This being my first entry to the project management blog I want to introduce myself. I have 10 years of professional software development and programming experience but I am relatively new to actually perform project management – closing in on two years. In my blog entries I will try to share some of the experiences I have had during my first steps in this job and what I learned from them. I will also share some tools, processes, best practices, and so on – at least these things have worked for me so they might work for you, too. Do not take my words to be the one and only truth because each project manager has his own management style but there are tips, tricks and tools that might facilitate the project manager job for many.
As a beginner in project management I started looking for a method that would always work for delivering my projects on time and there are many companies out there that promised me that their particular method or product would guarantee my success. I soon learned that there is no silver bullet for project management which is true for almost anything in life. So without a silver bullet what should I do? First I had to realize what was required to make a project a success – and my conclusion was that there are several factors that affect how well a project progresses. The perfect plan will not ensure success on its own nor will having the best developers available. The plan is no good without a well-defined goal, and all the best developers are not guaranteed to be able to work well together.
For now I see project management as being about providing the best conditions for the project team and nurse the team so they feel comfortable with each other and can concentrate on solving the tasks that constitute the project.
As one of the project managers I have worked with put it:
“Tell me your worries about the project at any time. I will handle them so you don’t have to.”