HACKING PROJECT BREAKDOWNS

Start With a Project Charter 

The world is not a neat and orderly place. Daily, we are confronted with problems that need to be unraveled so our lives are not overwhelmed by unresolved and recurring details. 

Successful organizations are places where problems are resolved as difficulties arise, and at the location where the trouble first occurred. This means that day-to-day issues need to be handled so that process constituents, clients, and customers are delighted by the results. 

Problem-solving and decision-making are the typical tools used to manage details, so that useful work gets done. Problem-solving produces options, and decision-making cuts away at alternatives to find the best answer. A manager’s reputation can be enhanced or damaged based on the ability to challenge and control complexity.

Unfortunately, as problems arise, there is a tendency to immediately look for a solution. This instinctive leap into action is driven by time constraints, overconfidence in intuition, and perceived past successes.  The resulting seat-of-the-pants logic often produces unsophisticated solutions that require additional action later. 

Problem-solving should be more than the discovery of a workable solution. It should be a thoughtful and systematic process that keeps individuals from jumping to conclusions without first considering why events are the way they are.  Long-term improvement is the result of thoughtful, pragmatic, and structured work where the problem is first identified and understood before seeking answers.

To slow reflexive behavior and focus people on the true problem, use a project charter. It is a tool that clarifies issues by describing the problem as the gap between what is current and what is needed. Individual perceptions are challenged and actions coordinated through questioning and active participation to find answers. The intended job of problem-solving does not begin until expectations and deliverables are characterized. 

The Project Charter

The Project Charter is a document that conveys a project’s purpose and requirements to team members, the sponsor, or a client.  It provides clarity and direction before any problem-solving activity begins.  The charter is constructed using the following criteria.  Charter questions and considerations:

Purpose

• What is wrong that needs to be addressed?
• What is important to customers and other stakeholders?

Scope

• What are the limitations and boundaries?
• To whom is the team accountable?
• Who will be the project leader?
• Who can the team turn to for guidance?
• What is the urgency?
• What is the budget?
• What are the milestones for review and desired deadlines?
• How should progress be reported?

Measures

• What is the primary measure of success?
• What process attributes should be measured and tracked?

Deliverables

• What specifically is needed?
• What is the difference between wants and needs?
• What are the criteria for customer acceptance?

The creation process will be a series of meetings, occupied by team members, where notes are kept and a worksheet constructed before rolling out a final document.  Meetings should not be exhaustive affairs but reasonable in length.  If necessary, make assignments and come back to continue deliberation another day.  Also, consider the customer or client’s charter presentation as a first proposal. Be willing to negotiate and rewrite based on fresh realizations. Often, a written document where contingencies are laid out can clarify and focus thinking.    

In the long run, because perception and expectation can differ, the exercise of preparing a project charter will consolidate overall thinking to save time and money.  In addition, be willing to change team membership as the process progresses and as the project matures. Different capabilities and talents may be needed, but not all at the same time. Problem solving and delivery are two sides of the same coin, but with different and distinct prospects. Being effective as well as efficient should be the goal.

The Project Charter, don’t begin without it.