PM Network - October 2016

26 PM NE TWORK OC TOBER 2016 W WW.PMI.ORG
Jennifer MacNeil, PMI-ACP, PMP, is an adviser
in program management at Bechtel Plant
Machinery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Continued from the previous page

project problem by individually contacting team members to piece together the status and an approach to resolution. Instead, I like to bring all relevant team members together for a working session. It’s particularly effective for projects with developers who are in high demand and for tackling lingering issues delaying the rest of the project.

For example, a software configuration issue may be impeding other project tasks as a single resource struggles to fix the matter, so a working session brings the team together to tackle the problem.

Given this level of focus and attention, the issue usually gets solved; at the very least, we come up with potential solutions to be explored.

3. Quickly share lessons learned and best prac-
tices across projects. Working with different peo-
ple on different projects enables me to frequently
encounter new ideas and approaches. As I see
approaches that work effectively, I adopt them to
quickly impact other projects I am managing.

For example, as tools for managing the development life cycle are introduced within our IT department, I have the chance to define how the tools are used across multiple projects. Given this flexibility, I can experiment with a few approaches and compare results. I may apply the results immediately to other projects or wait for a new phase or project to introduce a new approach.

Managing multiple projects presents a unique set of challenges for project managers, but with some basic and creative techniques, these issues can be addressed. PM

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