The “Complexity” of “Simplicity”!
Prior to taking this Project Management Principles class, I had No Idea what those words meant, even though, we all, in our everyday lives, put Project Management into practice without realizing it. It exists in basically everything we do, from taking the grocery list to Walmart to planning a Super Bowl party. (GO, PACK, GO!!!)
Unbeknownst to me, I have been Project Managing for the better part of my lifetime, as have we all, by just “Doing It”. However, the Project Management Process is much more complicated than just going to the store and unconsciously grabbing the items off of the shelves. It actually involves documenting (on sticky-notes, paper, graphs, charts, etc.), Every Single Step that needs to be taken so that the Next Step can be taken, to insure that the project is, 1) On Target, 2) On Time, and 3) On Budget. I personally, found this class to be one of my favorites and perhaps a new possible career path.
So, to rehearse this process, my Project Management Principles class here at Western TC chose a project with hopes of recruiting possible future students into the Western TC Marketing program. The following link is the result of the Project we decided to implement, a TikTok video for the purpose mentioned above, applying ‘some’ of the steps (explained in detail below) needed to successfully complete this endeavor: A five-minute video centered on 7 Marketing careers that will change young (and old) lives. A video we titled,
“Choose Your Character“.
So, do you want to see (some of) the complex process that we (students) had to endure, when, in it’s final stage, “seems to be” simple, but is vital to the success of Any Project? Ready?…,Set?…, WAIT!,…, are your sure?…, really?…, OK! (click on the link to each step to view our documentation of the specified step)
Project Charter
A short document that describes a project in its entirety; including WHAT the objectives are, HOW it will be carried out, and WHO the stakeholders are.
Project Scope and Objective Statement
The Objective, must be agreed upon by the sponsor/customer and the organizations that will perform the project. The Scope, is a document that includes customer requirements, a Statement of Work (SOW), as well as a list of deliverables and acceptance criteria to insure that specifications are met.
Activities & Predecessors List
A list of the detailed activities that need to be performed for each work package and to produce any required deliverables.
The project below is a MUST SEE!!!, however, it involves a couple of steps…please take them, this is amazing!
Seriously, this is worth it…after clicking on the link below, click on “Avatar of Shelly Wetzsteon” (who incidentally is our Instructor, or as I call her, Professor), then, click on “Network Diagram”
Network Diagram
The Network Diagram shows the necessary sequence & dependent relationships of the detailed activities that need to be performed to achieve the Project Objective.
Following that, was one of my favorite sections of this process. I love graphs, and that is exactly what a GANTT Chart is.
GANTT Chart
A visual view of tasks scheduled over time. Gantt charts are used for planning projects of all sizes and a useful way of showing what work is scheduled to be done on a specific day. They also help you view the start and end dates of a project in one simple view.
Risk Matrix
Visualizes risks in a diagram that are graded in relation to their severity. Generally ranked High, Medium, or Low, this allows the worst case scenarios to be determined at a glance.
Budget Matrix
A plan or a blueprint in chart or table form designed to allocate financial resources in the ranking order of your goals and priorities.
This graph is simply an example!!! I am proud to say that my teammates and I managed to pull this whole project off…with a Budget of Zero!!!
Simple, right?…Right!
For the most part, the team and I handled all of these processes like real professionals. We did encounter a few bumps in the road, but we collaborated to find the cures. This was indeed, an eye-opening experience for me, implementing teamwork, communication, collaboration, consultation, commitment, accountability, and I could go on and on.
So, in closing, the enormity and volume of this project was truly intense and the ‘kicker’ is…we did it All virtually, and again, with no budget. My thanks to teammates; Duncan Day, Rylee Gabel, Carissa Hass, Xio Perez, Racheal Woodward, and Aek Yang!!!
I already have a couple of projects in mind where, instead of just ‘attacking’ it, I am going to ‘account’ for it.