Simple Project Management
Christin Nevins, Catalyst OC
Conflict of Interest Disclosures
 None
Objectives
Summary:
Too many projects flounder or stall due to weak project management. Many
tools and resources on the market are cumbersome and require special
training. This presentation offers simple templates, practical processes, and
relationship-centered principles that get results and empower participants to
quickly add value to any project.
Objectives:
 Participants will understand how to start, manage, and end a project with
clear metrics and a focus on relational health.
 Participants will practice using 4 simple project management tools:




Project Template
Project Spider
RACI Project Plan
Status Meeting Template
Agenda
Topic
Duration
Welcome
Fundamentals
Starting Well
Ongoing Project Management
Finishing Well
Wrap Up
Q&A
:5
:15
:45
:20
:20
:10
:5
Expectations
 Brisk pace
 You likely won’t finish any exercise
 Use it within a week after the workshop (or lose it)
Two Requests
Pick a Project
Please pick a project to use for activities
during this workshop. Characteristics of a
good choice:
 It
is work-related, and it is happening now
or soon.
 Success or failure matters.
 It is challenging to manage.
Is It a Project?
Duration
People
Involved
Goals
Project
Finite,
longer
Many
Task
Finite,
shorter
1 or few
Process
Ongoing
Often
competing
Simple
Depends
Depends
Fundamentals
“I’m all alone and fully responsible.”
Project Sponsor role:
• Definer of success
• Liberator of resources
• “Organizational Enzyme”
Project Manager role:
• Steward of budget, scope, schedule
Fundamentals
Clearing the Head Trash
Fundamentals
“I’m all alone and fully responsible.”
Project Sponsor role:
• Definer of success
• Liberator of resources
• “Organizational Enzyme”
Project Manager role:
• Steward of budget, scope, schedule
Fundamentals
“I’m not a real project manager.”
Fundamentals
The Iron Triangle
schedule
fast
good
scope / quality
budget
cheap
Simple Project Management
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Simple Project Management
Project Charter
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Starting Well: Project Charter
Project Charter
project charter - the first project document,
intended to clarify project purpose & scope
The importance? It helps the project get a
running start, instead of limping off the
starting line
Starting Well: Project Charter
Project Charter - Template
Project Name:
Objective:
Sponsor:
Value Drivers
PM:
Success Metrics
In-Scope
Out-of-Scope
Starting Well: Project Charter
Project Objective
project objective: a short description of
what the project will attempt to accomplish
The importance? Helps people quickly
understand what the project is
Starting Well: Project Charter
Project Objective - Example
“To
provide a healthy meal for
the team, to increase
productivity & morale today”
Starting Well: Project Charter
Value Drivers
value driver: the must-have elements of the
project that significantly contribute to its
value
value = [ benefits • P(benefits) ] - [ costs ]
The importance? People wander. They lose
sight of what must happen to capture the full
value of the project.
Starting Well: Project Charter
Value Drivers - Example
benefits
• P(benefits)
-
costs
focused team
quality food
food
employee
satisfaction
fast delivery
tip
clear timeline
communication
consumables
employee health
Starting Well: Project Charter
Success Metrics
Project
Change Mgt
Future-State
- schedule
- scope
- budget
- engagement
- commitment
- understanding
- retention
- satisfaction
- varies by
project
The key? Regular, public review
The importance? Success metrics align
actions and communicate priorities.
Starting Well: Project Charter
Success Metrics - Example
 Project
 Team
eating by 11:45am
 Total project cost <$115
 Change Management
 Nobody
quits today
 100% of team members get some choice
 Future State
 Team
rates food quality >4 out of 5 (avg)
 RDA saturated fat <40% for each employee
Starting Well: Project Charter
Scope
in-scope: the work that must be delivered for the
project to achieve its objective
out-of-scope: work that will intentionally not be
done on the project
The importance? Just because you can do it, doesn’t
mean you should.
Starting Well: Project Charter
Scope Example
In-Scope
 Research
 Deciding
on Restaurant
 Ordering Food
 Setting Table
 Distribution of Food
Out-of-Scope
 Drinks
(BYO)
 Dessert
 Plan for leftovers
Starting Well: Project Charter
Project Charter - Example
Project Name: Operation GoodMeal
Objective: To provide a healthy meal for the team, to increase productivity & morale
Sponsor: Boss Hog
PM: Christin
Value Drivers
Success Metrics
B: focused team, employee…
P(b): quality food, fast delivery…
C: food, tip, consumables
P: Team eating by 11:45am, …
CM: Nobody quits today, …
FS: Team rates food quality >4 …
In-Scope
Out-of-Scope
Research, Deciding on Restaurant,
Ordering Food, Setting Table,
Distribution of Food
Drinks (BYO), Dessert, Plan for
leftovers
Starting Well: Project Charter
So… what do I do with it?
 Align with the Project Sponsor on all its
elements & get Project Sponsor approval
 Show it to all new project team members
 Use it as the starting point for negotiating
scope changes
Starting Well: Project Charter
Key Take-Aways
 Focus on value drivers; all else is a
distraction
 Publicize success metrics regularly
 Narrow the scope to focus on value drivers
 Take the Charter for a walk to increase
engagement
Starting Well: Project Charter
Activity
Charter Worksheet
Activity Purpose: To get a head start on
chartering (or re-chartering) your
project.
1. Fill out the worksheet.
2. Pair up and debrief.
Simple Project Management
Project Spider
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Starting Well: The Project Spider
The Project Spider
Project Spider: a tool for visually
communicating the stakeholders,
deliverables, and scope of the project
deliverable: work product created during
the project
The importance? People pay more attention
to a drawing; they engage with it.
Starting Well: The Project Spider
A Generic Project Spider
project objective
stakeholder
stakeholder
project
stakeholder
stakeholder
stakeholder
Starting Well: The Project Spider
Example
Starting Well: The Project Spider
Benefits
 Communicates the big picture
 Demonstrates complexity and magnitude to
the Project Sponsor
 Sparks discussion and engagement
 Helps set up future work:
 Communication Plan
 Tasks for the Project Plan
Starting Well: The Project Spider
How To Use It
 Hand draw it on (big) paper and take it for a
walk (show it to stakeholders to get their
feedback)
 Update it whenever necessary
 When scope changes, use it to negotiate for
resources or time
Starting Well: The Project Spider
Key Take-Aways
 Building a Spider is hard work; but worth it
 Take the Project Spider for a walk to quickly
increase engagement and commitment
Starting Well: The Project Spider
Activity
Build-A-Spider
Activity Purpose: to practice building
your Spider
1. Start the worksheet
2. Group debrief
Simple Project Management
RACI Project Plan
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
The RACI Model
Action
R Responsible Do the task
How Many in this
Role?
Usually one (but
sometimes a few)
A Approver
Say it’s good
enough
One
C Consulted
Provide input to
Approver
Varies (0 to many)
I Informed
Get Told about
task completion
Varies (0 to many)
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
Example
Task
Responsible Approver Consulted Informed Due
Select
restaurant
Christin
Christin Team,
Boss H
9am
Gather indiv
food orders
Allocate
budget
Christin
Christin
10am
Christin
Boss
Hogg
10am
Set table
Jane
Christin
11am
Accept food
delivery
Christin
Christin
Team
1130am
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
Benefits
 Clarity on roles, deliverables, and deadlines
 Serves as the “flexible backbone” of ongoing
project management efforts & project status
communication
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
How to Use It
 Use the Project Spider to generate a reasonable
number of tasks & stakeholder roles for those
tasks.
 Put 1 name only in each “Approver” bucket.
 Align with stakeholders on your initial Project
Plan.
 Track progress weekly, at minimum send a “cut
& paste” version via email to the team.
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
Extra Credit (yeah!)
Feb
Task
R
A
[Task 1]
Christin
Christin
2/27
[Task 2]
Christin
Christin Jane
3/6
[Task 3]
Christin
Boss
Hogg
3/6
[Task 4]
Christin
Christin
3/28
[Task 5]
Jane
Christin
…
C
Office
Mgr
I
Due
4/4
Mar
Apr
3 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 3 7 1 2
0 7 4
0 7 4 1
4 1
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
Key Take-Aways
 Single Approvers
 The Project Plan is the primary tool for
ongoing PM communications
 Complexity will paralyze the PM
Starting Well: RACI Project Plan
Activity
RACI Project Plan
Worksheet
Activity Purpose: to get a start on your
RACI Project Plan
1. Start filling out the worksheet.
2. Pair up and debrief.
Simple Project Management
Ongoing Project Management
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
Status Meetings
status meeting: a regular meeting/call led by the
PM, intended to align and engage project team
members
The importance? Team members can see the big
picture and resolve problems quickly with all key
players together.
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
Effective Status Meetings
 Regularly Scheduled
 Short (stand-up)
 Focused Agenda





New Issues
New Risks
Old Issues
Old Risks
Update Project Plan
issue: a current
problem with the
project
risk: a potential
issue
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
Issues Log
Issue
Originator
Not
Jane
enough
plates
Date
Plan to
Logged Resolve
Owner Due Comments
4/20
Jane
Borrow
from
cafeteria
10:30
am
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
Risk Log
Risk
Date
Plan to
Originator
Owner Due Comments
Logged Mitigate
Lactose
Bob (PM)
intolerant
eater
4/20
Ensure
milkless
options
Bob
9:30
am
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
Key Take-Aways
 If you have an Issues Log, Risk Log, and
Project Plan (which you should) update
them regularly, or no one will take you
seriously
Ongoing Project Management: Status Meetings
ACTIVITY
Issues & Risks
Activity Purpose: to capture some
issues and risks on your project.
1. Fill out the worksheet.
2. Pair up and debrief.
Simple Project Management
Ongoing Project Management
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
The Truth will Set You Free
Bad news
early is
good news.
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
Providing Feedback
feedback: an explanation of the impact (both
positive and negative) of an individual’s
behaviors
The importance? The team counts on the PM to
lead (solve performance problems & encourage
good work).
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
An XYZ Sandwich
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
Advantages
 Focuses on behaviors and impact, not intent
 Opens up options
 Useful in 360 degrees
 Drives dialogue
Intent ≠ Impact
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
Example 1
Bob (PM): “Jane, here’s what I think… I overheard
you talking to a client about your frustration with
me for not buying your team a lunch from St
Elmo’s. When you complain to clients about
things over which you (and they) have no control,
they tend to lose confidence in us. Client
satisfaction may suffer as a result. I’d prefer you
bring your concerns to me, work with me to find
solutions, and not let your frustration and anxiety
spill onto our clients. What do you think?”
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
Example 2
Team Boss: “Bob, I overheard you talking to Jane
and telling her what a great job she did setting the
table. Good job.”
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
Key Take-Aways
 The PM must deal with performance
problems-- they won’t get better on their
own
 The PM is in a great position to reinforce
good work
 Edify, don’t condescend
Ongoing Project Management: XYZ Feedback
ACTIVITY
XYZ Feedback Worksheet
Activity Purpose: to practice
providing XYZ feedback.
1. Fill out the worksheet.
2. Pair up and debrief.
Simple Project Management
Ongoing Project Management
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Ongoing Project Management: Zen Time
Zen Time
zen time: regularly scheduled periods of
reflection and meditation for the PM
The importance? Our
intuition helps us avoid
big problems.
Simple Project Management
Finishing Well
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Finishing Well: Project Performance Measurement
Project Performance Measurement
project performance measurement: a postproject assessment of a project’s success in
achieving its objectives
The importance? Accountability: those entrusted
with the organization’s scarce resources should
account for their use
Finishing Well: Project Performance Measurement
How to Measure Project Results
 Success Metrics (duh)
 Data tell a story, but not always a complete
story-- can also use:
 Interviews
 Quotes
 Stories
 Survey text responses
Simple Project Management
Finishing Well
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Finishing Well: Individual Evaluations
Individual Evaluations
individual evaluation: a report from the PM on
the performance of an individual project team
member
The importance? Individuals on the project (and
their supervisors) deserve to know how they’ve
performed, to help further their professional
development
Finishing Well: Individual Evaluations
Quick E-Mail Format
Dear Jane Doe’s Supervisor (cc: Jane),
Thanks for supporting this important
project. I thought you’d be interested in my
thoughts on Jane’s performance during the
project:
 What Jane should START doing…
 What Jane should KEEP doing…
 What Jane should STOP doing…
Simple Project Management
Finishing Well
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
Formal Closure - 3 Critical Elements
 Sponsor Acceptance
 After-Action Review (AAR)
 Closure Communication
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
Sponsor Acceptance
Sponsor acceptance: a formal acceptance
of the project’s key deliverables, signifying
the completion of the project’s work
The importance? It ain’t over until the
Project Sponsor says it’s over.
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
AAR
after-action review (AAR): a meeting led
by the PM that captures lessons learned
from the project; also allows an opportunity
to acknowledge & celebrate
The importance? Allows for emotional
closure for project team members. Also
helps deepen the individual and
organizational learning.
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
Key AAR Elements
 Recap of project history (objectives, schedule,





staffing)
Review of project performance (using Success
Metrics)
Capturing & prioritizing lessons learned
Food
A sappy speech from a leader (acknowledging and
celebrating)
A team photo
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
Closure Communication
closure communication: a formal
communication from the PM to
stakeholders, stating the that project is
complete & summarizing the project’s
results
The importance? Avoids confusion, creates
some buzz
Finishing Well: Formal Closure
Key Take-Aways
 Data are great. Data + stories are better.
 People gave blood, sweat, and tears to the
project. Acknowledge, honor, & edify (build)
them.
 Speeches only feel cheesy to the speaker.
Wrap Up
Review
step 1
step 2
step 3
Starting
Well
Ongoing
PM
Finishing
Well
Project Charter
Status Meetings
Project Spider
XYZ Feedback
RACI Project
Plan
Zen Time
Project
Performance
Measurement
Individual
Evaluations
Formal Closure
Wrap Up
Key Take-Aways
Wrap Up
Commit
I will ________________
within the next ____ day(s).
Wrap Up
Related Workshops
Simple
Project
Management
Strategic
Change
Management
Leading
Change
Building
Trust
Team
Dynamics
Sustaining
Organizational
Change
Christin Nevins
christin@catalystOC.com
317.413.4663