Managing the Geek: Project Management for the Non- Technical Manager

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Managing the Geek:

Project Management

for the

Non-Technical Manager

June 7, 2012

3:45 - 5:00 p.m.

Content Leader:

Kimberly Mosley, CAE, VP & CIO,

American College of Healthcare

Executives

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Project Name: A brief, succinct name of the project

Expected Completion Date:XX/XX/XXXX

Project Scope:A one or two sentence statement that succinctly identifies the expected deliverable

Project Definition:One or two paragraphs that clearly describe the project

requirements. This section will also indicate known stakeholders which are anyone who will affect or is affected by the project. The project team should fine-tune and gain consensus on this definition before moving forward.

Not in Scope: During the requirements gathering phase of the project, some aspects of the project are considered for future consideration. Those ideas should be recording here.

Project Team: This includes the project requestor and/or project champions

Approval: Name and date of approval

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Project Task List:

Task: Assigned To: Due Date: Status:

Task – A task refers to the project activities. The length of any one task should be short and the number of resources assigned should be few. For the most part, project team members associate the term tasks with things they are individually responsible for. The deliverables from the tasks ultimately combine to form the deliverable of the project.

Assigned To – The person, persons or department responsible for completion of the task.

Due Date – Expected completion date of the task. This date is subject to change as the project moves forward and tasks deadlines are missed.

Status – An indication of the current state of the task. Expected states are:

 Blank(Not yet started)

 In Progress

 Done

 Removed

Every project task list should include at least:

 Requirements meeting

 Requirements review

 Project approval(s)

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Member Application Update: Campaign Codes

Expected Completion Date: 01/05/2012

Project Scope: Update the Home page of the Member application to add a section to

capture campaign information from the applicant.

Project Definition: The campaign codes were part of the old application pages in a section called question #2 which asked “What influenced you to join …” We decided to add question #2 from the old application to the Home page of the new Member

application. We also decided to remove the prorated pricing information and put it behind a “More Information” button. Lastly, we decided to change question #2 from a series of radio buttons to a drop list to preserve space. We decided to remove the word “optional” from the “Who influenced you to join . .” question. In addition, we will make sure the revised home page makes it obvious that these questions are part of the application. To do this, we should add the statement: Begin Here in the same font style as:

Home.

Begin Here should be placed right above the first question: “Who encouraged you to join?”.

Project Stakeholders:

Membership Department Members

This project is help membership department make the membership application process easier to use and make it easier for them to collect campaign codes.

Not in Scope: In the future, Membership will solicit an annual review process of all online and hard copy applications to make sure they are meeting needs. We considered, but decided against making the: “Who influenced you to join ..” and “What influenced you to join ..” options mandatory.

Task: Assigned To: Due date: Status:

Requirements meeting Project Team 12/22 DONE (12/23) Requirements Review Project Team 12/22 DONE (12/23)

Project Approvals Heidi 12/22 DONE (12/26)

Update Campaign Codes Scott/Terra 12/30 In Progress Create More Info button w/popup Heidi 1/02

Create Drop Down Kim 1/02

User acceptance testing Michelle 1/02

Implement New Web pages MIS 1/05

Project Team:

Michelle Abelson Heidi Carlson Scott Grant Kimberly Mosley

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Kimberly Mosley, CAE

VP & CIO American College of Healthcare Executives

Managing the Geek:

Project Management for the

Non‐Technical Manager

June 7 2012 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

VP & CIO, American College of Healthcare Executives 2012 Finance, HR & Business Operations Conference

Washington, DC June 7‐8, 2012

Introduction

• Managers role in project management?

• Look at some project management tools and

you will learn some techniques for better

managing project leaders (the geeks!) managing project leaders (the geeks!)

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Agenda

• Learn a simple project management

methodology

• Learn about the managers role in launching a

project project

• Importance of milestones

• Learn a communications technique

• Closing the project

Why is Project Management Important?

• Better communication

• Enhance product quality

• Better financial control

Assess • Strategic goals

• Repeatable

Plan

Review Assess

Control

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KISS PM Methodology

• Initializing

–Initiating checklist

–Identify stakeholder

–Define projectp j and budgetg

–Managing expectations

• Developing

–Define action plan

–Complete template • Managing

Initializing

• Project name

• Expected completion date

• Project scope and definition

• Not in scope

• Project team

• Approval

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Developing

• Develop an action plan

–What needs to be done, by whom and when

–Cost and quantity

–Milestones

• Develop a communication plan

–Who

–How

–Frequency

–Do away with meetings not needed

–“Read This Before Our Next Meeting” by Al Pittampali

Managing – Stay the course!

• Assess progress on project

• Communicate with stakeholders

• Change Management –Communicating

–Approvals

–Scope creep

•Well defined project definition

• Quality Review

Managers Role in Initializing

• Identifying the best project manager/leader

• Defining the best team members/resources

• Establishing ownership, motivation and

i commitment

• Defining clear project objectives, deliverables,

timeline and budget

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Managers Role in Developing

• Determining and clarifying the goals

• Review the proposed project workload

• Assist with producing better time estimates

• Define your communication expectations

• Review proposed financials

Managers Role in Managing

• Monitoring project progress

• Correcting the project

• Take care of the Project Leader

• Scope creep

• Ask the right questions!

The Wrong Questions!

• How’s it going?

• Does it look like you will finish on time?

• Anything unusual going on?

• Is everything on‐track?

• Looks like things are going okay then?

• Tell me if you have any problems

• If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume everything is okay.

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Focus on the Processes

• Is there a project plan

–Is it up‐to‐date

–Is it approved

D th l l l h th t t f th

• Does the plan clearly show the state of the

project today

• Are activities broken down into small enough

chunks

• Assess the overall health of the project

The Right Questions

• Do you have a project plan? (show me)

• Is it up to date?

• Is it on budget? (show me)

• Does it show work remaining?

• Does it indicate the project will complete on

time?