How many Project Managers find their plan continually having to slip because the project is plagued by 'out of the blue' surprises? The surprises are not 'out of the blue' it is just that these Project Managers are 'Project Trackers' and they cannot foresee the problems and issues. They do have a plan, indeed it's their primary management tool. They may have a PID and they might even have a Risk, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies (RAID) Log. The 'Project Tracker' has a formal reporting process and updates their plan. All looks well. However the Project Tracker is only ever backward looking, they are tracking the completion and the slippage of the tasks in retrospect. They look backwards. If the RAID Log exists it is used for just that - logging risks.
The 'Project Scout' however uses the Risk Log as their weapon of choice. The 'Project Scout' uses the plan to know where their team is, but the RAID is their binoculars or radar. The 'Project Scouts' are looking forward to see what is going to trip their teams up, what dependencies are coming up and most important what risks are likely to occur. Their counter-attack is the risk mitigation plan and contingency plans. The 'Project Scout' is knocking the blockers and problems out of the way before their teams even reach that task. They are neutralising those risks through active risk mitigation activities.
The 'Project Tracker' is a passive role - the 'Project Scout' is an active one. To be a successful Project Manager you need to be a Scout not a Tracker.
The 'Project Scout' however uses the Risk Log as their weapon of choice. The 'Project Scout' uses the plan to know where their team is, but the RAID is their binoculars or radar. The 'Project Scouts' are looking forward to see what is going to trip their teams up, what dependencies are coming up and most important what risks are likely to occur. Their counter-attack is the risk mitigation plan and contingency plans. The 'Project Scout' is knocking the blockers and problems out of the way before their teams even reach that task. They are neutralising those risks through active risk mitigation activities.
The 'Project Tracker' is a passive role - the 'Project Scout' is an active one. To be a successful Project Manager you need to be a Scout not a Tracker.
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