You will probably have experienced this. You are the sponsor of a small project. It is not really a heavy project but the activities are not part of the daily routine. Also there is some risk involved, basically it is a project without a real plan. There is however a final date set.

And then, the activities start. You have done your part of the project in the beginning which was the basis for others to complete the work. In fact this could be anything where some expertise is required on which you depend on others.

You ask how things are going, and as always, in the beginning “everything is going fine.” But how do you know this? In the case where there would be a project and a real plan, you would focus on activities and dates which are due some moment in time. But now these are not really defined. There is no real control.

The end of the story is that when the deadline is near, the work is not finished. And then what? Do you make a plan after all? You ask what is going on... You would like to know where the problem is?

Project management rule # one; if there is no project there is no control and you depend on the circumstances. A normal reaction of an organization is to "install" a (formal) project management approach. There are many cultural differences amongst companies and countries in this area of project management. They differ in the approach they choose. But equally important in whatever approach is the communication around the project.

Ideally you would like to add as little overhead to you project, up to the point that you are still able to manage it. The benefit of a formal project planning is that risks are controlled, but the question is – at what price? For smaller projects you should focus on the risk areas. But you do not know them. So you should ask. Project management is much to do about communication. About exchanging information and building up knowledge.

If you are a sponsor, ask for the risks that are involved. You do not want and have to know the details, but you want some proof (of the concept). Make sure you have those risks outlined over time. This give both parties some moments in time to focus on. And you may be relieved knowing that when the risks are controlled the project is safe.

Project management is about communication and sharing information. In your case as a sponsor you shouldn't stop asking...

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days. You can apply for a free demo account

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