This presentation explains the overview of 10 More Quotes That Make You a Better Project Manager.

1. 10 More Quotes
That Make You a
Better Project
Manager

2. The Cambridge Dictionaries defines a quote
as, "to repeat the words that someone else
has said or written". Most people are
quoted because they have something
insightful to say, something that helps us,
and provides us with a better understanding
of a particular subject. Over the years a
body of useful quotes has been building up
from management gurus that can help us
become better project managers.

3. Here are 10 such quotes worthy of some thought:
1. "You can’t keep it all in your head. Project
control tools are an absolute necessity for the
control of large projects". - Louis Fried, 1992
These days most companies use project management
software to control large projects. It’s reasonable for
the customer to ask to see your project plan, RAID log,
risks register and other documents. If these aren’t
readily available it gives the impression the project is
not being managed properly. Software solutions will
help you remain organised, provide up-to-date metrics,
and take the time and pain out of updating
documentation and calculating statistics.

4. 2. "Don’t use a sledgehammer to crack a
walnut, but equally don’t agree important
things informally where there is a chance of a
disagreement later over what was agreed". Colin Bentley, 1997
All project managers need to find the right balance
between process and pragmatism. We’ve all been on
projects where arduous processes slow work down, with
seemingly little reason other than, ‘that’s the way we work
around here’. Do sign off requirements with your
customer, create a project plan, look at risks and issues,
but don’t expect your customer to undertake large ‘one
size fits all’ form filling exercises. Tailor to what is needed
to run your project successfully and discard everything
else.

5. 3. "The functional groups should not be allowed to
stretch out the project for the sake of improvement,
refinement, or the investigation of the most remote
potential risk". - Meredith and Mantel, 1995
This occurs when people on a project take work beyond
what is needed or reasonable. In a recent project, testers
were spending several extra days testing improbable
use-cases on a new website. Ask whether you are trying
to build the ‘best’ product or one that fits the
requirements of your customer. Some people will indulge
their own desire to stretch out the project for their own
reasons and satisfaction. Curb this by making sure a
clear set of user requirements are agreed, signed-off and
shared with all project team members. Make it clear that
deviation from the agreed requirements is unacceptable
and may result in a penalty.

6. 4. "One good test is worth a thousand expert
opinions". - Wernher von Braun, 1972
Testing is an area often neglected or cut in projects.
When nearing the end of a project where budgets and
time are tight, it’s often tempting to reduce the testing
phase and rely on the opinion of your team. However,
you will never know the quality of a product or service
until you have tested it. We can all speculate on what
we think the result will be, but no matter how expert, it’s
still only a matter of opinion. Always allow enough time
in your project for testing and rework.

7. 5. "The conditions attached to a promise are
forgotten and the promise is remembered". Edwards, Butler, Hill and Russell, 1997
Always document and confirm any agreement you
make with your customers and suppliers. If you
promise to deliver something as long as certain
conditions are met, make sure it’s in writing, agreed
and a signature obtained if necessary. As the saying
goes, ‘What is not on paper has not been said’.

8. 6. "The P in PM is as much about ‘people
management’ as it is about ‘project
management’". - Cornelius Fichtner, 2007
Or to put it another way, project management is mostly
about managing people. People are your most valuable
asset. They will make a project succeed or fail. You are
steering, but they are the engine that will take you to
your goal. Key to your success is to ensure you have
the right people on your project, so if work goes wrong
they will save you.

9. 7. "A good plan can help with risk analyses, but
it will never guarantee the smooth running of
the project". - Bentley and Borman 2001
A plan is not a project, but it goes a long way to helping
projects run well. To reach a successful conclusion,
many areas of work must come together. Project
planning and risk management are just two. As project
manager you are responsible for guiding your project
much as a sea captain guides his ship through different
seas, some calm and some stormy.

10. 8. "Projects progress quickly until they
become 90% complete; then remain at 90%
complete forever". - Edwards, Butler, Hill and
Russell, 1997
This is a phenomenon where the last ten percent of a
project is the most difficult and time-consuming. This
occurs because the most difficult parts of a project get
left until last. It is better to ‘eat the frog first’. If you can
clear the difficult hurdles then the rest of your project will
be easier and you’ll avoid the never-ending last ten
percent.

11. 9. "Business is often about killing your
favourite children to allow others to succeed". John Harvey-Jones, 1990
We’ve all come across projects that struggle on for months, years
sometimes, with everyone knowing they’re destined to fail. Why? Is a
miracle likely to happen; a genie pop out of a lamp and grant three
wishes; or the Tooth Fairy appear and sort everything out? Of course
not. We may have invested a lot personally in the project; don’t want it
to fail and may still believe in the result; making it hard to let go. We
just plod on wasting time and money hoping that it will come right in
the end. When the writing’s on the wall, it’s best to kill projects as
quickly as possible. It’s tough, but the kindest action to take. Stop
wasting time and money and put it to good use elsewhere. Make
failed projects a learning experience that help you in your next
venture.

12. 10. "Plans are only good intentions unless they
immediately degenerate into hard work". Peter Drucker, 1993
Most people understand that to achieve any goal, vision or
objective you need a plan. However, writing a plan is just
the start. Unless that plan is immediately put into action
your goal, vision or objective will remain a good intention.
History is littered with visions, ideas and dreams that
remained just that.

13. In conclusion...
These quotations are the compressed wisdom of
many years experience. Keep them in mind and
let them help you navigate your way to a
successful project.

14. SOURCE
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