Life consists of Projects!
And it is essential to note that consciously or unconsciously we are all Project Managers! So, we might as well equip ourselves with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate this project and be successful project managers.
A project can be defined as a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.
From the above definition, any activity that has the ability to create something unique - from getting ready for work in the morning, planning your day at the office, taking the kids to school, grocery shopping, even house chores! - would qualify as a project.
Before suggesting how you can apply this discipline in your daily life, here’s some fundamental terminology for the uninitiated, courtesy of the Project Management Institute, the foremost professional organization for project management.
Project Management 101
Project management, is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently. It’s a strategic competency for organizations, enabling them to tie project results to business goals — and thus, better compete in their markets.
Project management processes fall into five groups:
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Monitoring and Controlling
- Closing
- Project Integration Management
- Project Scope Management
- Project Time Management
- Project Cost Management
- Project Quality Management
- Project Human Resource Management
- Project Communications Management
- Project Risk Management
- Project Procurement Management
- Project Stakeholders Management
The ten knowledge areas are applied in each of the five project processes.
The Triple Constraint
There are three constraints for any project – time (duration), cost (money), and scope (amount of work done). Change in one of these constraints will affect the others. For example, a decrease in funds (cost), means that less work gets done (scope) and also ends the project later than scheduled (time).
These three constraints together affect the quality of the project/result.
Plugging it in Everyday Life
Now that you’ve completed a crash course on the basics of project management, lets see how it works in an actual project.
Problem: Finding a new apartment.
You need a new apartment to rent out for the next year and this isn’t going to be easy. You have your requirements and need to meet them in the best way possible. Here’s how you can use PM techniques to systemically plan and perform your apartment hunt:
Ask yourself questions and write down the answers – because proper documentation is a prerequisite to effective project management.
Project Management Processes
- Initiating – What exactly are you looking for? What is the expected outcome of this project?
- Planning – What are your specific requirements? Do you have any priorities (must-have and nice-to-have)? How will you perform the search for the perfect apartment? What tools will you use? How long will you take?
- Executing – Search for the apartment. Make calls. Browse the internet. Set up visits with landlords.
- Monitoring and Controlling – Your search not so successful? Someone beat you to that great deal you found online or through your agent? You suddenly find yourself with less money and want to lower your expectations? Watch out for deficiencies and make changes as needed.
- Closing – You have successfully found the apartment of your dreams (with a reasonable compromise between scope, cost and time). Time to mark this project as ‘done’ and celebrate.
- Integration – How will you integrate all the other aspects of your project? Do you document everything? Or make a mental note of whatever you think is important?
- Scope – How much do you exactly need? Are your expectations set in stone or do you allow yourself some flexibility? For instance, do you absolutely need a hot tub in the bathroom, or leave it to chance?
- Time – How much time can you and do you want to spend on your apartment hunt? Do you dedicate a few hours week? Do you you give yourself additional time to catch up if you fall behind your plans?
- Cost – How much are you willing to spend on your search? Do you find driving around and spending money on gas worthwhile? Would you consider taking a couple of hours from work and forgoing some pay to look at houses?
- Quality – Do you want a newly renovated apartment, or can do with any decent place? Do you want only the best furniture, or can compromise on that?
- Human Resources – How do you manage the people involved in this project? Do you rope in your friends to help you? How do you keep yourself motivated to complete the search?
- Communications -How do you plan to communicate with the other people involved in the project? Do you text, whatsapp or email landlords or agents, or call them to express your interest in their property? If your friends are helping you in your apartment hunt, do you ask them to give you updates everyday?
- Risk – Always have a Plan B. What if you run out of money and have to settle for a lower quality apartment? What if your agent double crosses you? Plan for the unexpected and know beforehand how you’re going to deal with it.
- Procurement – How will you procure the apartment? Do you sign a lease (of course you should). Are you happy with the terms of the lease, or negotiate it?
- Stakeholders – How do you manage the people involved in the project? Do you take your friends out to a drink to appreciate their help? Do you be extra nice to each landlord you meet, just so that they get a good impression of you?
Project management can provide you a framework to take a structured approach to problem solving. PM concepts can be applied to just about anything, irrespective of your area of expertise.
There are project managers in almost every organization, and knowledge of project management will help you work better with these people and understand your own work better.
Reference
“How Project Management Can Help You in Everyday Life by Aravind Gopalakrishnan - ISchool: Syracuse University.”
ISchool, 6 July 2020, https://ischool.syr.edu/how-project-management-can-help-you-in-everyday-life/.