How great Are Your Project Management level?
Project managers need a broad range
of skills.
Whether or not you hold the official
title of project manager, chances are you'll be called upon to lead some sort
of project at some time. From initiating a procedural change in your department
to opening a branch office in a different city, projects come in all shapes and
sizes. As the complexity increases, the number of details you have to monitor
also increases. However, the fundamentals of managing a project from start to
finish are usually very similar.
This short quiz helps you determine
how well you perform in the eight key areas that are important to a successful
project. The quiz is aimed at people who manage projects of a significant size,
but who are not full-time project managers. However, everyone can use their
answers to make sure they're applying best practices.
How
Great Are Your Project Management level?
Total of weighted scores
No
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Statement
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Not
At all
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Rarely
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Some
times
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Often
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Very
often
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|
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1
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I communicate what needs to be
done by what deadline,
and expect the people to whom I assign the work to be responsible for
breaking down
the work packages into smaller and
more manageable pieces.
|
|
|
|
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2
|
When I choose suppliers,
I base my decision on their ability to
deliver on time as well as on price.
|
|
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|
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3
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I prepare a specific timeline and
sequence of activities, and I use this schedule to manage the overall project
to ensure its timely completion.
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|
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|
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4
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When a project begins, I work with
its sponsor to negotiate and agree specific deliverables.
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|
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5
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Project teams are only temporary,
so I don’t worry too much about personalities. I select team members based on
the technical skills I need.
|
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|
|
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|
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6
|
At the start of a project, I
formally outline what, why, who, how, and when with a Project Initiation
Document – so everyone can understand how the elements of the project fit
together.
|
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7
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I consider a variety of cost
alternatives when developing my original project budget plan.
|
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8
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I outline clear expectations for
the project team, and I manage their individual and collective performance as
part of the overall project evaluation process.
|
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9
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When a project gets behind
schedule, I work with my team to find a solution rather than assign blame.
|
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10
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I identify as many potential
project risks as I can, and I develop a plan to manage or minimize each one
of them, large or small.
|
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|
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|
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11
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Because projects involve so many
variables that change so often, I let the plan develop on its own, as time
passes, for maximum flexibility.
|
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|
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|
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12
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I use customer/stakeholder
requirements as the main measure of quality for the projects I manage.
|
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13
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I routinely monitor and reevaluate
significant risks as the project continues.
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14
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I give people a deadline to
complete their project work, and then I expect them to coordinate with others
if and when they need to.
|
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|
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15
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I keep all project stakeholders
informed and up-to-date with regular meetings and distribution of all
performance reports, status changes, and other project documents.
|
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16
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I define specifically what the
stakeholders need and expect from the project, and I use these expectations
to define and manage the project's scope.
|
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17
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Forecasting costs is more art than
science, so I include extra funds in the budget and hope that I’m under cost
at the end.
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18
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I present project status
information in an easy-to-use and easy-to-access format to meet stakeholders'
information needs.
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19
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Delivering on time and on budget
are the most important things for me.
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20
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When I contract for goods or
services, I often choose suppliers based on familiarity and the past relationship
with my organization.
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Total =
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Score
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Comment
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20-46
|
Oh dear. Right now, you may be
focusing mostly on day-to-day activities rather than the bigger picture. If
you spend more time on planning and preparation, you'll see a big improvement
in your project outcomes. And you'll have more time to spend on productive
work rather than dealing with last-minute surprises. As part of planning more
for your projects, take time to create a development plan for the specific
skills on which you scored lowest (you'll see these below).
|
47-74
|
Your project management skills are
OK, and when projects are relatively simple, your outcomes are often good.
However, the more complex the projects you manage, the less control you will
have and the more likely you are to deliver below expectations. Take time to
improve your planning skills and prepare for the unexpected. The more time
you spend on your up-front planning, the better your project outcomes will
be.
|
75-100
|
You are an accomplished project
manager. Few things that happen will upset you, or hurt your confidence in
your ability to lead the project to a successful end. Use your mastery to
help others on your team develop their project management skills. Lead by
example, and provide opportunities for other team members to manage parts of
the project. Also, be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. Just as you
review a project at its completion, make sure that you review your own
performance, and identify what you can do better next time.
|
Project
Integration
(Statements 6, 11)
At the beginning of a project, it's
important to develop a solid understanding of the project's goals, and how the
various elements will fit together for a successful outcome.
To prepare this critical, high-level
document, you need to understand the phases and processes of project management. This
overview will help you become better prepared for what's ahead. Understanding
the planning cycle is also important, because it
helps you appreciate how important your project plan is to a successful
outcome.
Scope
Management
(Statements 4, 16)
Projects have a nasty habit of
expanding as they go along, making it impossible to hit deadlines. To control
this “scope creep,” it's essential to define the scope at the very start of
your project based on the Business Requirements Analysis, and then manage it
closely against this signed-off definition. For more on how to do this, see our
article on scope control.
Schedule
Management
(Statements 1, 3, 9, 14)
A project's scope can easily grow,
and so can the time needed to complete it. For a project to be completed
successfully, despite all of the unknowns, it's important to clearly define the
sequence of activities, estimate the time needed for each one, and build in
sufficient contingency time to allow for the unexpected. It's also important to
monitor full completion of each activity – it's shocking how long it sometimes
takes for an activity to move from “80% complete” to 100% complete!
With this information, you can
develop a Project Schedule and then begin breaking it down
into very specific pieces of work using a Work Breakdown Structure. A schedule often isn't
enough, particularly when different people do different things and their work
output becomes the input for another piece of work. To keep track of the
various activities, Gantt Charts and Critical
Path Analysis are often helpful. These tools allow you to prepare
and manage your schedule for maximum efficiency.
Cost
Management
(Statements 7, 17)
To determine what a project will
cost, you must be systematic with your estimating, budgeting, and controlling.
Also, be aware that many project
decisions will have an impact on cost. Therefore, it's important to understand
what's driving your costs and to develop a system for monitoring the project's
financial performance. Managing project finances requires many tools and
strategies, and it's very important to set up a reliable control system to keep
track of the costs and required changes.
Quality
Management
(Statements 4, 12, 19)
Projects must be delivered not only
on time and on budget, but also to specification (this is what “quality” means
in project management). As part of this, ensure that you actively manage project benefits. By continuously referring to
the benefits that the project will provide, you keep client quality at the
forefront – and you won't waste precious time and resources trying to achieve
an inappropriate level of quality.
An effective project manager knows
the importance of checking that project outcomes are consistent with needs. The
Deming Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and Business Testing are important tools for this, as
they both force you to consider the needs of the end users.
People
Management
(Statements 5, 8)
The people on your project team can
make or break the final outcome. Here, getting the right mix of interpersonal
and political skills is just as important as the right technical skills. To
help your new team start working together effectively as soon as possible,
develop a Team Charter and outline performance expectations. Use well-informed task allocation and appropriate team management skills to keep the project team
on track and working productively. And be prepared to help people through the Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing stages
that so many teams go through.
Communication
(Statements 15, 18)
As with most situations, effective
project communication means communicating with the right people at the right
time and in the right way. To do this, Stakeholder Management is essential. When you analyze your stakeholders, you identify who must
be kept informed in full, and who needs less intensive communication. This can
save you a lot of time, and helps you maintain good relationships with people
involved in the project.
Project Dashboards are great for presenting
project updates in a way that people can quickly understand. For longer
projects that require periodic status reports, Milestone Reporting is effective for capturing
the essentials of a project's status.
Risk
Management
(Statements 10, 13)
Project managers must understand
which of the risks to their plans are significant. An Impact/Probability Chart will help with this.
From there, develop a plan for
monitoring and controlling the major risks involved in your project. Using your
Risk Analysis, develop options to reduce risks,
prepare Contingency Plans, and decide who is responsible
for which parts of risk response.
Project
Procurement
(Statements 2, 20)
Unless your project is in-house,
external suppliers will generally have a large impact on your costs. Suppliers
will also affect whether the project delivers on time and to specification.
General
Project Management Skills
(Statements 4, 9)
This quiz also highlights some
general skills that you should be aware of while developing your project
management skills. Negotiation – specifically, Integrative Negotiation – is very important for
dealing with suppliers and getting the in-house resources you need, when you
need them.
Conflict resolution is another important general
skill. From resolving conflict within your project team to managing conflict
that arises during negotiation, this is a fundamental skill for project
managers. And, ultimately, your problem-solving skills are essential. They will
not only improve negotiation and conflict resolution skills, but also help with
risk management, time management, and quality management.
Key
Points
Project management is a complex
process that requires a wide range of skills.
Whether you manage projects on a
regular basis or only once or twice a year, the skills learned in project
management are applicable to many managerial and leadership positions.
Understanding client needs and
meeting their expectations in a timely manner are universal requirements. Use
the information you gain here to improve specific project management skills –
as well as your general workplace skills.
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