The 4½ Golden Rules of Project and Program Management

"Are you aware of four rules that can significantly impact your project or program management? These rules not only boost success rates but also foster team cohesion and enhance your overall effectiveness. And to sweeten the deal, there's a delightful dessert after these four main courses!"

We've all encountered projects that went off the rails: missed deadlines, ballooning costs, or, worst of all, projects that never achieved their goals. While sometimes there are valid reasons for these outcomes, such as miscalculations or shifting circumstances, more often than not, it boils down to a combination of the project manager's skillset and a failure to follow essential guidelines. Although there's an abundance of literature on project management, including methodologies like Prince2 and PMBOK, knowledge and certifications are meaningless if not put into practice.

At Kazarma, we've distilled our experience into four golden rules, encapsulated in the 4C principle: Consensus, Communication, Checks, and Closure.

It's important to note that these principles don't replace the phases or steps in methodologies like Prince2; they complement them. Let's delve into these rules:

Consensus

Every project must begin with consensus. This means agreement on the project's goals, the path to reach them, the time available, key milestones, and the budget, encompassing both financial resources and manpower. These crucial details are documented in the project charter, a living document that outlines the project's core elements: goals, timeline, resource allocation, budget, hardware/software requirements, and other factors critical to success. While consensus isn't set in stone, it may require adjustments due to events or external factors, which can be facilitated by a Change Advisory Board (CAB).

Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful project or program management function. It ensures that all stakeholders, whether project team members, Project Board stakeholders, or CAB members, are aware of the project's objectives, means, and steps outlined during consensus-building. Communication plays a pivotal role in maintaining project alignment. Shayna Joubert of Northwestern University highlights four perspectives influencing communication types and methods in her article. 

Checks

Regularly monitoring task and deliverable statuses is a standard practice for project managers. These checks provide essential insights into a project's progress and may trigger the need for adjustments, changes, or additional resources. In most cases, a spreadsheet with deliverables, deadlines, completion rates, and dependencies suffices. There's a debate on whether such a project dashboard should be accessible to all project members, but generally, it's advantageous as it keeps everyone informed and encourages teamwork.

Closure

Projects eventually conclude, ideally with success, but sometimes prematurely. Closure is often an overlooked phase in a project's lifecycle. Usually, project teams rush to disband, taking a well-deserved break or moving on to the next project. However, this is a missed opportunity for learning and team cohesion. At the end of a project, it's crucial to ensure the entire team shares both successes and areas for improvement. Conduct a team meeting, encompassing insights from all perspectives, and document these learnings for future reference. Start this meeting with an unlisted fifth "C": Celebration. Even if the project didn't meet all its goals, celebrating the aspects that were successful can be immensely motivating and beneficial for the next project.