Project Management equals SUCCESS
The thing is I know that this is probably hands down the most powerful thing you can understand in offline work. However, I have noticed that in the big picture many who I know understand PM are holding it back. I also know its not like they are trying to keep it to themselves; it can be a HUGE topic to deal with.
The thing is PM is not a software application, its a management philosophy - and a VERY POWERFUL one. As of right now, the theories contained in the main book created by the military in the fifties have permeated every part of modern life. One term is "scope creep" or "project creep", and you hear that all over the place now. Another, and this is going to sound obvious, is "system". Projects are simply anything that establishes or modifies a system. Each system contains task, and each task is made up of processes. How you carry out a task is a method and how you carry out a process is a technique. Sound familiar? That did not fill out the common language before the fifties and the introduction of "The Project Managers Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK).
From Tony Robbins to Tim Ferriss, Facebook, IBM, Toyota and just about everyone and everything is being placed in a Project/Information based management style. Want to learn how to seduce women - follow a method. Want to "design" your lifestyle - use these systems and techniques. Want to make money online - use a project manager like basecamp, MS Project, OmniPlan, Project Fork and so on.
Now skipping TONS of details, I will bring up something that came to mind the other day when I was talking with a buddy of mine that does web design. He is not really that into it as he thinks, he just grabs computer applications and throws something together and boom he's done. However, he brought up something that many experience - a customer always calling up wanting to change this or that. He was kind of joking like the "customers are so dumb because..." kind of conversation. He was just starting on the "You ever get customers that are always changing things and don't get that it takes up time...." and I was getting a little irritated and stopped him. I told him how it's up to him to establish the scope of the project, and FREEZE the SCOPE.
Scope is the essential goals of the project, it is established by a statement of requirements and once or before the project enters design and implementation, you have to freeze it. Essentially saying that NOTHING is going to get changed until you are done and have reached a milestone or deliverable goal. Every time you make a change, you increase cost, time and can decrease the quality of the end result because the vision of the project starts to get confused. If a customer really needs a change immediately beyond the agreements and requirements, they are making a change request and yes you can charge more for that!
Any given project's success is ultimately going to have the aspects of time, cost and quality. This is known as the iron or golden triangle. You can't sacrifice one without it effecting the others. And to a greater point, this is why anyone getting into IT based work is going to drop out if they do now manage their projects even in a simplified way but paying attention to essential steps and qualities. And if you think this does not touch you; the moment you say "I do web....." you are already neck deep in it. But if you know how to track these three from the start to the end, then you can easily do anything. Seriously, I mean even if you have no idea how to program the next great application or create a complex business site, using PM you can actually do anything; you just have to identify the system and know how to establish the process to get there. I mean I don't program, I hire people to do that, but I know how to manage a project.
In any case, those are some preliminary thoughts. I am really curious how others are using PM? Any thoughts?
Online Business Training on How To Create Products to sell online Plus Lots More.