The reasons many small businesses don’t fully embrace project management may be cost of over-head and the pre-concieved notion that project management is time consuming and a sunken cost. It is difficult to convince some smaller companies that there is benefit to putting that structure into place and proving value. It is sometimes easier for them to jot the plan down on a post it note and keep it simple.  Offices may be small, people in-reach and no real fear of failing a process step. Failing a project deliverable is the concern and where the focus is. Failure is where project management and specific processes start to emerge. Many companies, even without a PMO, know how to “learn a lesson.”

Another trigger to implementing project management could be an increase in funding. As the small business starts to be successful and profits come in, the company may start to invest in processes, or wonder why ‘fix something that is not broken.’ However, in my experience, I have learned that if it is working, now is the time to break it! No comfort zones, no surprises!

There is no question that project management offices, with all their bureaucracies, come with a larger up front price tag. However, this ‘formality’ can be attrative because they can provide those predictable outcomes that executives love so much! Holding people accountable, enhanced communication and ultimately more success can make them start drooling!
All company culture is the same, as long as there are people working for them. People are naturally resistant to change, but it also stimulates growth. Break it and they will come! This is another form of “creative destruction” (see our previous post).

I recommend that all companies implement project management in some form or another. What is important is how you proceed. So, let’s start with small wins:

• Problem solving – project management processes, templates, offices, tools – these can all be seen as solving a problem and an attempt to make their every day lives better and more efficient.
• Natural talent – there are natural leaders already in your staff. Find them or let them come to you. Don’t insult your team by hiring external unless absolutely necessary
• Start small – try running a full process in one department; Or start with one group of people that will play a specific role. The Big Bang has never worked!
• Constant Communication – the idea is only as important as the attention and example you give.
• Small wins – make sure that ideas and people are always recognized for making even the smallest effort. As processes start to prove their value on paper, share this information with your staff
• Celebrate – Acknowledge the success!

The return on your investment? Small businesses have more to lose without scheduling to very tight guidelines. In order to achieve goals and achieve them quickly, you need to know your impacts before they happen and have complete control. Attention to deliverables and quality can have huge pay offs. Everything should be measured. As a small company, assuming that every single project came in on time, on schedule and on budget, is certainly different when you can say you can prove it!

One of favorite project management process inputs is Risk Management. I can’t imagine a world without it! No matter what size company you are, a little risk management can save a lot of fan cleaning, the only difference may be the size of the fan!

So what can you do to ensure better PM success at your company?

From the beginning, identify a portfolio of projects that are key and will add value.  The next step here is to apply priority.  Be thoughtful of dependencies and resource contentions.   Executing proper and professional project management will kick off this process smoothly.

One key role of the project manager is risk management.  These are the unknowns and unwanteds.  Planning for these requires work plans, tracking, early warning signs and back up planning.  Just because there is a skilled project manager here does not mean the project is risk free!  They are, however, much better at handling the risk.

Within the project management office there should be a desire for standardization and consistency,  However, in reality by definition projects are unique and may require more flexibility in the method.

So how do you obtain these skilled, professional project managers?

They could be in your own organization.  They do not need to be a well versed, seasoned project managers, with said title.  There are many external options that can be implemented across the organization to develop these desired skills.  Bring in the experts, train up your managers and define development plans for interested resources.  This is golden for a PMO!

To deliver lessons learned is one thing; to receive is quite another.  I challenge all PM’s, no matter where you are in your career, to listen to those lessons learned by others.  You may find that even a new PM has learned something that will spare you a lot of clean up in the future.

I have come to enjoy taking on projects that are outside of my comfort zone.  In doing this, I have picked up new skills.  For example, I am skilled at software development projects and organization change management.  However, I have been challenged with learning budget management and taking on budget forecasting projects.  As I am going through my regular project management steps, I am jotting down new lessons learned, but my teachers are actually realizing potential gaps in their current processes as well.  Together we are making improvements that were absolutely necessary, but weren’t initially known.

There are added benefits from taking on these challenges as well; meeting new people.  Forever, I have been known by my previous skills and my landscape was limited.  Taking on new skills opened the flood gates to new people with greater skills and more lessons to be learned!  Sharing lessons learned is easier at this capacity because everyone comes to the table with something to share.

Being able to provide and receive information makes for a credible resource.  Obtaining respect from your organization is what is strived for and ultimately obtained.

Speak and share!  Attend and offer to speak at engagements and events that allow the sharing of information.  Sitting behind a desk sharing information and lessons learned only helps some people.  What is shocking is that there is a real demand out there for knowledge.  Forums like PM Majik allow the voices to be heard and believe me there are people waiting to listen!

One of my favorite ways to learn from another, is to shadow them.  This basically means sitting in the shadows, while they conduct meetings, review emails and communications and/or other areas where there may need to be improvement and development.  It has been motivating to self-realize that I actually came up to the same conclusion as the person that I am shadowing.  It has also been an interesting journey to learn that my weaknesses were actually in people skills, rather than PM skills. 

I believe a great leader is a great follower.  Be constantly willing to learn and share what you have to share!

Engagement Management is a systematic approach that initiates with the
 sales process and ends with the engagement closing. This typically has 
an accounting component associated with it – overseeing the
profitability of project engagements within an organization.

Engagement Management provides direct oversight of Project
Management at an organization. Additionally, it should have touchpoints with 
Sales, Legal, Technical Professionals (developers, business analysts,
 network administrators, etc.), Accounting, and others as necessary. The 
processes that Engagement Management follows should support an organization as a
whole in delivering products and business capabilities, not just the 
individual groups.

Project Management is a more narrow focus of providing management of an
organization’s internal projects. Engagement Management should include
 Project Management, but should also focus on providing the organization’s
 Enterprise-wide capabilities and services to outside customers and
partners in an attempt to increase revenue and profitability.

Engagement Management should provide the tie between Sales and the actual
technical solution at an organization. It should be the glue that holds the 
delivery process together with the intent of avoiding many of the 
disconnects faced by organizations when Sales, IT, and PM are all 
working under their own assumptions and priorities. Currently, many organizations are experiencing frustrating disconnects between Sales and Delivery.
  Some organizations experience these frustrations on a weekly or even daily basis.  An Engagement Management 
structure helps to “standardize” the sales process and how that “sold”
solution is translated into a “delivery” solution.

Proposed General Organizational Structure



1. CEO
2. Sales
3. CIO
4. Engagement Management
5. Operations
6. Etc.

The Benefits of an Engagement Management organization:

• Customers see a standardized and professional engagement
process across all implementations
• Brings all of PM together and allows for future growth
• Allows for the ability to standardize the PM approach and
 reporting
• Ability to define standardized PM templates and processes
• Not hindered or biased by a reporting relationship through 
Operations or IT
• Ability to define a change management process and change
 order/scope management process
• Engagement Management provides general oversight to all 
inputs and deliverables in the delivery process
: 
  • Business Requirements Document (BRD) delivery and signoff

  • Statement of Work (SOW) delivery and signoff
- Project Plan/timeframe definition

  • Solution or product implementation
- Post implementation reviews

  • Customer satisfaction