most people opt for the middle one as it seems reasonable in comparison to the other two. The mid-priced choice is a good balance between features we don’t need and the cheapest.

Next time a vendor presents a proposal, check to see if they have three options. The higher priced option is likely to be a ‘decoy’ price. They probably don’t expect you to go for it, but it makes the pricing of their other services look like a bargain in comparison.

Let’s take a look at another angle to do with framing.

Types of framing in decision making1. Problem-solving framing

This type of framing is all about finding a solution to a problem. When you’re faced with a problem, you’ll need to consider all the different ways to solve it before making a decision.

This means looking at the problem from different angles, considering all the different options, and weighing the pros and cons of each option before choosing the best course of action.

2. Opportunity-seeking framing

This type of framing is all about seizing an opportunity. When you’re presented with an opportunity, you’ll need to consider all the different ways to take advantage of it before making a decision.

This means looking at the opportunity from different angles, considering all the different options, and weighing the pros and cons of each option before choosing the best course of action.

How to frame your choices

Now that you know what framing in the decision making process is all about, it’s time to learn how to frame your choices. This will help you present the context and background to others in a way that (hopefully) eliminates as much bias as possible.

(Or, if you are hoping for a particular outcome, allows you to shape the arguments in a way that might get you the result you want.)

Here are 3 steps to help you frame your choices.

1. Define the problem or opportunity

The first step is to clearly define the problem or opportunity that you’re facing.

What is it that you need to decide?

What are the different options?

What are the different ways to solve the problem or take advantage of the opportunity?

Are there positives and negatives related to the opportunity, and how can these be best represented when we talk about the problem?

Can you create a ‘gain frame’: a way of showing someone the challenge in a positive way? What about a ‘loss frame’ where you share the problem leading with what the person or project would lose?

2. Consider the different perspectives

The next step is to consider the different perspectives.

What are the different ways to look at the problem or opportunity?

What are the different factors that could impact the outcome?

What are the risks and rewards of each option?

3. Choose the best option

The final step is to choose the best option.

After considering all the different factors, which option do you think will give you the most favorable result?

Framing your choices is a vital part of decision making, so it’s important to take the time to do it right. By following these steps, you can be sure that you’re making the best possible decision for your situation.

Key Takeaway: Framing in decision making is all about taking into account all the different factors that could impact the outcome of your decision, and then choosing the option that will give you the most favorable result.

How can cognitive bias impact decisions?

Cognitive bias can have a big impact on the decisions we make. For example, let’s say you’re trying to decide whether to buy a new car or keep your old one.

You might be more likely to keep your old car if you think about all the money you’ll save rather than all the fun you’ll have with a new car. When we’re making decisions, we often focus on the positive aspects of what we’re considering and downplay the negatives.

This can lead us to make sub-optimal decisions because we’re not taking all the facts into account. We can combat biases in decision making by being aware of them and trying to consider all the options in a decision objectively.

It’s also important to get input from others when making decisions and to get different perspectives. And try to frame the decision in a way that considers all the options equally.

The importance of considering multiple perspectives

Most people view the world from their own perspective. In other words, they see things their own way and don’t really take into account other points of view.

That’s normal. Humans are self-centered a lot of the time, and it takes effort to constantly be putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.

This is perfectly natural, but it can lead to problems. When it comes to making decisions, it’s important to consider multiple perspectives. This means looking at the situation from different angles and taking into account different points of view.

There are a few reasons why this is important. First, it can help you to make better decisions. When you consider multiple perspectives, you’re more likely to find the best solution to a problem.

Second, it can help you to avoid conflict. If you only ever consider your own perspective, you’re more likely to butt heads with others. But if you take the time to understand where they’re coming from, you’re more likely to find common ground.

Finally, it can help you to build better relationships. When you make an effort to see things from other people’s perspectives, they’ll appreciate it.

This can make them more likely to trust you and work with you in the future. It could make all the difference.

Key Takeaway: When making decisions, it’s important to consider multiple perspectives to find the best solution and avoid conflict.

Overcoming the challenges of groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon that can often plague groups of people who are trying to make decisions together.

It’s when the desire for harmony or conformity in the group causes people to suppress their own views and go along with the majority, even if they believe the majority is wrong.

This can lead to bad decisions being made. There are ways to overcome the challenges of groupthink, though.

One is to be aware of it and to watch out for the warning signs, like people being reluctant to express dissenting views. Another is to encourage people to speak up and value different opinions.

And finally, it’s important to make sure that the group is diverse so that there are different perspectives represented. Framing in decision making is another tool that can be helpful in avoiding groupthink.

This means looking at a problem or decision from different angles and considering all the possible options. This can help to broaden the group’s view and prevent them from getting stuck in one way of thinking.

If you’re aware of the dangers of groupthink and you take steps to avoid it, you’ll be much more likely to make good decisions as a group.

Key Takeaway: Groupthink can cause bad decisions; avoid it by being aware of it, encouraging different opinions, and framing problems from different angles.

Why effective communication is key to good decision making

The way in which information is presented can have a big impact on the decision that is made.

For example, if you are trying to decide where to hold the next company retreat, you may frame the decision in terms of the cost of the event versus the benefits of going in order to sway the decision-makers to choose the location that you like the best.

If you effectively communicate the key issues in a decision-making situation – including being open about the fact that cognitive bias is likely to influence the outcome – then you are more likely to make a good decision as a team.

This is because you will be able to consider all of the relevant information and make a decision based on what is best for you, rather than being influenced by how the information is presented. When you call out cognitive bias, your colleagues will at least be able to see it and be aware of it.

Good communication is, therefore, essential for good decision making.

If you can effectively communicate the key issues in a decision-making situation, you are more likely to make a good decision that is best for you.

Key Takeaway: Framing is important in decision making because it can influence the decision that is made.

FAQs about Framing in Decision MakingWhy is framing important in decision making?

Framing is important in decision making because it allows people to see the options in a different light. By looking at the options from different angles, people are able to make more informed decisions.

How does framing an outcome affect decision making?

Framing an outcome can affect decision making by causing people to focus on different aspects of the situation.

For example, if someone is asked to choose between two options and one option is framed as a loss and the other is framed as a gain, the person may be more likely to choose the option that is framed as a gain.

What is an example of framing bias?

Framing bias is when people make decisions based on how information is presented to them, rather than the content of the information itself.

For example, if someone is asked whether they would rather have a 60% chance of winning $100 or a 40% chance of losing $100, they are more likely to choose the former option, even though the expected value of both options is the same.

This is because people tend to focus on gains more than losses when making decisions.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

Project Requirements: The What, Why, and How

Have you ever been a part of a project that just didn’t seem to be going anywhere?

Maybe it felt like there was no clear goal, or that the requirements kept changing.

If so, then you know how frustrating and even maddening it can be to try to work on something without having a good understanding of what is required. Requirements are essential for any project, yet they are often one of the most difficult aspects to get right, especially if you work in an environment where there are high levels of uncertainty or change. It might feel like you’ll never nail down what you’re supposed to be doing (GDPR project, I’m looking at you).

Stick with me, and we’ll explore what project requirements are, why they’re important, and some tips for developing good ones. We’ll also discuss when you need to rework your requirements and who should be involved in doing so.

By the end of this article, hopefully, you will have a better understanding of how to approach requirements gathering (which we should really call eliciting requirements) for your next project!

First, let’s make sure we know what we are talking about.

What are project requirements?

Project requirements are the foundation for a successful project. By understanding and documenting the project requirements, you can ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and meets the expectations of the stakeholders.

Requirements also help you cover off other success criteria like quality expectations, sustainability requirements, and more.

Project requirements can be divided into two categories: Functional and non-functional.

Functional requirements are the specific actions that the deliverable must be able to perform (or meet), such as creating an account, being blue, adding items to a shopping cart, or sending a message.

Non-functional requirements are the quality attributes that the system must meet, such as performance, security, auditability, and usability. Being able to manage non-functional requirements is something you’re probably going to have to help users with, as in my experience, they tend to default to thinking only about features.

They are the product specifications.

Why are project requirements important?

Duh.

I feel I have to include this, even though the answer is pretty obvious if you’ve been around projects for some time. If you haven’t, or if you work for people who think you don’t need to spend any time working out what they actually want, then this section is for you.

By taking the time to understand the needs of the stakeholders, you can ensure that the project is successful. Or at least, give yourself a decent chance of delivering what stakeholders will actually use (which is often aligned to the main things every stakeholder wants out of any project).

Your project requirements are the why, what, and how of your project. In other words, they explain the motivations, objectives, and approach of your project.

So why do stakeholders need to give you the time of day about requirements and treat them like they are important?

Because they provide the rationale and context for your project decisions.

First, they provide the project team with a shared understanding of the project’s goals and objectives. Second, they help to ensure that the project team can balance scope, timescale, budget, and resources to get them an output they will find acceptable.

Third, they can help to resolve conflicts between stakeholders. Requirements can be prioritized. The priority requirements get built or delivered first.

Finally, they provide a baseline against which the project’s progress can be measured.

Project requirements are the foundation of a successful project. By taking the time to develop clear and concise requirements, you can set your project up for success.

What if you don’t know the requirements at the beginning?

Well, this is my life!

I have worked on many projects where it hasn’t been possible to have a full picture of all the requirements. Not least when we were working towards implementing changes for GDPR, and the full impact and details of the regulations had not yet been released by our regulator in the UK.

We were flying the plane while we built it… not something I would recommend, but in highly emergent situations where there is uncertainty, there’s not much you can do about it.

Stick with what you can influence: you know broadly what the objectives and goals are. Adapt and flex as you go, reviewing priorities and working on what you can while the other stuff unfolds. That’s the best you can do, and as an approach to managing uncertainty, it works pretty well.

Tips for developing good project requirements

Requirements are the foundation for any project. Without a clear understanding of what is needed, it is difficult to create a plan, set expectations, or allocate resources.

Whether you call them use cases, user stories, just ‘requirements’ or something else, they are the expression of what you want from the project.

Good solution requirements help ensure that everyone is on the same page from the start, which can save a lot of time and frustration later on. Even if the needs of users, stakeholders, and/or the project change later on.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when developing requirements for a project.

1. Be clear and concise

Requirements should be stated in plain language that can be understood by everyone involved in the project. They should be specific enough to provide guidance, but not so specific that they constrain the team’s creativity.

They also need to be clearly linked to the project objectives.

2. Be realistic

It’s important to be realistic about what can be accomplished given the time, resources, and budget that are available. Trying to do too much will only lead to frustration and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

By all means, put everything on the list, but then you’ll want to use a technique like MoSCoW to help stakeholders prioritize what they can actually have.

3. Be flexible

As the project progresses, there will inevitably be some changes to the requirements. Be prepared to adjust the plan as needed to accommodate these changes, and any new project activities required.

If you work in an agile team, this happens through backlog grooming and sprint planning. The project process has flexibility baked in, which is great.

4. Be consistent

Top tip! Use the same terminology throughout the requirements document to avoid confusion. This will help ensure that everyone is interpreting the requirements in the same way.

You can (should? I don’t always) use a requirements traceability matrix that numbers each requirement so you can track them through the project. Very handy for when there is a lot of software testing to do.

5. Be complete

Make sure that all of the requirements are accounted for. It can be helpful to create a checklist of sorts to make sure that nothing is forgotten.

I know you can’t always do this, as we’ve said above, and in agile projects, it’s almost a badge of honor not to have all the requirements at the beginning. Even if you work on predictive or linear projects, you still don’t have to know everything. That’s what rolling wave planning is for.

But in general, the more you know, the easier it is to stay within time and cost expectations.

Developing good project requirements is essential to the success of any project. By taking the time to create clear, concise, and realistic requirements, you can set the project up for success from the very beginning.

Read next: How to compile business requirements .

When do you need to rework your requirements?

Let’s assume you created a great big requirements document, with a lovely traceability matrix, and breakdown structure to sit alongside. Should you ever rework them? Of course!

Here are a few scenarios where reworking requirements would be sensible.

1. When the project’s goals change

If the goals of the project change, then the requirements will need to be changed in order to align with the new goals.

2. When the project’s budget changes

Otherwise known as: When the project sponsor tells you that you have to do it cheaper.

If the budget for the project changes, then the requirements will need to be changed in order to align with the new budget i.e., you can do less.

There is a chance you could deliver the same scope for the same money if you are able to use internal resources and don’t mind the timescales being pushed out. Juggle your constraints and see what creative solution you could come up with that doesn’t increase costs.

Of course, you might be offered more money to include more stuff in scope! Happy days. Just make sure you are actually working on a project and not something that is going to turn into a never-ending ‘can you just’ job.

3. When the project’s timeline changes

If the timeline for the project changes, then the requirements will need to be changed in order to align with the new deadlines and project plan.

4. When the project scope changes

If the scope of the changes, then the requirements will need to be changed in order to align with the new project goals. See where I’m going with this?

5. When the project team changes – maybe

There is a chance that if the team working on the project changes, then the requirements will need to be changed in order to align with the new team.

For example, if you lose a key resource and you can’t backfill the individual, you might have to change what is done to accommodate that. In this situation, I’d consider bringing in a contractor or outsourcing the work, both of which might mean changes to the budget, procurement plan or timescales, and maybe the deliverables.

6. When the project’s stakeholders change

People change their mind. New leadership likes to make a mark on things. Whatever the reason, sometimes, when stakeholders change, they want the project done in a different way, and that impacts the requirements.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t affect what you’ve already built, although in my experience, stakeholders rarely like to waste work – especially if they can pick up the credit for it being delivered on their watch as someone else has left!

7. When the project’s environment changes

Let’s say that your company is bought out during a project. You’ll probably have to refine the requirements to make changes to branding. At the most simple level, your new project deliverables might need to now be a different color or align with some other brand guidelines.

8. When the project’s technology changes

This happened to me: a supplier was under threat of bankruptcy, so we decided to move away from them and use a different supplier. And that supplier had a slightly different solution which changed up what we had in scope for the project.

It all turned out fine in the end, but it was a hair-raising experience at the time.

Tech changes also introduce project risk, which is something you should be watching out for all the way through the lifecycle.

Read next: How to manage constantly changing priorities (that’s a chapter I wrote for a book, Project Pain Reliever).

Involve the right people in eliciting and managing requirements

First up, I’d recommend taking advantage of any business analysis skills in the team. While the project manager can lead on requirements elicitation, it’s not easy, and it is time-consuming. That pulls you off your other work. BAs are experts in this, so if you have that resource in the team, see if you can get them on the team.

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The other key stakeholder group to involve in the requirements work is the people who have the requirements: users, customers, and stakeholders. The most common method of engaging them in this process is to hold interviews.

Other methods include focus groups, surveys, and document analysis. We do a lot of workshops and process mapping, looking at as is/to be or current state and future state. Stakeholder requirements drop out of the process maps.

When in doubt, always involve stakeholders in the requirement development process to get their input and feedback. Better that they have their say than they feel like they were not listened to.

Documenting requirements

Requirements must be documented. The way you approach this will be covered in your requirements management plan, and there is another article on this blog about how to compile business requirements that might help.

The most common format for requirements documentation is a requirements document (surprise!). Include a description of each requirement, who requested it, and why it is needed. Add in any success criteria or measures, and give it a unique identifier.

Keep your requirements documentation up to date as the project progresses, because, as we’ve seen, things change.

This includes ensuring that new requirements are added as they are identified, that existing requirements are not changed without approval, and that all requirements are met before the project can be considered complete.

I’ve already mentioned the traceability matrix, which is another useful tool to track the original requirements and create alignment with the scope management plan.

FAQs about Project RequirementsWhat are examples of project requirements?

Some examples of project requirements are:
-The project must be completed within a certain timeframe
-The project must use certain materials or follow certain methods
-The user interfaces must return results within 0.01 of a second
-The software must interface with key business applications (and then you’d go on to list them)

How do you write a project requirement?

There is no one answer to this question as it can vary depending on the project requirements and what is needed for the specific project.

However, some tips on how to write a project requirement include being clear and concise about what’s needed, using language that can be understood by even non-experts, and providing enough detail so that the requirement can be worked on and delivered.

In summary

So where are we now? To wrap up what we’ve covered in this article, requirements are essential for any successful project. By taking the time to develop good requirements, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that can make a project fail, like miscommunication, poor prioritization, and wobbly leadership.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

How Culture Can Impact Communication in the Workplace

It’s no secret that culture can have a big impact on communication. Just think about how much harder it is to communicate with someone from a different country who doesn’t speak your language.

But culture can affect communication even when everyone speaks the same language.

Different cultures have different ways of communicating, and if you’re not aware of these differences, it can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. There are many ways that culture can affect communication in the workplace. In this article, I’ll give you some tips about how to be aware of the impact of culture on communication at work and how to create an environment that is inclusive.

The basics

Culture can be a complex concept, but in general, it refers to the ways in which a group of people interact with each other and the world around them.

There are many different factors that can contribute to cultural differences, such as geography, history, age, language, workplace, and religion – and that doesn’t even include the organizational cultural aspects of bringing together different businesses, suppliers, and consultants to work on a project together.

It’s a bit of a stereotype, but people from collectivist cultures tend to be more indirect communicators, while those from individualist cultures tend to be more direct.

This can lead to misunderstandings if someone from a collectivist culture perceives something as being too direct or confrontational, while someone from an individualist culture may perceive something as being too vague or passive-aggressive.

Body language

Another way that culture affects communication is through nonverbal cues such as body language and facial expressions.

These cues can be interpreted differently by people from different cultures. For example, in the United States, eye contact is often interpreted as a sign of interest or attentiveness.

However, in some cultures, such as those in Asia, too much eye contact may be seen as a sign of disrespect.

These cues often mean different things in different cultures, so what might be seen as friendly and open body language in one culture could be seen as aggressive or threatening in another. So what can you do about all this? And how can you head off problems by building a culturally-aware team?

Start with awareness

The first step is awareness – knowing that there are differences between cultures and that these differences can impact communication. Once you’re aware of the potential for misunderstanding, you can take steps to avoid it.

For example, if you’re working with an international project team, it’s likely you’ll have team members from a variety of cultures. A country does not equal a culture in a one-to-one relationship (as countries could have different cultures within them, plus there is organizational culture to take into account), but as a lazy rule of thumb, it’s a starting point. The more nationalities on your project team, the greater the risk of challenges.

And the more awesome the team is likely to be.

Cultural differences are not, by default, a bad thing!

It’s worth understanding what kinds of culture you have in the team. Even bringing different organizations together can create a culture clash, for example, between informal workplaces and those that have strict project governance and processes.

More examples:

If the team includes someone from a collectivist culture, you might want to be more explicit and clear in your communication to avoid any misunderstanding.If you’re working with someone from a culture that uses a lot of nonverbal cues, you might want to pay more attention to those cues to get a better understanding of what they’re trying to communicate.

By being aware of the potential for misunderstanding and taking steps to avoid it, you can help ensure that communication in the workplace is effective and productive.

How culture can impact communication in the workplace

When you think about how culture can affect communication in the workplace, it’s important to consider the different ways that people communicate. We all communicate differently based on our own cultural backgrounds and experiences.

And when you’re working with people from different cultures, it’s important to be aware of the potential communication barriers that may exist. One way that culture can affect communication is through the use of nonverbal communication.

This is the type of communication that includes things like body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. It’s estimated that nonverbal communication makes up about 60-70% of all human communication, which means it can be a very powerful tool.

However, nonverbal communication can also be very difficult to interpret, especially if you’re not familiar with the culture of the person you’re communicating with. For example, in some cultures, direct eye contact is considered to be a sign of respect.

However, in other cultures, direct eye contact is considered to be rude or aggressive. Another way that culture can affect communication is through the use of language.

The language barrier

If you’re working with someone who speaks a different language, there’s obviously going to be a communication barrier.

Even if you’re both speaking the same language, there can still be misunderstandings if you’re not familiar with the different dialects and slang that are used in different cultures.

On one of my projects, we worked with an international team, including many colleagues from a supplier organization based in Spain. While the European and organizational cultures were similar in many respects, we occasionally had language barrier issues over technical terms or particular nuances of language.

We were able to get over them by taking a creative approach to conversation, with lots of diagrams, using video, waving of hands, and using alternative words and examples.

Even when two people speak the same language, there can be cultural differences in the way that words are used, which can create barriers to understanding.

For example, in the United States, the word “boss” is often used to refer to the person in charge of a company or organization. However, in some cultures, the word “boss” has a negative connotation and is used to refer to a person who is demanding and difficult to work for.

Engaging stakeholders with good communication means more than just being able to speak their language. It also means understanding and adapting to each other’s way of communicating.

Sorry, can I just interrupt…

Finally, culture can also affect communication by creating different expectations about the way that communication should take place. For example, in some cultures, it’s considered to be very rude to interrupt someone who is speaking.

However, in other cultures, it’s perfectly acceptable to interrupt someone if you have something important to say. If you are not aware of the cultural norms of the people you are communicating with, you may accidentally offend them or make them feel uncomfortable.

I’m sure I’ve offended a few people in the past with my sarcastic take on life ?

These are just a few of the ways that culture can affect communication in the workplace.

Building relationships

Culture can also affect communication by making it more difficult to build relationships. When people are from different cultures, they may have different values and beliefs.

This can make it difficult to find common ground and build trust. Engaging stakeholders is so important for project success, so anything you can do to overcome challenges is definitely going to be worth it.

However, despite the challenges, it is possible to build cross-cultural relationships. We do it all the time. I’m sure you have friends from different backgrounds, countries, or cultures, and don’t think that your relationship is anything odd – workplace relationships should be the same.

Let’s say you are backfilling a position. When you bring someone on to the team quickly, the onboarding process has to work to make them feel welcomed and included, and being aware of (and open to addressing instead of just ignoring) any cultural differences will help build those trusted working relationships faster.

The key is to be aware of the ways that culture may affect communication and to adjust your communication style accordingly.

Address cultural differences to promote inclusion

In today’s business world, we’re more connected than ever before. With technology, it’s easy to communicate with people all over the world.

But even with all of this technology, there can still be misunderstandings. That’s because we come from different cultures and communicate differently.

When we don’t take the time to understand these differences, it can lead to problems. That’s why it’s so important to address cultural differences to promote inclusion.

Here are a few ways to do that.

1. Be aware of your own cultural biases

We all have them.

And when we’re not aware of them, they can lead to problems. For example, if you’re from a culture that values direct communication, you might not understand why someone from a culture that values indirect communication is being so “roundabout.”

By being aware of your own cultural biases, you can avoid making assumptions and just make people feel like they fit in.

Read next: Overcoming bias in project management

2. Make an effort to understand others

If you’re working with someone from an organization that is different from your own, take the time to learn about their working style, preferences, and the cultural norms that they take for granted.

What are their values?What is their communication style?What are their customs and traditions?

The more you know about someone’s culture, the better you’ll be able to communicate with them. And the more you’ll be able to balance, integrate and include ways of working that benefit everyone and help you achieve more together.

3. Respect other cultures

Do I even need to say this? Respect is key when it comes to promoting inclusion. When you respect someone’s culture, it shows.

And when people feel respected, they’re more likely to feel included. People who feel valued are more likely to answer your emails, turn up to meetings and take part in your projects.

4. Be open to doing things differently

In order to promote inclusion, you need to be open to change. Just because something is the way it’s always been done as far as you are concerned doesn’t mean it’s the only way to do it.

By being open to change, you can learn new things and find new ways of doing things that are more inclusive, different, better, and broader. You can open doors and minds to seeing things in another way. And you’ll learn something, too.

5. Celebrate diversity

Diversity should be celebrated, not tolerated. When you celebrate diversity, it sends a strong message of inclusion.

How can you build differences into your project communications plan? What can you do to celebrate the contributions of individuals in their team, their heritage, and their culture? And if the team is mainly one culture with a few people from a different culture, don’t ‘other’ them by making a big deal of their holidays while ignoring to mark your own. If we celebrate diversity, we should do it for everyone.

These are just a few ways to address cultural differences to promote inclusion. By making an effort to understand and respect other cultures, you can create a more inclusive environment for everyone.

Common questions about how culture affects communication

How is culture related to communication?

Culture affects communication in a variety of ways. It can influence how people communicate with each other, what language they use, and the types of communication that are considered appropriate.

Culture can also affect the way people interpret communication from others.

Does culture affect a person’s communication skills?

Culture affects communication by shaping the way people interact with each other. It can influence the way people communicate by dictating what is considered appropriate behavior and what is not.

Culture also affects the way people interpret communication, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Culture can have a big impact on communication in the workplace. By being aware of the ways that culture can affect communication, you can take steps to avoid misunderstanding and ensure that communication is effective.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your project management skills, consider signing up for a course or workshop on tools and techniques. There are many online and offline options available (including some fab courses that I teach), so you can find something that fits your schedule and learning style. With the right training, you’ll be able to confidently manage projects of all sizes and complexity levels.

Key takeaways

So what have we covered? In this article, you learned about the impact of culture on communication at work through body language, the language barrier, and building relationships. We looked at 4 different ways to address and celebrate cultural differences.

Key things to remember are:

Culture can affect communication in many ways, both positive and negative. It is important to be aware of these effects and to adjust your communication style accordingly.Culture can affect communication by creating different expectations about the way that communication should take place.Be aware of different cultural norms to avoid misunderstandings.We all have cultural biases, so it’s important to be aware of them. Be open to learning about and respecting other cultures to promote inclusion.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

How to Create a Powerful PMO Mission Statement

There’s a lot riding on getting your PMO mission statement right.

After all, the mission statement is what will guide the PMO as it strives to achieve its goals and objectives. Creating a powerful PMO mission statement doesn’t have to be difficult – but it does require some thought and careful planning.

Why have a mission statement for the PMO?

The PMO is responsible for ensuring that an organization’s projects are well-organized, well-run, and produce the desired results. A key part of a PMO leader’s job is to develop and maintain project management standards and processes and to support the people doing the delivery – project managers, program managers, and teams.

One way to easily explain what you do and why you do it is to create a mission statement for the PMO.

It should explain what the PMO does and why it exists. It also presents a vision of the future, what’s possible for the team, and where the PMO wants to be.

The mission statement should be easy to understand and should be aligned with the organization’s strategy.

Creating a mission statement for the PMO can help to:

Define the role of the PMO in the organizationClarify the PMO’s purposeCommunicate the PMO’s value to the organization – very important given that PMOs seem to come and go as a disposable asset in the businessGuide the PMO’s decision-making process.

A well-crafted mission statement can be a powerful tool for the PMO. It can help to focus the team’s efforts and ensure that it is working towards the right goals.

And it’s a great communication tool to use with the higher-ups.

What goes into a mission statement?

Your mission statement is the foundation of your Project Management Office. It’s a guiding light that will help you make decisions, big and small.

So, what goes into a mission statement?

Your purpose

First, you need to identify your department’s purpose.

Why do you exist?

What do you do?

What kind of PMO are you?

Perhaps you provide a document repository of project management templates. Perhaps you’re a supportive PMO that provides coaching and development to project teams. Perhaps your major role is advising upwards to provide a strategic overview of the portfolio.

Your values

Next, you need to think about your team’s values.

What do you believe in?

What guides your decisions?

Many companies already have corporate values that you can draw from. If you don’t have them, or they don’t seem relevant, you can co-create your own with the team.

Values are often single words like simplicity, productivity, trust, integrity, honesty and so on.

Your goals

Finally, you need to consider your department’s goals.

What do you want to achieve as a PMO?

What difference do you want to make to the organization?

For example, it could be:

Improving project success ratesEngaging customersDelivering innovative products on time, on budgetSupporting the implementation of agile approaches across the organization.

Goals can change every year, so don’t worry about it. When you meet one, add another!

A goal statement helps you focus on what’s important, and it will guide you through tough decisions.

How mission statements link to PMO core values and vision

A mission statement is a reflection of the core values and vision of an organization. It is a brief statement that defines what the team does, its purpose, and its goals.

A mission statement should be clear, concise, and easy to remember. It should also be inspiring and motivating. Quite an ask!

An effective mission statement will guide the actions of the PMO and its members and help to focus and direct the team’s efforts while reflecting the PMO’s core values and vision.

The PMO’s mission statement should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it remains relevant and aligned with the organization’s values and vision.

Got all that? Great. Now you are ready to craft a mission statement that captures it all. Get it on a slide!

Example PMO mission statementsMontclair University

Montclair University has published their PMO mission on their website. Here’s an extract:

The Program Management Office’s mission is to:

Establish a standardized and repeatable process to understand the University’s strategic objectives and how technology can be used to help meet those objectivesCreate a portfolio view of all investments in IT, including priorities and dependenciesEstablish the process of defining the projects that provide the greatest value to the University in order to establish the priority for investments in IT projects

Their full vision and mission statement is 265 words and well worth a read if you are looking for inspiration.

Ministry of Works, Government of Bahrain

The Ministry of Works has a website that doesn’t look like it is maintained in English any longer. But if you can get over the terrible clipart, there is a good section on the mission, vision, and goals of the PMO

As an example vision statement, here’s an extract from their page:

In everything we do, the PMO will:

Be approachablePromote a culture where collaboration is a core valueBe respectful of differing ideas and valuesNourish a positive and supportive environmentBe passionate about project managementSupport the Mission and Vision of the MoW [Ministry of Works]State of Maine Office of Information Technology

Here’s another example from the PMO for the State of Maine’s IT division:

The Project Management Office (PMO) is a leader in establishing and implementing project management best practices that promotes effective and successful project outcome, increases efficiency, and ensures the successful delivery of projects that support State of Maine policy and program objectives.

The PMO’s mission is maximizing the value of State initiatives in the public interest through the successful implementation and management of best project management practices.

This is just an extract. There are 250 words outlining how the PMO supports customers; it’s really very good. And it shows an alternative format because it’s very actionable and not too heavy on values and blue-sky aspirations. So you could take that approach for your own team.

University of Mary Washington

Finally, here’s an example from the University of Mary Washington Information Technology department.

This is their vision statement as published on their website:

Vision Statement

Support faculty, staff, students and the UMW community as a source for project management leadership and expertisePromote best practice standards, quality, and methodologies into a project management disciplineUtilize PMBOK-based methodology as well as support ‘best fit’ approach for project management at UMWProvide a channel of communication for project status, financial health, and mitigation of issues, risks, and dependencies across projects, departments, and/or divisionsBuild project management maturity at the organization level

If you are looking for more examples, universities and government departments often publish their goals and mission statements, so start there with your search.

How to create a mission statement collaboratively with the team

Crafting a mission statement can feel like a daunting task, especially if you’re doing it alone. But it doesn’t have to be!

In fact, it absolutely should not be. In all the organizations I’ve worked in where the company wanted to refresh the values, it was a huge team effort. In one company, a team of leaders self-nominated themselves to take part in the exercise. They then sought input from a large group, then presented the findings to the exec.

I also remember consultants coming in to help craft company messaging at one point and the exec having a two-day offsite to try to finalize what we stood for.

It’s a big job.

If you involve your team in the process, you can come up with a statement that accurately reflects your company’s values and goals.

I wouldn’t recommend a two-day offsite for this exercise for your PMO. Just put half a day aside and see how you get on.

Here’s how to create a mission statement collaboratively with your team.

Step 1. Brainstorm values that are important to your company

Start by brainstorming a list of values that are important to your company. These can be values that you want to uphold in your portfolio management work, or they can be values that you want your team to be known for.

Some examples of values that you might want to include are:

QualityInnovationCustomer satisfactionTeamworkIntegrity.Step 2. Draft a mission statement that reflects these values

Once you have a list of values, you can start drafting a mission statement that reflects them. Keep it simple and to the point.

And make sure that everyone on your team agrees with the statement before moving on.

Step 3. Make it actionable

A good mission statement is not only a reflection of your company’s values, but it’s also actionable. In other words, it should guide the way you and your teamwork.

Step 4. Review and revise as needed

Once you have a draft of your mission statement, review it periodically to make sure it still accurately reflects your company’s values. And don’t be afraid to revise it as needed.

Creating a mission statement collaboratively with your team is a great way to ensure that it accurately reflects your company’s values. And it can help you and your team stay focused on what’s important.

Key takeawaysA good mission statement should be reflective of the team’s values.It should be actionable – something you can live your work by.A mission statement should identify your team’s purpose, values, and goals.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

Organizational Competencies: What They Are and How to Develop Them

I worked in the IT team at my old job. We did a fair amount of off-the-shelf software deployments, and we frequently made the point that we were a healthcare company, not a software development firm.

We did have a team of developers who built some in-house apps, and web front ends to databases, but we were not, at heart, a company that built software. Delivering excellent patient care in a hospital setting was what we did, and everything hung on that.

I would not have said we had software development as one of our core organizational competencies. We didn’t need it. Our organizational competencies were in different things, more relevant to the way we operated and how the business served its customers.

That’s what organizational competencies are all about: what does your firm want to be known for? What is it good at doing?

In this article, we’ll cover the basics: what are organizational competencies, and why should you, as an individual, care about them? Let’s look at how they affect your ability to do your best work and why it’s important that companies have an idea of what they want to be competent in.

What are organizational competencies?

Organizational competencies are the skills and abilities that allow an organization to be successful in achieving its goals. They are the foundation upon which an organization’s culture, core values, and strategy are built.

Organizational competence is essential for businesses to keep up with the ever-changing environment. And let’s face it, whatever sector you work in, things have been pretty change-y over the last few years.

Employees should be regularly trained and educated in the latest practices. You can also build competence across the business as a whole by hiring new personnel with the necessary skills or by making changes in leadership.

Companies should periodically assess employees against standards to identify any skill gaps – your HR team probably undertakes regular reviews of what skills the workforce needs to have to best deliver the strategy. You could ask them if they have a competency model – it makes interesting reading if they do.

By taking these steps, businesses can ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to compete in the market.

Organizational competencies are essential for any organization that wants to be successful. They provide the foundation upon which an organization’s culture, values, and strategy are built.

Two categories of organizational competencies

You can think of competency at the organizational level as falling into two categories:

Technical competenciesNon-technical competencies.

Technical competencies are the skills and knowledge required to perform a specific job – whatever it is the company does. They allow an organization to produce products or services. They also allow an organization to operate efficiently and effectively.

Non-technical competencies are the skills and knowledge required to interact with others. For example, being able to market and position the business in the industry and communicate with customers.  

How do they relate to individual competencies?

At an organizational level, strategic competencies are what allow the organization to function and accomplish its goals.

Individual competencies, on the other hand, are the skills and knowledge that you possess in your role. You might find these written into the job description.

While organizational competencies are important for an organization to function, individual competencies are important for an individual to function within the organization.

See, it’s not rocket science ?

Individual competencies, while important, are not as essential to the organization as a whole. Because a team member can always be replaced with someone else. Culture, however, is harder to shift.

Key takeaway: Organizational competencies are important for an organization to function. Individual competencies are important for an individual to function within the organization.

Common organizational competencies

Your company is unique, so it’s going to be good at different things to my company, for example. Perhaps you want to be the best maker of widgets in the country, so you build reliability, cost-effectiveness, and customer service into the way you work. Perhaps your firm wants to be known for innovation, so the organization values creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration along with innovation.

There’s no ‘right’ list of competencies that an organization could have. It all depends on what is right for the strategy, brand, and mission of the business.

Having said that, there are some things that many businesses want to be good at. These are skills that the top management team would expect to permeate all areas of the organization. Here are some examples of common types of competencies that are quite likely to be relevant wherever you work.

Leadership

The ability to provide vision and direction and to motivate and inspire others to achieve common goals.

Most firms will want their leaders to be good at leadership because it underpins business performance. People leave their jobs because of poor managers, not because the business itself is awful, so leadership helps secure the talent pipeline too.

Strategic thinking

The ability to think long-term, identify opportunities and threats, and develop and implement plans to achieve organizational goals.

I don’t know any business that I could point to and say, I bet they don’t want to be able to think long-term.

Innovation

The ability to create new and better ways of doing things.

These days, innovation seems to be a bit of a buzzword. It doesn’t always pay to be constantly reinventing yourself as a business, but there are obvious benefits from adopting new tech and being open to continuous process improvement.

Change management

The ability to effectively manage change and transition within an organization.

For project managers, this is important. Getting your projects to land effectively and deliver the expected benefits is almost impossible if you don’t have the commitment to doing change right.

Project management

The ability to effectively plan, execute, and manage projects. At a whole-business level, this would be about being able to manage portfolios of projects, not necessarily being skilled at delivering individual initiatives.

I don’t know how many organizations would actively call this out as something they want to be good at, but there is often the implication that projects happen, and we want the benefits (perhaps without the commitment to a PMO or any interest in building maturity!).

Communication

The ability to effectively communicate with others, both verbally and in writing.

In a world dominated by the expectation of speedy transactional communication, getting this right is important.

Note: If you work for a super secretive organization, comms is not going to be top of their list. I’m thinking of government spy agencies, some R&D firms, etc.

Customer service

Another common expectation for many businesses is that they are customer focused and have the ability to provide excellent service to customers and clients.

They might want to be known for customer service, but how do they actually demonstrate it?

Organizational competencies are essential for any organization that wants to be successful. Without these capabilities, organizations will struggle to achieve their goals and objectives.

If staff see that the mission is one thing, but their lived experience of being inside the business is something else, that can also affect morale. Employees leave when they can’t do a good job because the organization’s structure, strategy, vision, or mission doesn’t enable them to.

How do they link to an individual’s performance?

Competencies are often specific to the organization and can be different from one organization to the next, as we’ve seen.

Individuals need to be aware of the competencies that are important to their organization and focus on developing those skills. By doing so, it’s easier to evidence that they are contributing to the success of the organization

There are a variety of ways to develop organizational competencies at an individual level. For example:

Formal trainingProfessional development activitiesIndependent study or reading.

Organizational competencies can also be developed or improved through experience. We all learn new things and gain new skills just by doing our jobs.

With time and practice, you can become more competent in your role. For me, though, that shouldn’t just be the responsibility of the individual.

If the company values certain things and wants to make sure they can deliver those things, they should make an effort to develop an individual’s competencies in areas that are important to their organization.

We know what they are and how they relate to us as individual contributors within a business. Let’s look next and why it’s worth investing time in this topic at all.

Why is it important for organizations to develop and maintain strong competencies?

Organizations need to continuously develop and update their competencies in order to maintain a competitive edge. What CEO doesn’t want to ensure that they have the right mix of skills and knowledge to meet the ever-changing demands of the marketplace?

Strong competencies (in the right, appropriate areas) give organizations the ability to anticipate and respond to change, seize opportunities, and overcome challenges. They allow the firm to adapt and evolve in order to remain relevant and successful.

Development programs help cascade strategic expectations to ensure that employees have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their roles. They also help to build a pipeline of talent for future needs and for workforce planning– important because recruiting and onboarding new staff is so expensive!

Organizations that create a learning environment to support and encourage employees are likely to find it easier to develop their people and hit their strategic goals.

I’m sure you can think of times you have seen a toxic work culture. One example that springs to mind are bonuses. If the bonus scheme does not incentivize people in the right way, they are inclined to take action that supports their chance of getting a bonus but does not necessarily support the organization’s objectives long term.

Key takeaway: Organizations need to continuously develop their competencies as a business and at an individual employee level in order to stay ahead of the curve and be successful.

Final thoughts

It’s clear that organizational competencies are important for businesses to stay competitive. By taking steps to ensure that employees are properly trained and educated, companies can make sure they have the skills necessary to succeed.

Periodically assessing employees against standards can help businesses identify any skill gaps and take corrective action.

If you are looking for tools and techniques to help manage your projects, look no further than the Rebel’s Guide to Project Management. We’ve got loads of information on this website, from leadership development to common project management practices, and will help you link your individual performance to the success of your organization.

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

The Incremental Model of Decision Making: What You Need to Know

Is it hard to get people to make the big decisions? I know what it’s like: analysis paralysis kicks in, and the responsibilities of making a big call can weigh heavy on stakeholders… so they procrastinate, and you don’t get any answer at all.

There is a decision-making approach that takes some of the weightiness out of deciding what to do. How much easier would it be to solve a problem a piece at a time instead of having to leap to the end straightaway?

That’s what incremental decision making can do for you. Let me tell you:

What it’s all about and why it’s greatHow you can use itWhen it’s most appropriateWhat to look out for when using it.

Looking for a guide on project decision making ? I have a process to follow for straightforward project decisions.

What is the incremental model of decision making?

The incremental model of decision making is a process used to make decisions in a step-by-step manner.

Just what the name says!

It’s like agile project management for decision making: taking small steps towards a larger goal.

This type of decision making is often used when there is a large amount of information that needs to be assimilated, compiled, or assessed. It’s also good for when the decision needs to be made in a short amount of time because it’s efficient.

The incremental decision making approach is often used in government settings, such as defining public policy. It can help to ensure that all options have been considered and that the final decision is made in the best interest of the public. Policy decisions rely on a range of economic factors and sometimes canvassing public opinion, so choosing the right way to implement change is important.

It’s also used in business settings, as it allows for a more thorough analysis of the situation and allows for more input from different stakeholders. It enables a company to make changes little by little, rather than all at once.

As decision making models go, it’s a good choice for complex decisions that require a lot of information to be processed.

How to make incremental decisions

There is no one size fits all approach. Every situation is different, and each decision maker has their own way of approaching things.

That being said, the incremental model lends itself to almost any situation.

Here’s how it works. It’s basically a process where small, incremental decisions are made that lead to a larger goal.

1. Identify the goal

The first step in using the incremental model of decision making is to identify the goal that you are trying to achieve.

Once the problem has been identified, the next step is to gather information about the problem.

This information can be gathered from a variety of sources, including research, interviews, and surveys. After the information has been gathered, it is then analyzed to determine the best course of action for the next increment – the next logical step that can be taken at this point.

2. Identify the increments to achieve the goal

Next, break down the goal into smaller, more manageable pieces. That’s where we get to the ‘incremental’ part. Each piece is an increment towards the larger decision.

3. Make the decision about each increment in turn

Third, now you have your increments, as a team (or with whichever stakeholders should be involved) make a decision about each one. Consider the costs and benefits of each option or recommendation.

You also need to think about how each increment – or recommendation – will impact the goal. Take all the relevant factors into consideration, at least the ones you are aware of at this point.

4. Implement the decision

Once the analysis is complete, a decision is made, and a plan is put in place to implement the decision. Record the outcome on a project decision log.

The plan is then executed, and the results are evaluated. Just get it done!

Well done! You’re a step closer to that goal!

The incremental model of decision making is a great way to make small, manageable decisions that lead to a larger goal.

Key takeaway: The incremental model of decision making is a process that can be used to make small, incremental decisions that lead to a larger goal.

When to use incremental decision making

First, check your decision is best served by this model. The incremental approach to making decisions is used when there is a need for a decision to be made, but there is uncertainty about the best course of action.

There are other techniques for making group decisions.

This model can be used in many circumstances, and it can help you to make changes little by little, rather than all at once.

If the decision is straightforward, you can skip straight to the end. Just make the call. The table below shows some examples of what type of choice best fits this mode of working.

Suitable decisionsNot suitable decisionsHow do I affect change by influencing policy?Who is going to do this task?How do we meet the upcoming regulation changes?Shall I organize a meeting?What actions are we going to take to influence organizational change?Can I approve this vacation time?Is this project a good fit for our corporate strategy?What project management approach should we use for delivery?

This model is used to make a decision by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps.

This model is best used when the decision to be made is complex, and there is a need to involve different stakeholders in the decision-making process. The incremental model allows for a more systematic and collaborative approach to decision making.

Making smaller decisions along a journey to a bigger goal is a good choice when there is a need to make a decision quickly, and there is uncertainty about the best course of action overall.

Key takeaway: The incremental model of decision making is a good choice when there is a need to make a decision quickly and there is uncertainty about the best course of action.

Benefits of using the incremental model of decision making

Having a clear process for decision making is a factor of good governance because it adds transparency. Here are some more of the benefits of using the incremental model of decision making:

1. It helps reduce risk

When you use the incremental model, you take small steps instead of making huge leaps. This means that you’re less likely to make a decision that you’ll later regret.

It can help to reduce project risk. If something goes wrong, it is less likely to have a major impact on the business or project because you’re managing the change in an iterative way.

2. It allows you to change your mind

If you do find that the path you’re on is not the right one, for the project or the organization as a whole, it’s easier to back it out. We know that it’s easier to make changes early before there is too much to retrofit, or too much sunk cost.

If you make a decision using the incremental model, you can always change your mind later on. This is because you haven’t committed to anything in a big way.

3. It helps you gather more information

If you take small steps, you’ll have more time to gather information about your options. This can help you to make a more informed decision about the big picture.

Small steps show that you are making progress, and that might make it easier for others to engage with the project or change.

4. It can help cut costs

If you make a big decision all at once, you might waste money on something that you later realize you don’t want. But if you make smaller decisions, you can avoid this problem and properly cost out each step.

It’s also a way to manage opportunity costs: the cost of choosing one option over another. If you are trying to make a decision and there are several options, the opportunity cost of NOT taking one particular route might be substantive. Breaking down the decision and subsequent implementation activity can help you be confident that the approach being taken is correct.

5. It can help avoid team conflict

Bringing people along on the journey is easier if you are only asking them to commit to small things at a time. I learned about this in the book Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion by Goldstein, Martin, and Cialdini (which I recommend).

Ask for small commitments before you ask for larger ones (which is also one of the principles of gamification in project management).

As you can see, there are many benefits to using the incremental model of decision making.

Key Takeaway: The incremental model of decision making is a good way to manage risk, allow for people to change direction as new information comes to light, gather information, save money, and avoid conflict.

Challenges associated with incremental mode decision making

This way of choosing what to do has its advantages, but there are also some challenges and disadvantages associated with using it.

It’s time consuming

One challenge is that it can be time-consuming. This is because each decision must be made carefully and thoughtfully in order to avoid making any mistakes.

The steps might not lead where you expect

Another challenge is that this model can sometimes lead to sub-optimal decisions being made, as business leaders do not consider all of the options in full before making a decision – often because they can’t.

So you have to be prepared for the journey to not end up exactly where you predicted.

It looks like muddling through

Kleindorfer, Kunreuther, and Schoemaker make this point in the book Decision Sciences: An Integrative Perspective.

They write:

“Various writers have criticized the incremental nature of managerial decision making as though it were no more than ‘muddling through’. Another view, however, is that good managers do this because it is the only practical way to change policy in organizations.”

Despite the challenges, I still think that making decisions incrementally is good for where you are working on large-scale policy decisions, process, and culture change. If it is something that sounds right for you, I would recommend reading up on how best to introduce this way of working in your organization. There are loads of academic papers that could help you explain it in detail to your stakeholders.

When employed correctly, making decisions incrementally can help to improve project outcomes and reduce risks. It allows for more flexibility and adaptability as new information arises during the course of a project. It fits well with agile methodologies and organizational transformation, so perhaps it’s right for your next big decision?

What to read next: 5 Tips for decision making

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

How to Develop Your Personal Project Management Philosophy

It’s not uncommon for people in management positions to feel like they’re always playing catch-up.

I know I do. I want to do my projects to the best of my ability, but there’s so much to do and so little time to do it that it can be difficult to stay on top of everything, let alone have a chance to think about the bigger picture.

But if you want to enjoy this career and be successful in project management, one habit to get used to is reflection.

Take a step back and develop your own personal philosophy for work. Your project management philosophy is essentially your guiding principles for how you approach your work. It could be aligned to a methodology or a tailored approach that sums up how you like to lead.

In this article, you’ll learn how to develop a leadership philosophy for your projects and what skills are useful to underpin your chosen ways of working.

What is a project management philosophy?

A project management philosophy is a fundamental set of beliefs, values, and assumptions that guide how a project manager approaches their work.

It helps project managers to make decisions about how to best complete a project within the iron triangle constraints of time, budget, and scope – and all the other constraints that fall outside the somewhat outdated triangle model! Like resources, quality, customer satisfaction, and more.

You could argue that methodologies are a bit like philosophies. Agile, lean, predictive methods, iterative approaches – and the guidance from professional bodies like APM, PMI, and the Standard for Project Management now all includes content on values, and soft skills that underpin how we work.

I wouldn’t say that methods are philosophies. I think a philosophy is more personal than that, but I’m sure my own approach to project management has been very much shaped by the training and exposure I have had to professional standards.

Key takeaway: Project management philosophies guide how a project manager approaches their work, helping them to make decisions about how to best complete a project.

How to come up with your personal project management philosophy

A philosophy for the way you want to lead projects helps you make decisions about what projects to pursue, how best to execute them, and how to deal with problems along the way.

Without a clear philosophy, it’s all too easy to get sucked into how other people think you should be working. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and lose sight of your long-term goals.

Developing your own philosophy doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Just sit down and think about what’s important to you in your work.

What kind of projects do you enjoy working on? Agile projects? Cutting-edge products? What does that tell you about the future projects you should seek out?

How do you like to work with team members and clients?

What makes you feel good about the work you do?

What management approaches have you responded well to in the past? And which ones might you like to avoid?

The Agile Manifesto is a kind of philosophy, and it’s inspiring to read. Check that out if you are struggling for somewhere to start!

Once you have a good understanding of your own values and preferences, you can start to develop guidelines for how you’ll approach your work in the future. The way you enjoy working is a personal thing, so there’s no right or wrong answer.

The important thing is that you take the time to develop a set of values and an outlook on the job that works for you.

With a clear philosophy in place, you’ll be able to approach your work with a greater sense of purpose and direction, and that will make all the difference in your success as a project manager.

How do you develop a personal leadership philosophy?

Projects are about people, so as well as a statement on how you want to get the work done, it’s also worth reflecting on what do you want your leadership style to be.

Your personal leadership philosophy can be the difference between success and failure on a project. Stakeholders don’t engage if they don’t like working with you – fact.

So, how do you develop a personal leadership philosophy?

Here are four tips.

1. Define your values

The first step to developing a philosophy of personal leadership is to define your values.

What is important to you?

What do you believe in?

For me, that’s openness, honesty, trust, and integrity: the 4 pillars of my leadership attitude.

2. Define your vision

The second step is to define your vision.

What do you want to achieve as a leader?

What does project success look like for you?

What kind of impact do you want to make for your organization, and how will you evidence that?

If you have a PMO mission statement, vision statement, or set of goals, you might be able to draw inspiration from that.

3. Define your goals

Next, define your goals.

What are your goals as a leader, especially one with a remit for change implementation?

What do you want to achieve in your role?

You might be able to find inspiration for this in your job description, personal goals for the year set by your manager or your team’s goals.

Once you have a clear understanding of your values, vision, and goals, you can start to put your leadership philosophy into words.

4. Define your approach

The fourth and final step is to define your approach. Put it down in writing.

How do you want to achieve your goals?

What methods will you use?

It’s OK if what you write is not perfect. No one is going to see it except you. Developing a personal leadership philosophy is not something that you can do overnight, so draft something and come back to it later.

I use FutureMe.org to remind myself about my commitments and hold myself accountable. You could use that as a prompt to come back to your philosophy and reflection exercise later.

It takes time, thought, and effort. But, if you take the time to think through your leadership philosophy, it can be a valuable tool that will help you achieve success as a project manager.

Key skills that feed into a personal philosophy

The skills that support your ability to deliver projects and lead a team (and therefore should probably be woven into your philosophy somehow) are:

Goal settingCommunicationMotivation.Goal setting

Effective project leaders are able to set clear goals and objectives. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually one of the most important aspects of successful leadership.

Without clear goals, it’s very difficult to manage a project effectively – so mark that up as a skill to develop if you don’t think you’re quite there yet.

Stakeholder engagement

Effective leaders are able to communicate effectively.

This includes both written and verbal communication. Project managers should be able to communicate their vision for a project, as well as provide clear instructions to their team members.

Customer collaboration is also important, whether that’s internal customers or external clients, and it all falls under the umbrella skill of being able to engage effectively.

Motivation

Effective leaders are able to motivate their team members. This is essential for keeping a project on track.

If team members are not motivated, they will likely not be very productive. And experienced project managers will tell you that motivation tends to drop off as the project progresses because more people like being involved with new, strategic initiatives than they like the plodding to the finish line that projects often become.

It’s also worth considering your workplace environment. If you use an agile methodology, for example, then the values of flexibility, incremental decision-making, and continuous improvement are likely to be huge for you.

Ultimately, having a philosophy of project management can help make you a more effective project manager. It gives you guardrails and boundaries for behavior. It underpins project management ethics and leadership.

Tips for creating your own project management philosophy

What works for one manager might not work for another. What fits with your current PMO might not work in a new organization if change jobs.

The key is to find a philosophy that works for you and your team. And why not work on it together and see what commonalities you can find? It is easier (in my experience) to have these conversations as a group. Perhaps your own personal take on work will drop out of those discussions.

Here are a few tips to help you create your own project management philosophy.

1. Consider where you are

Your team, and the organizational culture, is an important part of your project management philosophy. You need to consider how your ways of working fit into both what the project team needs and what the organization expects.

Will your approach motivate them?

What kind of environment do they thrive in?

Asking these questions will help you create a philosophy that will help your team be successful. It will also help you identify if your preferred way of leading is far apart from how the organization expects you to work… so you can find a job in a company that matches your values.

2. Be flexible

Your project management philosophy should be flexible. Things will change throughout the course of a project and your career.

Stick with broad concepts that could be applicable to a range of situations rather than saying, “My project philosophy is a predictive servant-leadership style.” Because that might not work in the long term.

3. Communicate your values

Once you have reflected and crafted a statement or two that sums up your take on how you want to approach project management, share it with your team. If you feel comfortable doing that – it’s also OK to keep it to yourself!

Final thoughts

Creating a project management philosophy is a worthwhile thought process to go through for any project leader who wants to be successful.

By taking the time to develop your own personal philosophy, you can ensure that you have a guiding set of principles to inform your decision-making and help you stay focused on your long-term goals.

Keep these tips in mind as you create your own project management philosophy, and you’ll be well on your way to success in no time.

There are a lot of tools and techniques for managing projects out there, but it can be tough to know which ones are right for your project. Rebel’s Guide to Project Management can help you figure that out. Why not have a browse around while you are here?

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This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management

Managing A Remote Team? Remember These 3 Key Tips For Success

After the worst of the impact of the pandemic, remote and hybrid work environments have become the modern standard for most office-based roles. More people than ever are working from home.

Whether your project team has adopted a remote working style, or you’re considering the possible benefits and pitfalls (perhaps of going back to office-based working), read on. Below, we’ll go over three of the most important areas to focus on when managing a remote team successfully.

1. Track your team’s progress

When you’re managing your team remotely, there’s a fine balance between being able to track their productivity and micromanaging every stage of the work.

You need to discuss your expectations with your colleagues as a whole and individually. Setting clear deadlines is a good starting point, but it’s important to have a conversation about exactly what you’re expecting them to be able to do within a given time frame. While you want your team to meet project goals and hit the milestones, you don’t want them to feel overwhelmed and stressed out because their workload seems unreasonable.

You may also have to find a way to track your team’s hours, without being overly invasive. In an office you might have a clocking-in system, or at least you’ll have a rough idea of what time people arrive and leave, and how long their breaks are. Working from home, however, it’s harder to tell exactly how much time your team spends at their desk working.

Productivity paranoia happens when managers don’t believe their team members are doing productive work, and that can undermine trust and create unproductive habits, which is counter-intuitive. Microsoft reports that less than a third of employees (31%) are given clear guidance about what are the important tasks.

In roles where time-tracking is useful, look into tools like Toggl, where your team can log how much time they spend working on each task. It can be helpful to compare estimates back to actuals to review how accurate the estimates were and inform future task planning.

Don’t expect them to log a full 8 hours per day, as this sets an unrealistic expectation — your team will feel like they can’t step away from their desk even for a minute.

Allow time in your team’s schedule for training and professional development. While you want to focus on ensuring your team is productive and getting the work done, it’s also important that their own development doesn’t fall by the wayside when you’re working remotely.

Organize regular training sessions for your team, and encourage them to spend time completing courses like PMI Kickoff that will help them to do their job better or broaden their skills.

2. Stay in touch with your team

Communication is essential to keeping your team working efficiently. Using communications technology and tactics will also help you to achieve your goals. Find a tech stack that meets the needs of your team: there are plenty of different ways to keep in touch using emails, video calls, and instant messaging but not every channel works for every project or even every team member.

Have you ever lost something in a Teams or Slack chat? Keep on top of your different channels so that things don’t get missed or forgotten about – share tips like how to flag items, color-code calendar appointments or set reminders so nothing falls through the cracks.

Record important online meetings or get someone to take notes, and choose separate channels for team announcements or company news, project work, and other tasks so they don’t get lost. Any feedback or actions to take should be added into project notes or your task management system. 

Managing a global team? If so, communication is paramount. Not only will you need to consider time-zone differences, but also any potential issues surrounding payroll, too. If your international workers are operating as independent contractors, for example, things may become especially tricky, and you need to ensure you’re operating within the legal framework of their home country. Wondering how to pay an independent contractor whether at home or further afield? Remote has created a useful guide on the topic.

Schedule regular team meetings, as well as regular catch-ups with individual team members. It’s important that everyone still feels that they are working together even if they never see each other, and you give them an opportunity to catch up on progress.

Don’t forget that it is still possible to have in-person meetings. At least two thirds of communication is non-verbal, so you are missing out by having camera-off calls all the time. Many businesses do work well fully remotely, but meeting up in person allows your team to form stronger bonds, address any issues, and have more of an input into discussions.

3. Plan out the workload

Planning takes on a new level of importance when your team is working remotely. When you’re seeing them face-to-face every day it’s easy to have little conversations here and there about ongoing projects, what needs to be done, and how things are going. But when you and your team are all working from home, it’s harder to keep track of the work and things can be misunderstood or overlooked.

You need to carefully plan out the work that needs to be done — start by setting clear goals and deadlines for each project you’re working on. Each team member can take their own area of responsibility and create workstream-level project plans as well as To Do lists for non-project work (as Elizabeth teaches in her Managing Multiple Projects book).

Consolidate individual and team plans to create a portfolio of work for each person and the team overall. The aggregated plans are what you’ll go through during team meetings and 1:1 calls to make sure everything stays on track.

The planning phase of any project can take some time but the work you put in here to get to an appropriate level of detail for tracking will mean everyone knows exactly what they need to work on and when it needs to be completed.

Tools are a useful support here too — rely on your project management software to help keep people on the same page. Make sure people have access to shared document storage to allow for easy access to all the files and folders that they need to use, whether that is Google Drive, Office 365 or shared network drives.

It’s important to have a proper file structure in place that your team can follow, otherwise it will quickly become messy and disorganized and hard to find what you’re looking for.

Remote working offers a lot of benefits, and you’ll often find your team can be far more productive when they’re working from home. It’s always important to plan out your work carefully, let your team know what you’re expecting, communicate well, and keep an eye on their progress. But while these things are easier to achieve in an office setting, you have to put in place processes, tools, and structures to ensure it still works for your team when they’re working remotely.

This article first appeared at Rebel's Guide to Project Management