How Much is Too Much

Posted on | June 30, 2009 | Author: | JasonBurke | No Comments

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It is always tempting to learn a new skill or method and try to use it everywhere. There is the old saying about the boy who, after discovering a hammer, “sees the whole world as a nail.” As I mentioned in my last post, a project manager’s toolbox needs to consist of flexible, adaptable processes rather than a rigid set of rules.

One way that a manager demonstrates judgement and wisdom is to know when to bend (or break) the rules – to know when a particular situation simply doesn’t fit the mold. The other side of this coin is that any such decisions must not create problems for other teams or the organization as a whole. In fact, when interviewing project managers or in developing advice for an incumbent manager, I will ask some variation of the question, “Can you describe a time when things didn’t go according to plan, and you had to improvise?”

Note that this is not a yes/no answer. I already know that as a project manager, there will be things that don’t work out as expected. I want to know how it was handled, who got upset, and whether the client still comes to you for assistance. I want to know if you were able to effectively adjust the plan, your corporate policy, or the team to address the issue. This is where I find out if you know when to “go rogue”.

Although I will usually seek out these notable events, the underlying decision process occurs much more frequently. A manager will need to know when particular projects (especially the smaller ones) simply don’t need the management overhead that the large ones do. Will your supervisors allow you to “trim the scope” of your management duties to maintain a viable project? Are your procedures so rigid as to create unneeded bureaucracy or is your job designed to promote flexibility?

Small, agile firms depend on this flexibility. Organizational fexibility, in turn, depends on individuals who are comfortable saying “enough is enough” and working outside the rulebook for a while. Rest assured, the rules will eventually catch up (they always do), but sometimes you have to just do it.

Jason Burke is a Project Manager at Project Management Underground, his experience ranges from engineering design (literally underground) in a California gold mine and a Montana platinum mine to management of a variety of land development projects. He enjoys sharing his experiences and insights with others, especially those in the engineering industries. But anyone can benefit from business management “best practices” as well.