Onboarding with Success

When you’re asked to jump on a new project how do you go about doing that to ensure your best chance for success? That may often depend on why you’re being asked to take over the project … and it can be for any one of the following reasons:

• Previous project manager failed to manage the team and project effectively
• Previous project manager lost the customer’s confidence
• Previous project manager lacked the expertise to lead the project based on new direction
• An emergency necessitated an early departure for the project manager
• Co-management became a necessity due to changes on the project Read more »

The Quality Management Plan

In my experience, the creation of an actual quality management plan, quality control plan, or quality assurance plan (I’ve seen it called all three) has been a fairly rare occurrence. Most organizations have separate quality assurance staffs with their processes to follow and are often involved to some degree on at least the larger projects. However, there are times when quality management plans are necessary and are produced specific to a particular project – especially on very large, mission critical projects or when mandated by your customer.

Carl Pritchard’s book “The Project Management Communications Toolkit” does a great job of outlining what a quality management plan should contain and look like and closely matches the type of information I’ve included in the past on such plans that I’ve created for projects. In my case, it’s usually been required on large government projects. Mr. Pritchard’s summary follows – hopefully some of our readers will find this information beneficial as they search for information on plans that they are required to put together for specific projects.

Quality Management Plan

Purpose

The quality management plan provides guidance on how quality will be ensured on the project through design reviews, documentation, and other protocols. It gives management and the customer a clear understanding of how quality will be maintained and what documentation they can expect (addressing quality) during the life of the project.

Application

The plan is generated by the project team and is used as both a cross-reference for other documentation and as a guide for responsibility on the quality aspects of the project. Team members refer to it to find documents (either in whole or be reference) that they need to examine regarding quality standards for their deliverables. Managers refer to it to clarify what practices are considered essential for quality performance and to affirm who is responsible for those practices. The customer may refer to the quality management plan for assurance that quality practices are in place for their deliverables (and to identify any specific practices for which they are responsible).

Content

Much of the content in quality management plans is often reference. There may be references to performance standard guides, quality standards (like ISO 9000), and internal support documents. The quality management plan is normally limited to a single project or effort within a project and is specific in terms of outlining responsibilities and ownership. The outline of a quality management plan may include the items discussed in the following subsections.

1.0 Definition of Scope

This is the scope of the quality plan, not the entire project, expressing how much of the project or deliverables the quality plan is expected to encompass.

2.0 Quality Policy

Normally defined in general terms or by referencing other documents, the quality policy expresses the project or support organization’s attitude toward quality and quality practices.

3.0 Quality Approach

The quality approach often includes extensive reference documentation that supports the quality plan, including the documents needed to validate deliverable performance. It will also outline how specific practices, such as design reviews, management reviews, customer reviews, and records management will be carried out.

4.0 Supporting Documentation

For some information incorporated in the quality approach documentation such as flowcharts and external references, copies (or direction to copies) may be embedded as appendices or in supplemental folders.

Approaches

The depth of the quality management plan hinges largely on the quality practices and policies of the supporting organization. Some organizations with a minimal emphasis on quality may generate an entire quality management plan in a one or two-page document. Other quality management plans may incorporate binder upon binder of supporting documentation and information.

Considerations

In developing a quality management plan, it is important to consider the customer’s quality practices. Customers with high levels of quality planning and expertise often expect similar levels of effort from their vendors and supporting organizations. Thus, prior to developing a quality management plan, it is often prudent to review the customer’s quality practices and management plans.

Don’t Kill Your Customer – It’s Bad for Business

Whether you are a project manager working in a large corporation with a PMO, or a PM-inclined individual in a smaller company thrown into the PM role, or a skilled consultant recruited by any sized organization to lead critical initiatives, you’re going to run into customers who drive you absolutely crazy.

I’ve discussed in previous articles some negative things about customers. These aren’t surprises to the experienced IT veteran. Usually the customer does not have the necessary expertise or knowledge that is needed – otherwise they wouldn’t be customer and they wouldn’t be coming to us for their project. Whatever it is – there is some need and they’ve come to you specifically, or your company in general, to fill that need.

If you come from a software development background then you know the attitude I’m talking about. It’s easy to put yourself above the customer and talk down to them. You need to both avoid coming across as knowing more than they do while at the same time resisting the urge to throttle them when they can’t seem to get a grip on what it is they really need and what you’re trying to do for them.

Customer Service

While customer service may not really be in the job description of most software developers and other key members of your project delivery team, it is a key responsibility of the project manager. The PM is the face of the company to the customer and the first point of contact for issue resolution during the project engagement process…and sometimes for a period of time following deployment. How you respond to that customer may mean the difference between ongoing revenue from them in the form of add-on business and change orders and a work stoppage on a project if they feel like they’re being treated like second-class citizens.

An Example of Bad Customer Service

I had one customer where my team was performing an enterprise software application configuration and rollout. It was, of course, one of five or six projects I was running at the time and one of three or four projects that most of my team members were involved with also. I had a junior business analyst on the project and a senior business analyst – supposedly the junior was being mentored by the senior. What actually was happening, though, was all the work being performed by the junior and no oversight by the senior.

What resulted was a functional design document that was full of errors – even easy typos – and it took four or five iterations to get it cleared up. At that time, peer reviews of documents like that were performed by position peers – meaning the senior BA was supposedly reviewing the document…but that never happened. Policy changes following this fiasco meant that peer reviews were performed by the whole team (something I personally should have required anyway as the PM…lesson learned, definitely).

What the customer saw, however, was a bad document being delivered to them repeatedly and they then realized that the senior BA was too busy with other critical work to be involved in the project. They actually had to state that they felt like they were being treated as a second-class project. Wow…I ended up with a lot of damage control on my hands.

The Lesson

The lesson here is to be proactive when these situations arise and correct the problem before the customer feels that they’re not high on your priority list. They know you have other work to do, just don’t make them feel like they’re at the end of your list. Your customer came to you out of need and because they lack the skills, resources and probably time to perform what you and your team can perform for them. Understand their need, work with their weaknesses and help them to fully understand the solution. You’ll end up with a very satisfied customer and likely a long-term customer.

The Quandary of Pricing for the Project Management Consultant

If you’re an independent consultant who is pricing yourself directly to a potential client or to a consulting firm in need of placing your type of skills somewhere, then you’ll understand this process. The client may suggest that he’s interested in your service but not happy with the rate you’ve priced yourself at. This is the million-dollar problem that happens whether you’re a consultant selling your expertise or a job-hunter being asked during an interview what your salary range is. It’s awkward any way you approach it. Unfortunately, this is always a normal part of the negotiating process.

To Negotiate or Not to Negotiate

In the Western culture it is not as clear as other cultures when negotiation is appropriate and when it is not. Therefore, many consultants find it very difficult to distinguish between a negative response from a potential client that truly is a flat-out rejection and one that is merely the beginnings of the negotiation process. You sometimes just have to trust your instincts.

Always remember, you are not required to negotiate your rate. If you’ve set your price well in line with market rates for your type of service and expertise level, then it is ok to stand your ground and state confidently that your rate is what you charge and there is no negotiation.

That said, you may want to consider the economy and your situation into that plan. If you need the work badly and you’d rather do it for less than not at all, you may want to go for it. I’ve had clients offer me more than I was even going to ask for, thus eliminating any need for negotiation or even price-setting. And I’ve also had clients negotiate hard and get an extremely favorable rate from me, but I was willing to do the work for less because I knew I would be working almost exclusively in a telecommuting role with no travel or driving expenses and could schedule when I wanted to do most of the work leaving me free for other consulting.

Dealing with Rate Objections

One way to deal with client objections to your rate is to remind them what that rate will buy them. Explain that rate is for actual productive work performed per hour, not the diluted effort they are getting from employees at 60-70% of productivity. Also explain you expertise in their particular area of need meaning you can perform the work much more efficiently and quickly, thus saving them time and mostly likely money and re-work over an employee or a less experienced and lower-priced consultant. To add to that, explain that you may be re-using code or existing templates that you’ve already developed thus utilizing proven tools and saving even more time and money.

Another approach is to explain that the your consulting services come with no overhead price built-in that would be realized when utilizing their own employees. Those overhead costs on their employees is in addition to the salaries they are already paying, but are none existent when using your services.

The Jealousy Factor

One thing to be careful of, however, is that the client you’re dealing with may be wrongfully looking at a $80 rate and thinking that translates easily into a $160,000 salary which may be much higher than the hiring manager you’re talking to. This can challenge their ego and put them on the defensive. If necessary, explain that the rate must cover professional overhead including insurance, professional fees, hardware and software – expenses that employees often do not experience. This can go a long way to alleviating the objection if it does stem from envy or feelings of inferiority.

If you still can’t get past the rate issue, and you don’t feel that it is in your best interest for this particular opportunity to price yourself lower, then it may be best to just walk away. You can try to evangelize the client all you want on why your rate is appropriate, but they just may never get it or they may not be able to afford it. It’s far better to know that up front than to get left without a payment later on – which is always a danger for consultants in nearly every industry.

The Attributes of a Successful Project Manager – Part 3

In the finale of this three-part series we will look at further at Jason Chravat’s presentation of the attributes of a project manager from his book entitled “Project Management Nation: Tools, Techniques, and Goals for the New and Practicing IT Project Manager.”

In this segment, we’ll discuss the need for the project manager to be able to:

• Make timely and critical decisions
• Effectively select and manage a team of skilled IT resources
• Have a professional approach when dealing with management, the team, and the customer

Ability to Make Decisions

An important attribute of any project manager is the ability to make decisions on a project. In meetings, project managers are often challenged to make decisions that are crucial in moving the project forward. If the project manager cannot effectively make decisions, the project surely fail.

Ability to Select and Manage a Project Team

It is important that the project manager be able to draw up a preliminary list of people who will be needed on the project. He or she can be do this by selecting those individuals who are available within the organization and who possess the relevant skills and experience required by the project. The project manager should be able to guide and initiate the external hiring process for those team members who are unavailable. Key factors or selection criteria that should be kept in mind when selecting team members are:

• Candidates have the skills and expertise for the project
• Candidates are available to remain for the full duration required on the project
• Candidates are team players
• Candidates are results-orientated and can set goals
• Candidates are optimistic about the project and outcome
• Candidates are trustworthy
• Candidates are able to work on multiple tasks in isolation

Remember, once the project manager has selected the team members,the success of the project will depend on the manager’s ability to keep the team focused, optimistic, and committed to achieving the overall project objectives. However, it is not uncommon for personal problems to arise while working on a project, and the project manager should be able to identify many of the symptoms ahead of time. The project manager should have the experience and ability to work with all people, irrespective of any individual’s race, religion, nationality, age, or gender. The project manager and the individual should immediately deal with any conflict that arises, and the manager should use the most appropriate course of action to resolve the problem. Additionally, the ability to praise and recognize the project team is important. It is essential that when the team has worked hard to meet objectives, often under difficult circumstances, that they are awarded the recognition.

Having a Professional Approach

Project managers should want to be considered as professionals. The status affects the quality of life for all people on the project, organization, and even in society. Therefore, it becomes vital that a project manager conducts work in a professional manner in order to earn and maintain the confidence of team members, colleagues, employees, employers, clients, and the public. The following is a code of ethics that project managers should use to help maintain their professionalism:

• As project manager, I will strive to maintain high professional standards in the preparation and delivery of my projects, and I will be held accountable for the success or failure of those projects.
• Regarding the actual work aspect of my project, I will strive to provide the leadership, trust, tools, and support to ensure all projects are completed on time, within cost, specification, and to my clients’ requirements.

Professionalism refers to being able to encourage respect and honesty in all business-related matters and during the course of any project. It is important that project managers ensure that all client or employer information be kept confidential and not lead to a situation where there is a conflict of interest.

Project managers also have a duty to their respective communities, by ensuring that no project be implemented in any location where it could possibly place lives and property at risk. An appropriate quotation from one of history’s famous project managers can be used to describe ethics.

The general must be righteous. If he is not righteous, then he will not be severe. If he is not severe, then he will not be awesome. If he is notawesome, then the troops will not die for him. Thus righteousness is thehead of the army. —Sun Tzu