The Politician vs The Project Manager
Dylan Eleven | Truth11.com
THE POLITICIAN
A politician is like an acrobat. They can perform incredible feats of balance by saying one thing and doing the complete opposite.
This is not a new analogy.
So if we know the true role of politicians is one of a lying acrobat; why do we let politicians run our countries?.
If politicians were in charge of getting things done in business, with the strategy of saying one thing and doing the complete opposite; nothing would get done. The business or the project would fail.
To get things done in a project or business you hire project managers.
A country is a series of ongoing projects. The focus should be moving the country forward to the benefit of all the stakeholders = the people.
The role of the prime minister or president of a country should be re-assigned to a project manager system.
THE PROJECT MANAGER
In any project; construction projects , software projects, you name it; the way things get done according to the plan (scope) on time and on budget, is by having one or several project managers.
A project manager is accountable for the project. A politician is not accountable. And that is the problem.
If we put project managers in charge of a country. We the people as the stakeholders define the scope. The project manager would ensure the projects are completed and the country would thrive. Especially when we can control the resources (cost).
Putting someone in charge who is accountable for what they do. And who has to complete the tasks in the way we define and reports regularly their progress is true representation of the people.
Let’s look at the exact role of the project manager. See how when applied to running a country, this is a much more suited position than the career politician. The job explanation is clear. You can see the structure and benefits of using this system as a way to run our countries for the benefit of the people. And see how the project manager is far superior to the career politician.
Project Management 101
There are 3 fundamental factors for each project:
• Scope = the sum of the activities and work to be performed, in order to reach the project goal. In other words, the scope is everything that needs to be done during the project.
• Time = the available timeframe given for the project to reach its goal.
• Cost = the resources available for the project.
The three dimensions always need to be looked at together because if a change is made to 1 of them, one or both the others will change as well.
Example: you are planning to build a two floor house (scope) until the end of the summer (time) and within a specific budget (cost). If things change and you decide you need three floors to be constructed (scope change), you will need more resources (cost) and most probably more time.
Another example would be if you decide you need the house ready before the summer (time change). This would mean you need extra workers to complete the construction faster (cost) and/or you might need to simplify the construction - e.g. skip the interior works (scope).
What is a Project?
“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”
Who is the Project Manager?
The accountable person for the project’s success*.
Project success = accomplish the specific goal of the project, within the time and budget constraints agreed at the beginning.
Why do you need a PM?
✓ To take accountability
✓ To steer people and activities
✓ To handle risks and issues
In projects, there are different individuals and organizations that need to work in a coordinated manner for the success of the project.
The PM is the “face” of the project, he/she is the single point of contact that has to be able to answer to any questions about his project, including all works streams and tasks performed by other people. PM is accountable for the end result of their collective work.
PMs have the knowledge, skills, attitude and practical experience to “manage” not only their work, but also the work of the others. In addition, by being appointed as a PM, you are being empowered by the project Sponsor to take actions and make decisions.
These knowledge, skills, attitude but are not limited to:
• Project management and business Knowledge: Ability to lead project work, know how to address classical project situations; Knowledge of the
project lifecycle; Planning quality; management of project critical areas; work with project management tools and documents. Put Controls in place, to
be able to track progress. Business analysis skills; Business acumen; Awareness & knowledge of the PM industry standards;
• People and Workflow Management Skills: Efficiently Organize project work, define responsible and due date. Issue resolution skills ; People skills -
Work with all stakeholders, motivate project team, communicate in a way to create trust among the team members and senior management.
• Strategy and Leadership Skills: Negotiate, influence work and stakeholders in the project/program interest; work towards the objectives of the overall
program; Ensure work is aligned with the overall corporate strategy Promote the values and benefits of the project/program to the broad organization.
These are all central to the PM role. To this, however, we want to highlight few other characteristics: The attitude, behavior and professionalism of the PM expresses are very important for the Image of the Project - the organization’s perception of the work:
Attitude and behavior: Positive and goal-oriented attitude, especially during difficult times. Projects are complex initiatives which include various subjects, people and personalities, expectations and constraints. There can often be competition for the resources and tension due to the constraints. PM has to be able to handle the pressure and stress that can emerge and in the meantime take the right decisions and trade-offs. A good PM works well under pressure to keep the project on the path to success.
Professionalism – irrespective of the challenges, a PM is a business professional. As such, they need to act as an example, show high morale, ethics and
credibility.
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That is the definition of a project and project manager.
Now that sounds more like who we would want to run our countries, managing all aspects of them as projects. Openly reporting their progress to us the stakeholders. Working within the defined scope we provide and agree upon. And being accountable for their work and each individual projects success.
In addition when we define the scope we must understand that we are not restricted to traditional channels and economic rules. Meaning we can also define the cost (Cost = the resources available for the project)
When you run a country you can increase the scope as you can create your own currency and provide unlimited resources to each project.
Meaning your required scope can have unlimited financial resources as you print your own money.
The possibilities for growth for every human are enormous. Our cooperation and collaboration can provide unlimited possibilities. A system where project management is in charge, accountable and focused on the project management system instead of the career political system acrobatic balance of saying one thing and doing the complete opposite.
Which would you prefer?
Article Resources:
Project Management Body of Knowledge PMBOK Guide 5th Ed
365 Carreers Project Management Course