Plan

The planning process, when done right, is a great learning process at the individual, and at the team level.

The Business Plan is part of the Communications Plan. It is an instrument to inform someone about the plan and its execution. The Business Plan usually consolidates a portfolio of projects, each of which will use a separate plan, at the strategic, tactic or action levels.

A good plan is based on a good process, and it is flexible. The Rolling Wave Technique and Earned Value Management are good ways to incorporate flexibility in uncertain times, and good tools to manage user (or stakeholder) expectations.

We must make sure that schools teach good project management practices based on real life experience.

Fungus

Politics

I suggest that Project Management gives us the tools to fight office politics. A thorough stakeholder analysis, should uncover some of the hidden agendas, that could then be adressed, and if requirements are balanced against the organizational goals, walls sould fall and feudal strife should become harmless. Ok. I am an optimist, but you see what I mean. What really frightens me is that The Project Management Office could fall in the wrong hands, and be used to support silo building and internal warfare in the search for power or whatever. "There lies Mordor" Fungus

Stakeholders

We must take customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders into account.

Any quality oriented organization needs to acknowledge that its business environment is made of all people affected by the organization. In other words, all its stakeholders.

That's a big bunch, and it includes owners, managers, employees, customers, suppliers, government, society... the business environment. Spacecraft Earth, if you will.

If you agree with me on that, it follows that to fulfill stakeholders stated and unstated needs and expectations, you must understand them.
Needs and expectations change and only active change analysis and risk management will let you cope with that.

Fungus

Communications

Communications is always a problem, and it is never easily solved.

Every projet needs a communications plan. What you learn as you prepare that plan is more important than the plan itself.

Your plan should help you to: 1. Focus on business goals 2 Be clear about who needs to know what 3. Be sure they have the information available 4. Ask, don't tell 5. Be sensitive and respectful 6. Understand that "The Truth" is a myth... be practical.

And of course. Laugh at your own mistakes.”

Fungus