For this week's issue of the 5 in Five, we're covering project management. Your firm has plenty of ways to spend money, but only one way to generate it...through projects. In fact, now more than ever, we're consistently hearing that AEC Project Managers are facing expedited project schedules, more demanding client expectations, and increased workloads. The high-performance firms are rising to the occasion. They are investing more in advancing project management as a core competency in the firm and equipping Project Managers (PMs) to truly serve as the gatekeepers of the firm's profit margins and long-term success.
These five tips come directly from PSMJ's popular AEC Project Management Bootcamp. Every year, thousands of current and aspiring PMs go through this program to tap into tips, tricks, and tools to deliver stronger project performance.
See something here you want more info on or maybe even a tip that you just completely disagree with? Let me know.
Time spent on PM is not an overhead activity.
Projects don’t manage themselves. In fact, more and more AEC firm leaders are realizing that the discipline of project management is a critical resource that makes or breaks project success. Don’t sell this short and make the mistake of leaving project management out of the project budget. PSMJ research shows that project management, depending on the complexity and size of the project, usually represents about 8-14% of the total project budget.
Project Management Plans lead to happier clients and better budget performance.
A common mistake with smaller projects is to skip the Project Management Plan (PMP) because it is a quick or simple project. Stop right there. You may not need a very detailed PMP, but having no PMP is a recipe for trouble. In our AEC Project Management Bootcamp, we teach that the PMP needs to be fit for purpose. For smaller projects, it can take less than ten minutes to develop a simple work breakdown structure with key tasks, timing, budget, and accountability. PSMJ research proves that, no matter the project size, having a PMP leads to higher levels of client satisfaction and improved project budget performance.
Don't have time to delegate? Think again.
We hear it all the time from busy Project Managers. "It is faster for me to just do it" is the common refrain when asked why they aren't delegating more tasks to junior project staff. This notion that a delegatee would be slower or not as competent may, of course, be true on the first go-around for a task. But, time and time again, we find that this to be a very short-sighted view. Believe it or not, over time, the delegatee will likely be able to complete the task faster than you…and maybe even (eventually) better than you! The keys to good delegation? Plan it, define it, schedule it, and measure it.
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Project quality should fit the schedule and budget.
The goal is not perfection when it comes to project quality. Instead, a PM must plan quality control efforts to the client expectations (in addition to the professional standard of care) as well as the sensitivity of need and the consequences of failure. For example, the investment in quality control may be lower for a warehouse project compared to, say, a hospital. If the level of quality isn't aligned with client expectations, problems arise. The result is a blown budget when quality expectations are higher than those of the client or a client satisfaction problem when quality expectations are lower than those of the client.
The best AEC Project Managers plan for change.
Projects hardly ever go exactly as planned. Conditions change, people change, requirements change. Rather than try to eradicate or fight change, the best Project Managers plan for it. They incorporate a Change Management Plan into the PMP. What is the firm's project contingency? What is the client's change management fund? Who approves changes? What is the system for tracking changes? These should all be in the Change Management Plan. Great PMs don't just ignore the possibility of change and hope that it never happens.
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