Controlling Projects

In the previous phase (project execution) I mentioned that part of the project manager’s job involves solving problems. This is known as “controlling” the project.

No matter how well you have planned the project, you can expect problems. Projects seldom go as planned. You need to identify deviations from the plan, and respond to them, as early as possible in the project. The sooner problems are identified and resolved, the less impact they have on the overall project.

The key to identifying and accommodating changes and problems early is good communication. Stay in touch with your team members. Don’t just ask them, “How are you doing?” and accept “Fine.” as an answer. Use your tools, such as the Gantt Chart and punch lists, to track tasks. Make sure your team knows you are open to bad news as well as good news. You don’t want team members holding back information about problems because they are afraid of how you will respond.

Face challenges and problems as they come up. Don’t ignore them, hoping something will change or the problem will resolve itself. Get the facts, then based on those facts devise a plan to deal with the problem.

Don’t have a plan that is cast in concrete. Be flexible and revise your plan as needed. In particular as you get close to the completion of the project, team enthusiasm may start to drop off, or a particularly difficult task may be blocking progress. Step back, identify exactly what needs to be done, and create a new plan for accomplishing that task.

If you are nearing completion of a project, but it looks like you will miss the schedule, don’t sacrifice quality in order to make the schedule. It is better to meet your quality goals and be late delivering the project. Not meeting the quality goals usually means more problems, and an even greater loss of time in the future.