The Key To Lasting PM Processes
By Bob McGannon, PMP

As much as you want to be able to create and manage projects with repeatable processes, it seems that whenever a process is written, it never gets used more than once or twice. In fact, whenever any process is put in place in your environment, it never seems to last so those who are doing the work can capitalize on them. We embrace something for a very short time and then it is on to the next “big thing”.

Does this sound familiar to you? Putting project management processes in place (or any enduring processes for that matter) requires that some critical elements exist in your business environment, and that the right approach to the processes exist to ensure they will last longer than one or two uses. Like any good project, creating processes requires that a plan for development and implementation be put in place with well defined pre-requisites and guides for use of the product – in this case those valuable processes you want your organization to embrace. Here are the keys to successful creation and implementation of processes in an organization.

Buy-in and Positive Reinforcement from Management

First and foremost when deriving or implementing any process is management buy in. It is management that will direct the efforts of the people in the organization. Therefore, the behavior exhibited by the staff in an organization is mandated by the instructions given by their managers. If the processes being implemented aren’t part of that business direction, the process initiative is doomed from the start.

Getting that buy-in does not require any special magic – management needs to be involved in the derivation of the processes. A special point of focus for process derivation however is the “stage-gates” that will require management time and attention. These stage-gates (or go/no-go decisions) need to be implemented with the appropriate frequency and involve the appropriate managers. Too many stage-gates and the managers will reject the process as being too detailed – too few and it will be viewed as lacking the appropriate controls. Involving the appropriate managers can be very tricky as managers need to have control over their areas, with a minimum of “interference” from others. Processes can be perceived as “shifting control” from one area (or manager) to another. This perception can be real or imagined – but must be managed carefully if the proposed processes are to be embraced appropriately.

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