Project management: operational vs. project approach
In one of the comments on the post of the author, highly respected by Habr users, I replied that the main cause of project failures was not the use of “through% oops” or “how come” methodologies, but the presence of operational management within the project. The project approach of such managers ends after drawing up a project estimate.
In this post I will conduct a more detailed comparison of the operational approach with the project approach.
1. The operational level is the level of operations lasting several hours (usually called “tasks”) and problems that arise as these tasks are completed. At this level, a lot of "small things" accumulate, there is no time to think here, you need to quickly perform.
2. The project level is the level of work lasting several days, blocks of work and control points. At this level, you need to analyze and predict more, rather than launch the task to work. Here problems are also solved, additional work with risks is carried out.
3. The program level is the level of the project curator or program / portfolio manager, who is less immersed in the project, and he is usually interested in passing control points, solving major problems and risks.
4. Manual control. This is the simplest, but also the most influential approach compared to others. If the “leader” has given an order, then it is mandatory for execution, no matter what is in the plans and programs. All work is based on the instructions of the manager. No orders - no work.
Attention! All of the above approaches are used in project management, and not just one specific one.
Manual control
Image - indicate with your hand what you need to do.
')
Operational management
The image is a conveyor.
We customize the work of the conveyor. We formulate tasks, transfer them to the pipeline, and he then independently distributes them among the released team members.
The main principle: "Do normally - it is normal and will be."
Project Management
An image is a professional billiards game when a player makes a game with a cue.
It is necessary to calculate the entire series and fold it with a cue.
If you incorrectly went to the next ball, then before you score the next ball, you have to calculate the series in a new way and only after that score the balls.
That is, in project management, you must not only carry out operational management (hammer balls), but also calculate the situation a few moves ahead, always focusing on the last ball (final result).
Even if you use the most advanced systems for managing tasks and projects, then your brain, again, even when prompted by a computer, is not able to manage all the tasks contained in these systems. Therefore, a limited amount of information will fall into your field of vision.
Below is a comparison of thinking horizons for operational and project management levels.
At this level, the manager usually has a list of tasks. Having closed one task, the manager transfers the next task to the released employee. For himself, the manager usually identifies the primary tasks and again sends them to the pipeline on which the members of the project team work.
So, the horizon of thinking - a set of priority operations ("task")
The project approach implies control of the entire project. However, in practice, for projects lasting about a year or more, it is not always advisable to keep the entire project in sight. Therefore, in such situations, the “incident wave” method is used. Initially, one stage is taken into work; it is detailed in smaller works (lasting for 2-3 months). Then, the work is done mainly on managing this stage. And then during the transition to the next stage "the next wave comes" and the process repeats again. However, the project approach is not limited to managing the current phase, from time to time you need to look into the far future - the following steps.
So, the horizon of thinking is the project stage (the project as a whole is for small projects).
Since the project is a limited activity, we must try to keep this project within the specified framework. If this framework is not controlled, then most likely this project alone will not hold onto them. In general, without border control, it may never end.
“If you don’t know where you are going, then none of the winds will be yours!” - says the Chinese proverb.
The results of the monitoring process should be the following information:
- Status (what is done, what problems have you got?)
Content: what is done
Timing: how much time was spent
Cost: how much money was spent
Changes: what requests for changes have appeared (with an assessment of the impact on the content / timing / cost)
Problems: what problems arise
and other
- Deviations (which did not have time to fulfill or exceeded?)
Content: what did not have time to perform / overfulfilled with respect to the planned
Timing: how much time behind / ahead? how much time is needed to finish the planned
Cost: How much money was spent / saved? how many funds are needed to complete the planned
and other
- Forecast (what will happen in the future, when and how will the control points be passed, what problems may arise?)
Content: what results will be achieved in the future
Timing: when the checkpoints will be completed
Cost: how much money will be spent on the project at the control points
Changes: the above forecasts should be given with the inclusion of changes
Problems: what risks and how to react to them (risks - these are possible problems and opportunities in the future)
and other
Control operations - to carry out constantly.
Project control - regularly (once a week, once every 2 weeks).
At the operational level, the manager manages only a small part of the project, since there are a lot of operations, leaving out of sight the rest of the project. He cannot objectively measure deviations and make predictions for the entire project (or project phase). And the fact that it is impossible to measure and cannot be foreseen is impossible to control.
At the project level, the manager measures deviations, makes project predictions and accordingly can effectively manage it.
Both of these approaches should be used in project activities.
In this post I will conduct a more detailed comparison of the operational approach with the project approach.
Project management levels
1. The operational level is the level of operations lasting several hours (usually called “tasks”) and problems that arise as these tasks are completed. At this level, a lot of "small things" accumulate, there is no time to think here, you need to quickly perform.
2. The project level is the level of work lasting several days, blocks of work and control points. At this level, you need to analyze and predict more, rather than launch the task to work. Here problems are also solved, additional work with risks is carried out.
3. The program level is the level of the project curator or program / portfolio manager, who is less immersed in the project, and he is usually interested in passing control points, solving major problems and risks.
4. Manual control. This is the simplest, but also the most influential approach compared to others. If the “leader” has given an order, then it is mandatory for execution, no matter what is in the plans and programs. All work is based on the instructions of the manager. No orders - no work.
Attention! All of the above approaches are used in project management, and not just one specific one.
Metaphors
Manual control
Image - indicate with your hand what you need to do.
')
Operational management
The image is a conveyor.
We customize the work of the conveyor. We formulate tasks, transfer them to the pipeline, and he then independently distributes them among the released team members.
The main principle: "Do normally - it is normal and will be."
Project Management
An image is a professional billiards game when a player makes a game with a cue.
It is necessary to calculate the entire series and fold it with a cue.
If you incorrectly went to the next ball, then before you score the next ball, you have to calculate the series in a new way and only after that score the balls.
That is, in project management, you must not only carry out operational management (hammer balls), but also calculate the situation a few moves ahead, always focusing on the last ball (final result).
Horizons of thinking
Even if you use the most advanced systems for managing tasks and projects, then your brain, again, even when prompted by a computer, is not able to manage all the tasks contained in these systems. Therefore, a limited amount of information will fall into your field of vision.
Below is a comparison of thinking horizons for operational and project management levels.
Operational level
At this level, the manager usually has a list of tasks. Having closed one task, the manager transfers the next task to the released employee. For himself, the manager usually identifies the primary tasks and again sends them to the pipeline on which the members of the project team work.
So, the horizon of thinking - a set of priority operations ("task")
Project Level
The project approach implies control of the entire project. However, in practice, for projects lasting about a year or more, it is not always advisable to keep the entire project in sight. Therefore, in such situations, the “incident wave” method is used. Initially, one stage is taken into work; it is detailed in smaller works (lasting for 2-3 months). Then, the work is done mainly on managing this stage. And then during the transition to the next stage "the next wave comes" and the process repeats again. However, the project approach is not limited to managing the current phase, from time to time you need to look into the far future - the following steps.
So, the horizon of thinking is the project stage (the project as a whole is for small projects).
Performance monitoring
What is control for and what results of control should we get?
Since the project is a limited activity, we must try to keep this project within the specified framework. If this framework is not controlled, then most likely this project alone will not hold onto them. In general, without border control, it may never end.
“If you don’t know where you are going, then none of the winds will be yours!” - says the Chinese proverb.
The results of the monitoring process should be the following information:
- Status (what is done, what problems have you got?)
Content: what is done
Timing: how much time was spent
Cost: how much money was spent
Changes: what requests for changes have appeared (with an assessment of the impact on the content / timing / cost)
Problems: what problems arise
and other
- Deviations (which did not have time to fulfill or exceeded?)
Content: what did not have time to perform / overfulfilled with respect to the planned
Timing: how much time behind / ahead? how much time is needed to finish the planned
Cost: How much money was spent / saved? how many funds are needed to complete the planned
and other
- Forecast (what will happen in the future, when and how will the control points be passed, what problems may arise?)
Content: what results will be achieved in the future
Timing: when the checkpoints will be completed
Cost: how much money will be spent on the project at the control points
Changes: the above forecasts should be given with the inclusion of changes
Problems: what risks and how to react to them (risks - these are possible problems and opportunities in the future)
and other
How often to control?
Control operations - to carry out constantly.
Project control - regularly (once a week, once every 2 weeks).
Conclusion
At the operational level, the manager manages only a small part of the project, since there are a lot of operations, leaving out of sight the rest of the project. He cannot objectively measure deviations and make predictions for the entire project (or project phase). And the fact that it is impossible to measure and cannot be foreseen is impossible to control.
At the project level, the manager measures deviations, makes project predictions and accordingly can effectively manage it.
Both of these approaches should be used in project activities.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/223525/
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