The president of Samsung Latin America views project management as the key to the success for his entire company. In a recently published executive guide by the Project Management Institute (PMI), leaders at EDS, Volkswagen, Ness Technologies, and IBM all echo his view.
The key, they say, is to treat project management as a function in its own right — not just an auxiliary task — and to change mangers' common misconceptions about the nature of the activity. From the PMI report, here are the most common myths that keep excellent managers from excelling in project management:
- Myth: Adding more people will get things done faster.
Reality: The best way to help a project back on course is to determine what’s at the root of the delay. It’s better to throw more thought at a problem than more hands. - Myth: Computers and software can replace skills, knowledge and experience.
Reality: An investment in your staff often goes a lot farther than an investment in technology. - Myth: The widespread use of metrics and measurements will guarantee success.
Reality: Metrics rarely tell the whole story. If you want the real reason behind a success or failure, ask staff about problem-solving efforts and how that knowledge can be used to improve metrics on the next project. - Myth: Major problems and delays don’t become apparent until the project has entered the execution phase.
Reality: It's best to begin with the end in mind—including the possibility of delays, cost overruns and quality shortfalls. Risk management is one of the greatest benefits of a strong project management-centered culture.
The main point here is that projects are unlikely to succeed if the people running them aren't well-trained in the realities of the task. And that's not likely to happen unless the the project management function is emphasized as a central discipline of the organization.
