Project Management Articles from the Project Management Advisor™ |
The
One Nugget Report from The Project Management Advisor™
Issue 2009-22 - It Takes Two to Tango Part III
On June 18th at 11AM PDT I will be partnering with Bellevue Technology Partners on a Webinar entitled It Takes Two to Tango: Great Sponsor + Great PM = Great Success. In this webinar, we will be discussing a number of truths about how a sponsor and a project manager need to be working in a symbiotic relationship to better secure project success. As the title implies, neither the sponsor nor the PM can get it done alone; both need to be actively involved and rowing the boat in the same direction to better ensure the project meets its stated objectives and solves the problem it was set out to solve. Best of all for you, the webinar is complimentary.
Following is a preview of one of the critical truths we will be discussing.
Register for the complimentary webinar here.
Great sponsors willingly make tough decisions even if unpopular or politically charged.
Great PM’s provide clear and unbiased alternatives, information and consequences to support decision making.
Ah, decisions, decisions, decisions. Every project will be faced with at least one very difficult decision where some critical tradeoff needs to be made. Frequently the best choice is by no means optimal; rather it is more the "least worst" choice. These are ugly decisions indeed, but they need to be made.
Register for the complimentary webinar here.
The project sponsor has the difficult task of being the final arbiter on many of these difficult decisions. It's important that the sponsor takes in the all reasonable points of view, understands the alternatives, weighs the consequences, and makes the decision when the team needs the decision made. Foot-dragging or "shooting from the hip" could both adversely impact the project and make it difficult or impossible to recover.
At the same time, the PM is responsible for ensuring that alternatives and consequences are presented in a clear, concise and unbiased fashion for the sponsor to be well equipped to make the decision. At times a sponsor's reluctance to make a decision isn't because he or she is reluctant to make a decision; rather it is because the PM hasn't done his or her homework to provide clear, concise, and unbiased information.
So here is my advice to both the sponsor and the PM:
- To the sponsor - Know which decisions you are on the hook for, understand the alternatives and consequences, and make the decision timely so the team can move forward.
- To the PM - Do your part to present alternatives and consequences in a clear, concise, and unbiased manner giving the sponsor the right information he or she needs to make the decision.
Register for the complimentary webinar
here.
Like my site? Email your colleagues about it.
Complimentary Self-Study Seminars, Webcasts, and Resources -
I'm getting great response to my complimentary seminars, webcasts, and resources. Have you taken advantage of them yet? Get your complimentary content at http://www.project-management-seminar.com.
________________________________________________________________________
The Project Management Advisor™ Report Archive
See archived copies of the One-Nugget Report
