Chapter 24

An Outline for Project

or Program Planning

In every field, the progress of today is nothing more than the ab-
surdity of yesterday.

Luigi Barzini,
Corriere della Sera (1910)

Imagine being handed a choice assignment at work that requires

you to journey into uncharted territory. What will you do?
By its very nature, management constantly asks that people learn
to do new things as well as familiar things in different ways. This can
be frightening because planning, developing, and implementing new
ideas and methods (venturing into the unknown) is usually a daunting
process. But cheer up. It can be tackled. People do it every day. As
with any large task, breaking down what needs to be done into man-
ageable units is a good way to get started. Before beginning any new
project, though, it's mandatory to do one thing first: the planning.
The following outline should prove helpful.

I. Why? Before starting, clearly understand why you're doing

whatever it is you're doing. This helps to define your task by ex-
plaining both the problem and, to some degree, the proposed so-
lution. The result should be a written guideline describing
what's needed as well as why and when. Bear in mind that ev-
eryone involved must be in agreement. If the crucial first step of
writing everything down and agreeing with it isn't done, you'll
pay dearly for it later. There are several reasons why this is so:

177
178 THE CONCISE HANDBOOK OE MANA GEMENT

A. Agreeing in advance helps eliminate contradictory assump-

tions. In business you should never assume a common un-
derstanding because you'll probably be wrong. AH it takes
for a project to hit the skids is one new member (or man-
ager) who is uninformed or not in agreement and the pro-
cess may have to start all over again.
B. An agreement forces all concerned to read and think about
what's being proposed. This includes setting reasonable
time scales, deliveries, and so forth.
C. Written agreements help clarify issues and/or reveal misun-
derstandings, particularly with other departments or people.
D. A solid agreement helps expose practical and technical de-
tails as well as identify resources that will be needed (and
perhaps the authority to use them).
E. Agreements help prevent people from changing their minds
or coming up with new ideas halfway through the project
(which almost always results in increases in cost and time).
F. Written specifications reveal the big picture by showing
how everything fits together, thereby helping illuminate in-
compatibilities, inconsistencies, and duplications.
II. What? The what stage brings a project into focus by beginning
the process at the point at which needs and ideas are joined to-
gether. The key word here is structure. Without structure, any
project will become a tangled mess of seemingly unrelated
tasks. By using your experience (and the experience of others)
you should, at the very least, be able to make an educated guess
for each of the following questions. Don 7 attempt the planning
process on your own. A manager's duty is not to single-
handedly come up with all the answers but to use everyone at his
or her disposal to come up with the best possible solutions.
A. Objectives
1. What exactly do our customers want or need?
2. How do we wish to serve them?
3. What exactly do we (and our business) hope to accom-
plish?
4. What are our financial capabilities? Our estimated labor
needs? Equipment requirements?
5. What will be the long-term effects of the project or pro-
gram?
 A n Outlinefor Project or Program Planning 179

B. What Methods Will Be Used to Gain Our Objectives?

1. What types of communication (or controls) will be
used? How often will they be used?
2. What type of management/organizational structures are
most appropriate?
C. What Realistic Time Frames Will Be Set (or Have Been Set
for Us)?
1. What is the best time to start and finish each of the proj-
ect's segments?
2. Can clear, unambiguous, "milestone" targets be set?
3. Are there any conflicts with other projects/dates/sched-
ules?
4. Are we being too optimistic or restrictive with our time
estimations?
5. Can certain segments be lumped together for maximum
effect?
6. Should segments be broken down further to facilitate
successful completion?
D. Who Should Lead the Different Segments of the Project?
1. Who is the best person for each job?
2. How will people develop in their assignments?
3. Should tasks be handled individually, in pairs, or in
teams?
4. Will we have to hire additional staff?
5. Should tasks be handled in-house or will they be better
accomplished through outside contractors?
III. How? The how phase constitutes the real-time planning of the
project. This is the stage at which the manager sits down with
his or her team and starts the process of actually managing. Con-
tinuing to obtain the feedback of others helps ensure that fewer
mistakes will be made and allows for group ownership in the fi-
nal plan. Again, remember that nothing can be assumed here
(you will probably be wrong) and everything must be put into
writing and agreed upon. The object at this stage is to establish
the monitoring of the project and provide for a system that al-
lows for the receiving of any early danger warnings. In doing so,
the foundation for cooperation, as well as motivation, is forti-
fied. Throughout, you must instill the notion that your team(s) is
180 THE GONGISE HANDBOOK OE MANAGEMENT
responsible for monitoring and controlling its own progress via
tangible forms of measurement.
A. Financing the Project
1. Have full costs been determined and necessary revenues
been developed?
2. Have financial resources been properly allocated?
B. Accumulation of Resources
1. What type of people, equipment, facilities, schedules,
and materials are needed?
2. What type of training do the project's people and/or
team(s) need?
3. What are the project's insurance requirements?
4. Have legalities, liabilities, and legal waivers been deter-
mined?
C. Distribution of Assignments
1. Have we selected, consulted, and appointed the best
person(s) for each job?
2. Have the best outside contractors, suppliers, etc. been
selected?
3. Do we know when to make compromises?
4. Have the standards of what constitutes quality been
agreed upon?
5. Have safety and ethical concerns been addressed?
6. Have alternatives been penciled in or discussed?
D. Establishment of Communication Pathways
1. When and how should problems and updates be re-
ported?
2. Who is responsible to whom?
E. Final Agreements
1. Does everyone know about his or her duties, responsi-
bilities, and contingency plans?
2. Are current or foreseen problems being fixed or ad-
justed?
3. Has reasonable time been scheduled for errors? (Don't
fall into the trap of assuming that nothing will go wrong.)
IV. When? At last, you've started the ball rolling. The project is un-
derway. Be attentive to what is going on and expect the unex-
pected. Keep in mind that when something does go wrong
(which it inevitably will), the best way to approach the problem
 An Outlinefor Project or Program Planning 181

is to not immediately ask why it happened, but rather how it can

be corrected.
A. Moving Forward
1. A point has been set on the horizon; now move toward it
(keep in mind the old joggers' adage that the hardest
step to take is always the first one out the door).
2. Stay informed as to what is going on without satisfying
the desire to look over everyone's shoulder.
3. Provide and receive adequate feedback (including lots
of praise and/or professional criticism and correction
when needed).
4. Allow for flexibility.
5. Be patient and reasonable, and remember that any form
of progress, no matter how small, is progress.
6. Self-doubt and momentary lapses of confidence are nor-
mal—just don't let them consume you or your team.
B. Quality Control
1. Are the project's people meeting the agreed-upon qual-
ity standards?
2. Should any changes be made?
3. Are any of the suggested changes really necessary?
(Too many changes will slow your project down and add
to its costs.)
C. Fighting for Time
1. If you find yourself falling behind schedule, find out
why and correct the problem immediately.
2. If senior managers move a deadline forward and it can't
be met, remind them of the original schedule and try for
a compromise solution rather than flat-out saying no.
V. How did it go? After the project or program has been completed
a review of what happened and the lessons learned should be
made. This is best done in an open meeting through candid dis-
cussion and should include as many internal and external cus-
tomers as possible. Summing up always proves invaluable and
will help keep you on track in the pursuit of what should be the
reason behind every project or program: increased customer sat-
isfaction.