We have some projects we need to get through and not enough hours in the day. What”™s the best way to tackle this problem?
Pull together and prioritize a resource-demand list. Decide if projects are mission-critical or nice-to-have. Figure out which projects will need skills in-house in the future and which are one-off, or highly specialized beyond the level of skill your company is likely to need for the foreseeable future. Decide if you need to hire teachers or doers. Set a budget and a process to fund projects and stick to it.
Ask everyone in the company to submit suggestions for projects that need to be completed. Have people indicate:
- why they put the project on the list,
- whether they have internal resources necessary to implement the project,
- what kind of outside resources may be needed, at what cost, and
- how the outcome of the project will benefit the company.
Once you have a complete list of potential projects, it”™s time to start prioritizing.
Need vs. nice
Categorize the projects as “need-to-have” and “nice-to-have.” The difference between mission-critical and nice-to-have is often a fine line and opinion may differ based on who”™s making the judgment call.
For any projects that are listed as need-to-have, ask the department making the recommendation to justify their position. If there are differences of opinion, ask people to meet to discuss the projects in question and make a group decision about need-to-have and nice-to-have.
Focus on the need-to-have list. Indicate the likely timing of each project as “now,” “short term (within a year),” “mid term (within two years),” “long term (more than two years away).” Estimate whether the project can be completed with resources available inside the company or if additional outside expertise or assistance is needed.
Develop a list of additional resources and skills needed to complete the need-to-have list of projects. Note skills that keep coming up. Separate those from skills that are more one-time in nature, specific to one project. Repeat need for skills may indicate it”™s time to promote or hire someone.
Think through skills the company will have to have on board once projects are completed. For example, if you”™re considering programming software you may not need a programmer in the future. You will, however, probably need someone on board who is skilled enough to operate the software program day to day.
Make a list of future skills needed within the company. Look around to see if there is a ready learner who could step into the role. If not, that set of skills will also need to be filled from the outside and added to payroll. Factor that into the cost of managing the project in the future.
Teach vs. do
Now it”™s time to decide whether to hire teachers or doers to get the key projects implemented. Some people will come on board and “do” for you. They”™ll put the project in motion and get it done. Again, programming software is a good example.
The downside of “doers” is that when they leave the company the skills leave with them. Doers are appropriate for one-off projects in which the company doesn”™t need to have skill on staff to realize value.
Teachers help to increase the skill and scope of the organization. While leading the project, they help people within the company contribute to it. Usually teachers are temporary in nature, eventually backing away from the project as employees increase their ability to perform. When they leave, the skills they taught remain behind.
Decide how projects will be funded. How much will come from operating funds and how much from additional growth or profits. Set a budget to fund projects. Put that budget to use cycling through the list of priorities.
Looking for a good book? Try “The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, A Practical Handbook and Reference,” by Eric Verzuh.
Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., www.StrategyLeaders.com, a business consulting firm that specializes in helping entrepreneurial firms grow. Questions may be e-mailed to her at AskAndi@StrategyLeaders.com or mailed to Andi Gray, Strategy Leaders Inc., 5 Crossways, Chappaqua, NY 10514. Phone: 877-238-3535. Visit www.AskAndi.com for archived articles.
