Project Management Simplified

 

1.    Introduction

Core Idea: This section clarifies what a project is, describes its phases, and presents the process groups, the environments, and the role of the project manager.

 

 Simplified Concept: A project is a distinctive journey aimed at achieving a specific goal. It requires a mix of structure, adaptability, and leadership.

Key Points:

·       Temporary, distinctive, and goal-focused

·       5 Process Groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing

·       EEFs (external factors) & OPAs (internal assets)

·       The project manager balances scope, time, cost, quality, and team dynamics.

Practical Example: Imagine you're overseeing a mobile banking app designed for rural users. Unlike a conventional app, this initiative has unique constraints: limited internet access, necessary regulatory approvals, and users who may not be tech-savvy. This makes it a special, time-sensitive project.

2.    Building a High-Performance Team – People Focus

Core Idea: Creating a cohesive, aligned, and collaborative team through trust, empowerment, and effective leadership.

Simplified Concept: A strong team forms the foundation of a successful project. Key elements include motivation, clarity, and collaboration.

Key Points:

·       Team development stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning

·       Servant leadership: Purpose → People → Process

·       Empowerment, decision-making, recognition, and team growth

·       An agile mindset encourages self-organizing teams

Practical Example: You are managing a team that is spread across different locations to create the app. You:

·       Establish a team charter outlining shared values

·       Resolve initial conflicts about design preferences

·       Empower the team to hold daily standups and set sprint priorities

·       Celebrate the beta launch in test villages to boost team morale

3.    Keeping Your Team on Track – People Focus

Core Idea: Maintaining team engagement, collaboration, and performance throughout the project lifecycle.

Simplified Concept: Projects come with uncertainty. Keeping the team aligned and motivated is an ongoing effort.

Key Points:

·       Team charter establishes purpose, norms, and working agreements

·       Practices: Stand-ups, retrospectives, demos, backlog grooming

·       Agile metrics: Burn-down/up charts, velocity, WIP limits

·       Addressing obstacles, enhancing emotional intelligence

Practical Example: You notice that story cards are accumulating in "In Progress." You:

·       Introduce WIP limits to the Kanban board

·       Guide the team in completing tasks before starting new ones

·       Use retrospectives to refine sprint velocity

·       Help resolve conflicts between QA and Dev about test coverage

4.    Getting Started with Your Project – Process Focus

Core Idea: Kicking off and planning your project to create a solid foundation.

Simplified Concept: Just like you wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint, planning sets the course.

Key Points:

·       Develop Project Charter: purpose, objectives, sponsor, PM assignment

·       Identify stakeholders, define scope, schedule, budget

·       Create plans for communication, risks, quality, and procurement

Practical Example: You:

·       Draft the charter to outline project success (e.g., 100K users in 6 months)

·       Identify rural NGOs and banks as key stakeholders

·       Plan for language localization and offline access features

·       Set acceptance criteria in collaboration with the product owner

5.    Doing the Work – Combined Approach

Core Idea: Carrying out, monitoring, and controlling the actual tasks using appropriate tools and processes.

Simplified Idea: This is where the real progress takes place—and where your plans face real challenges.

Main Points:

·       Oversee and direct tasks, implement updates, manage potential issues

·       Ensure quality, obtain and oversee resources, control budget and timeline

·       Apply agile or flexible approaches when necessary

Real-World Example: Your team launches the first prototype of the app. You:

·       Monitor sprint progress with Jira

·       Handle an unexpected delay caused by API problems

·       Reassign a backend resource to support mobile needs

·       Conduct sprint reviews using genuine user feedback from test regions

6.    Keeping Business Focused – Business Context

Core Idea: Ensuring the project aligns with the organization's strategy and objectives.

Simplified Idea: A successful project has to make sense for the business. It should connect with the organization’s purpose.

Main Points:

·       Project should provide value and back business strategy

·       Manage compliance, benefits realization, and long-term sustainability

·       Monitor ROI, stakeholder expectations, and market trends

Real-World Example: You ensure your mobile banking app:

·       Supports the company’s goal of financial inclusion

·       Adheres to RBI regulations and privacy laws

·       Delivers benefits like lower onboarding costs per user

·       Reports essential KPIs like daily transactions from rural users to management