Lessons Learned
What you would attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
Project Management LESSONS LEARNED
(Generic - Please suggest NEW GENERIC LLs for adding!
Strategic Learning Curves LL
What you would attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
Project Management LESSONS LEARNED
(Generic - Please suggest NEW GENERIC LLs for adding!
Strategic Learning Curves LL
Lessons Learned
Project Points
Our Monthly Publication for Clients,
Prospects , Associates & Subscribers
Our Monthly Publication for Clients,
Prospects , Associates & Subscribers
Lessons Learned are snips of knowledge
regarding mistakes in project development,
management, control and/or finance. They
are put forward for the benefit of Project
Executive Group subscribers.
regarding mistakes in project development,
management, control and/or finance. They
are put forward for the benefit of Project
Executive Group subscribers.
Projects and Time
A project can be thought of as the allocation of resources directed toward a specific
objective following a planned, organized approach. Almost all companies and agencies
carry out major work as projects. Projects are shaped by their environment: society,
time, politics, regulation, technology.
Successful project management and projects are not new. Throughout history, vast
projects have been undertaken across generations, many with great success.
People undertaking projects 2000 years ago may not have had the technology we have
today, but they often had political and economic stability and a society that took a
long-range view of life and the world. Understanding how they accomplished these
projects provides insight for us today. We can take these lessons from the past and
apply these to current examples.
Over the past fifty years technological events have accelerated. Pressure is on for more
rapid results. People seek cause-and-effect relationships within weeks or months as
opposed to years and even decades. Immediate gratification and success are sometimes
the name of the game. The pace has quickened in the 1990's. People in every era or
decade view their period as unique and, over the last hundred years, superior to
previous periods. Current times represent a period of geographical and social change.
Even weather patterns have changed, impacting societies, economies, and governments.
The range of political and social issues is wider. Many issues previously given lower
priority or simply ignored have now surfaced (e.g., political divisions, problems with large
corporations). Technology has rapidly improved in computers and communications. All
these factors have impelled us to undertake many new ambitious projects in
restructuring, setting up whole new industries, and creating and modifying products.
These changes have impacted all aspects of projects. Time restraints have forced people
in many cases to undertake projects with greater payoff in the short term and to neglect
the longer term. Patience is often in short supply on projects. Instead of seeing a project
through to ultimate completion, many
organizations plunge into the project and attempt (remotely or directly) to micromanage
it for quick results.
The challenge to all project management professionals and their senior management is
how projects can be successfully undertaken and completed in this changing environment.
The Environment of a Project
A project is set in time. It is also set in the context of organization, a legal system, a
political system, a technology structure, an economic system, and a social system. How
do these environmental factors affect projects? How should a project manager and
project team respond? Outside factors impact the project, and the project must respond
to the challenge
Why is the environment of a project important even though many of the general
principles of project management are timeless and apply to projects of all sizes and types
across time? The resources, budget, methods, and tools of project depend on the
environment. If today's projects are managed with tools of the 1960s, they are more
likely to fail. This does not imply that past experiences do not apply today. Management
expectations, budqets, and competitive pressures may be different; however, many
principles remain consistent over time. Only methods, techniques, and tools change. We
will consider some of the trends in the decade.
The challenge is how to combine the technology of the future with lessons from the past
to successfully implement projects.
A project can be thought of as the allocation of resources directed toward a specific
objective following a planned, organized approach. Almost all companies and agencies
carry out major work as projects. Projects are shaped by their environment: society,
time, politics, regulation, technology.
Successful project management and projects are not new. Throughout history, vast
projects have been undertaken across generations, many with great success.
People undertaking projects 2000 years ago may not have had the technology we have
today, but they often had political and economic stability and a society that took a
long-range view of life and the world. Understanding how they accomplished these
projects provides insight for us today. We can take these lessons from the past and
apply these to current examples.
Over the past fifty years technological events have accelerated. Pressure is on for more
rapid results. People seek cause-and-effect relationships within weeks or months as
opposed to years and even decades. Immediate gratification and success are sometimes
the name of the game. The pace has quickened in the 1990's. People in every era or
decade view their period as unique and, over the last hundred years, superior to
previous periods. Current times represent a period of geographical and social change.
Even weather patterns have changed, impacting societies, economies, and governments.
The range of political and social issues is wider. Many issues previously given lower
priority or simply ignored have now surfaced (e.g., political divisions, problems with large
corporations). Technology has rapidly improved in computers and communications. All
these factors have impelled us to undertake many new ambitious projects in
restructuring, setting up whole new industries, and creating and modifying products.
These changes have impacted all aspects of projects. Time restraints have forced people
in many cases to undertake projects with greater payoff in the short term and to neglect
the longer term. Patience is often in short supply on projects. Instead of seeing a project
through to ultimate completion, many
organizations plunge into the project and attempt (remotely or directly) to micromanage
it for quick results.
The challenge to all project management professionals and their senior management is
how projects can be successfully undertaken and completed in this changing environment.
The Environment of a Project
A project is set in time. It is also set in the context of organization, a legal system, a
political system, a technology structure, an economic system, and a social system. How
do these environmental factors affect projects? How should a project manager and
project team respond? Outside factors impact the project, and the project must respond
to the challenge
Why is the environment of a project important even though many of the general
principles of project management are timeless and apply to projects of all sizes and types
across time? The resources, budget, methods, and tools of project depend on the
environment. If today's projects are managed with tools of the 1960s, they are more
likely to fail. This does not imply that past experiences do not apply today. Management
expectations, budqets, and competitive pressures may be different; however, many
principles remain consistent over time. Only methods, techniques, and tools change. We
will consider some of the trends in the decade.
The challenge is how to combine the technology of the future with lessons from the past
to successfully implement projects.
Project Executive Group
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1330 Post Oak Blvd., #1600
Houston, TX 77056 USA
info@projectexecutive.com
Tel: 713-591-3757
1330 Post Oak Blvd., #1600
Houston, TX 77056 USA
info@projectexecutive.com
Tel: 713-591-3757
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