Boost business with digital marketing.

BL333 Logistics Project Management

Believe it or not, over the years I’ve gotten more requests to provide Project Management training to non project managers than project managers. That may seem counter intuitive but not really. Organizations realize the benefits of those project management skills and abilities, and they need everyone to have that skill set, not just their official “project managers.” While most professionals may not carry the formal title “Project Manager,” virtually everyone manages projects from time to time. If you’ve organized a kid’s birthday party, coordinated a family reunion or planned a team retreat, you’ve managed a project!

Director, Strategy and Project Management with Medtronic Corporate Science & Technology, Dr. Michael O’Connor insists, “People don’t realize how much project management they’re already doing. In many ways the skills are the same ones moms have been using for centuries!” According to Michael DePrisco, Vice President Global Solutions, Project Management Institute (PMI) research shows that, “We’re moving to a project economy. It’s just becoming how work gets done.” Further support for the view of project management skills being universally applicable and beneficial is the fact that PMI established an Educational Foundation targeting kids aged 5-19. Indeed, the foundation helps equip children with project management skills because the fundamental belief is…project management skills are life skills.

Project Management books are filled with concepts and skills that could benefit most professionals including scheduling techniques, Gantt charts, work breakdown structures, team leadership concepts, etc. While these skills (and many others) are certainly valuable ones for non project managers to understand, this article highlights two specific skills that may be lesser known but can provide tremendous benefit for virtually everyone in the workplace.

Skill #1 - Using Project Charters

The discipline of project management is filled with tools, techniques and templates, but hands down the most powerful one overall may be the project charter. Many organizations struggle with the disease of “the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing” or they have teams that fumble key initiatives in large part because people “aren’t on the same page.” Project Charters are used by project managers to get everyone in agreement at the outset so they can avoid problems down the road. Here’s an example of some of the types of elements you may want to clarify through the development of a project charter before the work actually begins.1 – Using Project Charters

While project charters may vary in style, format, and even content, the fundamental premise of getting the key players together to reach consensus on these critical elements before project kickoff is invaluable. Securing signatures on the document only enhances the levels of accountability.

Skill #2 – Vetting Ideas to Weed Out the Bad Ones

Years ago when the ill-fated OJ Simpson book project “If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer” was cancelled at the last minute amid public outrage and advertiser backlash, Rupert Murdoch Chairman of the News Corporation offered a statement where he announced the book cancellation characterizing it as “an ill-considered project.” While the book had reportedly already been written and copies had been boxed for retailers to sell, this seemed a perfect example of the common and pervasive phenomenon - failure to properly vet a project idea.

To avoid this phenomenon, project management teaches that contrary to popular belief “Initiating” NOT “Planning” should be the first phase of project management. The Initiating phase is focused on subjecting the idea to some level of scrutiny whether it’s as complex as a full-blown business case or as simple as a back of the envelope review of pros and cons. When this up front analysis doesn’t happen, “dog projects” can be birthed from dangerous triggers like an executive’s rambling commentary during a meeting, an ill-advised or uninformed opinion or an emotional response to an incident. While the Initiating process can take many forms, here are some key questions to consider as part of that process.

While these two skills aren’t exclusive to project management, they’re widely recognized and practiced within the discipline and unfortunately overlooked by many outside the discipline. So, if you’ve been thinking project management skills are just for career project managers, think again! Project management skills may not just enhance your effectiveness in the workplace, but they can also significantly increase your value in the marketplace.

Question 1

Discuss TWO (2) important points from the article WITHIN THE SCOPE OF LOGISTICS PROJECT MANAGEMENT (BL333). In dealing with the content, you are required to make clear any reasonable assumptions you feel are necessary.

Question 2

Do you think that project managers can gain benefit from the article? Justify your answer