If you want to get a collection of good ideas from your team, avoid using brainstorming. Brainstorming means everyone puts forward ideas in a group meeting, but people will often focus on the ideas presented so far (herd mentality).

Instead, use the nominal group method.

Each team member writes lots of ideas on paper about the topic (either before the meeting, or at the start). Once everyone is done, the coordinator should list all the ideas on a board so everyone can see them. This means all ideas get shown. Then you can discuss ideas, or vote on the best.

Tagged with: brainstorming • herd mentality • ideas • nominal group method

Filed under: Training

Make sure your team is skilled and trained in using the basic functions of their computers as efficiently as possible.

Possibly run some short workshops on the use of keyboard shortcuts, quicker ways to do things, etc.

Put together a simple list of commonly used tasks that have easy shortcuts or quicker ways to do it. Such as using the windows + E keys to open a file explorer window.

Some people open many copies of folders or programs whereby their task bar is full of small tabs that are too small to show the title. This is useless. They should only open as many as can still be read.

The increased efficiency accross the entire office based side of a project can by substantial. Individual people can increase their efficiency by up to 30% or more.

Tagged with: computer skills • efficiency • shortcuts

Filed under: Time • Training

Microsoft Outlook or similar programs allow you to send meeting requests to people. This is a quick and effective way for meetings to be set without wasting time calling around for available times.

If all members of your team use the calendar function properly, they would have all their meetings and busy times entered into their calendar. When you request a meeting of them, you will be able to see available times in a simple bar chart and book accordingly.

Tagged with: calendar • meeting request • meetings • outlook • schedule

Filed under: Communication • Human Resources • Time • Training

Although this is an organisation issue, not just a project issue, it is important to make sure your team does not send messages to all for something that is specific to one group or one office.

E.g. “A pair of reading glasses have been misplaced. If you have seen these could you please return them to reception.”

This kind of message often gets sent to the whole organisation mail system, which could include thousands of people, when it should be sent just to that local office.

The lost time associated with thousands of people readings a broadly sent email like that and the bandwidth costs could amount to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

In the above example, approximately 5000 people received the message. 5000 x 30 seconds is about 42 hours wasted time ($5000+ in billable time). Plus the time wasted in people laughing about it and replying with comments. Plus the storage costs and transmittal costs.

Not only does it make the sender look foolish, it wastes your project time, resources, and if from your project, its reputation.

Tagged with: email • local office • wasted time

Filed under: Communication • Cost • Time • Training

Make sure your team members always have work to do.

• Give them a list of lower priority tasks (such as improving certain systems) that they can do when they have no other tasks (particularly important for office workers).
• Give them a list of recommended training (short online courses) to do in their spare time (e.g. while waiting for results or feedback). Especially for new members who haven’t been given lots of work yet.

Along with giving them work to do, make sure they know how to do it, where to access it, and who specifically to talk with for clarification or further instructions.

Tagged with: courses • extra work • priority

Filed under: Human Resources • Planning • Training

Make sure to write the lessons learned for each project. This should include what has been done right, wrong, and what you would do differently if you could redo the project.

• This is for your benefit as well as for other project managers.
• When starting a project, it is useful to be able to find a similar project your organisation has done and look at its lessons learned.
• It should include both technical and management areas.
• It should be added to your organisations database to be easily searchable by project type, project manager’s name, key functional areas, etc.

Tagged with: lessons • redo • right • wrong

Filed under: Documentation • Training

If you are the project manager on a large project (with lots of team members) consider starting a library for the team.

• Books could be borrowed by team members
• Include training books for common project tools
• Industry specific manuals and books
• Industry magazines
• Self improvement books (goal setting, financial planning, brain training etc)
• Audio books of above (for when driving)

If on small projects and based in an office amongst other projects, consider the above but for the whole project office/organisation.

Include books such as:

• Free from Fear
• How to Win Friends and Influence People

Tagged with: books • library • training books

Filed under: Training

Recognise that outsourcing some tasks might be more efficient. Especially if your organisation is struggling to recruit enough people to fill needs (in a tight market).

Paying an external expert to do some specific tasks (e.g. calibration of sensors) may be quicker (saving costs and time) than finding an internal commissioning engineer with available time and getting them trained.

Also recognise that such training could benefit the company in the long run if it is a common task. If not, then outsourcing it may be the best way to get it done.

Time can often be the biggest saving to the project by outsourcing some tasks, as long as you manage the risks of doing so properly.

Tagged with: commissioning • expert • Training

Filed under: Contractors • Human Resources • Time • Training

Provide each new team member a one to two page summary of the project.

• Include an outline of the objectives, scope, size, and benefits (to the organisation, community, person)
• Possibly include total budget and budgets for individual areas.
• Status of project (over/under budget, behind/ahead of schedule)
• Significant problems
• List of main tools for that person/role
• Role and responsibility of that person
• Who they report to

Could split all above into two parts. One part for everyone, one part specific to each person.

Tagged with: benefits • objectives • project summary • status

Filed under: Communication • Human Resources • Training

Make sure the role and responsibility for each team member is clear.

• Ideally provide this in writing to the team members so they can easily refer to it.
• Provide clear direction on what activities each person should work on.
• Give clear time objectives (when is this activity due)
• Make sure each member knows what information they are expected to report, and what meetings to attend.

Tagged with: clear direction • objectives • report • responsibilities • roles

Filed under: Communication • Human Resources • Training

The project manager should be held accountable for the failure of a project.

If you are a program manager (manage project managers) you should hold your project managers accountable.

This sounds obvious, but often this accountability is only mentioned at the end of a failed project.

The program manager should require regular (weekly) reports on status and at least monthly financial and schedule reports (performance measurements).

It is more difficult to hold a project manager accountable if he/she was not involved in the project from the start (initiation / tendering), including scope planning, schedule, costs, objectives, etc.

If the project manager is not involved from the start, he/she may blame a failed project (over budget or over schedule) to a badly estimated / planned tender.

If the project manager is involved right from the start, with the proper support and authority given, it is reasonable to fire the project manager of a failed project (unless the PM can show causes outside of reasonable planning or control of a PM, such as natural disaster in an area not prone to them).

This must assume the project manager has had proper training, not just someone thrown into the role of PM without training.

It must also allow time for training a new project manager to your organization in the internal procedures, templates, systems, etc.

In initiating, if a project manager believes the project is being underfunded, the schedule is unrealistic, or the price is too low, they should say so, change it, and then sign the changed project plan. A project manager should not accept an unrealistic schedule (unless agreement is reached with management that the project will make a loss or similar (such as breaking into a new market).

Accountability could mean loss of status/title, moving to an assistant project management role, or possibly being fired.

Tagged with: accountability • accountable • project failure

Filed under: Human Resources • Planning • Scope • Training

Make sure your team knows who is responsible for what work.

People who need to know are:

• Team members
• Project manager
• Organization Management

If people don’t know, then they communicate to the wrong people, there is confusion and lack of accountability for work packages, there is lower efficiency as some work packages get more resources than necessary, and some get too few or none.

Tagged with: accountability • efficiency • responsible • work packages

Filed under: Communication • Human Resources • Planning • Training

As a project manager you should make sure all your team members submit claims, hours, expenses etc as soon as possible, and definitely before the end of month accounting date.

If that information comes in late the profit/margin on the project can quickly change and affect plans.

The hours must also be made to the correct project. You don’t want hours suddenly being transferred to your project from a few months ago because they were incorrectly allocated. This could make an in profit project suddenly be making a loss. If it was done correctly first time, the losses could have been seen earlier and planned or allowed for.

Tagged with: claims • expenses • loss • profit

Filed under: Documentation • Human Resources • Planning • Training

Learn to use the tools you require
Do a short course in the use of software such as:

• Excel (or whatever spreadsheet program you use)
• Word
• Project (Microsoft, Primavera etc)
• PowerPoint
• Access

Learn to touch type (this can dramatically increase your work efficiency)

Tagged with: courses • software • tools

Filed under: Training

Clarify with all project team members what they should book their time to.

When they start working on the team they should be given a printout of the cost codes that they should book time to.
Don’t assume they will already know.
This will save time and provide more accuracy for cost accounting for the project.

Tagged with: accounting • cost codes • time sheets

Filed under: Cost • Human Resources • Time • Training

If you set a task for someone to update or change a document, you should clarify:

• What the purpose of the document is
• Who it is for, who will then use it or read it
• Who else will be altering it
• What is its priority over other documents (if info is different, which takes precedence?).

A person may be tasked with updating information in a spreadsheet. When they have done so, what do they do with it?

• Leave it on the server?
• Inform certain people it is altered?
• Move it to a “completed” folder?

Much of this information could be kept as a second work sheet in the spreadsheet.

Tagged with: altering documents • priority

Filed under: Communication • Documentation • Training

Keep a record of all your achievements.

• List of projects worked on and your role in them.
• Your position description for that project (may be different to your official job description). You may be listed as a graduate engineer but because of staff shortages you could be assigned to manage a project. If that means you are listed as the project manager to clients, then certainly record that role.
• Record the length of time in each role.
• Roles you played in the project
  • Design manager
  • Site engineer
  • Site design engineer
  • Project manager etc
• Skills, knowledge, and experience you have gained. E.g.
  • Risk analysis
  • Specific machine experience
  • Commissioning of certain things
• Also record the number of people you managed and their roles.

This assists with resource allocation for future projects (tenders)
It also assists with annual performance reviews (your career)

Tagged with: achievements • performance review • roles

Filed under: Documentation • Human Resources • Training

Make sure your team members know their roles, job description, and what they should be working on.

You as the project manager or line manager should define and clarify the role each team member plays.

When they first start, they should be given:

• Clear directions on what they should do
• What they are responsible for
• Their scope (what they can and cannot change)
• Who to report to
• A buddy for procedural questions
• The next tasks for them to work on once they finish the first one. This allows them to keep working if they finish one task and cannot find you to get directions on the next task.

There should be no confusion on what they are supposed to be doing, how they should do it, and where they can find the tools to do the task.

Tagged with: job description • job roles

Filed under: Communication • Human Resources • Training

Get certificates that are required for your job.

This will save you time, and enable your company to place you on projects immediately if you are selected (without having to wait for you to get the required certificates).

For example:

• First Aid
• Construction industry card (e.g. Blue Card – www.bluedogtraining.com.au)
• Pink Card (e.g. Queensland Rail)
• Drivers license
• Machinery licences

Tagged with: blue card • certificates • first aid • license • pink card

Filed under: Training

Take up offers or opportunity in any training offered by your company or by a head contractor.

Benefits include:

• Increases your skills and abilities.
• Gives you recognition within your company.
• Your company is less likely to fire you in a downturn because of their investment in you.
• If you do lose your job you have more to offer elsewhere.

Make sure to document all training, and keep copies of certificates or letters proving you did the training.

Extra training also opens up more projects to you.

Make sure your company is aware of what training you have had (possibly by a training register or internal CV system). Senior managers often use these to allocate staff to projects and also on who to fire in a downturn.

Tagged with: certificates • CV • downturn • recognition • skills • training register

Filed under: Documentation • Human Resources • Training