What is Playbook®?

What makes Project Playbook® work?

 

Communication and coordination are the two of the most important, but seldom achieved, key success factors in a project. There are many vital communication paths, but the most critical are:

 

1. Routine Operational Communications
2. Tactical Directive Communications
3. Strategic Executive Communications

 

Clients often ask, “What are the 3 most important things in running a successful project?” The response is should always be communicate, communicate, and communicate.

 

Communication should be driven at each level by the project leadership team. Starting with the strategic communications and proceeding through all levels of the project as well as the organization, communications should be routine, concise, informative and motivating.  Without this entire communication structure, a project will face mounting issues that may even lead to failure.

 

Coordination, on the other hand, is the method by which the three major forms of communication are collected, compressed and distributed to the personnel affected by the project.  Notice that the word affected was used instead of the word involved.  Stakeholders on any project are usually far more than just those involved.  Strive to identify people whose work will be impacted, either in a positive or negative way, early in the project initiation stage.  Develop methods and mechanisms to keep these stakeholders informed about the project, the impacts and the timeline so they will be ready when the project comes to fruition.

 

How does Project Playbook® Simplify project work?

 

Many projects fail because there is a tendency to avoid the simple solutions to project challenges and issues.  Just as a straight line is often the best path between two points, simple, direct communications can often leap the most difficult of project hurdles.

 

Often, the Project Manager can be the person that overcomplicates a project. While this may seem harsh, it is true that many project managers, regardless of experience or skill, can occasionally become mired in the details of a project.

 

We must remember, there are two aspects of project management that must work together to bring any effort to a successful conclusion:

 

♦ Project – defined as work, always finite in duration following a series of steps to reach a specific goal.

 

♦ Management – the second, and often overlooked component, requires the individual or group executing the project to act in a manner that is focused on achieving the stated objective.  This component is overlooked, we believe, because projects are often structured in a way that assumes each individual or team is capable of self-management.  The project manager must remember it is his/her responsibility to ensure that they use their management skills as well as their project knowledge to successfully deliver any project.

 

Remember, effective communication and coordination are two of the MOST important elements required for any project to reach its objective.  Project managers need to remember their vital role in ensuring both become a routine component of any project and a weapon in their professional arsenal.