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Project Managers Should Always Be Proactive
September 12, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: PMP, Project Management Best Practices
Project Managers Should Always Be Proactive (#3 in the series PMP Exam Themes – The Perspective You Need To Develop To Be Prepared)
By Brian Denis Egan, B.Sc, M.Sc., M.B.A., PMP - Global Knowledge Course Director
When considering what to do in a particular situation – think proactively. Being proactive means thinking three moves ahead.
For example, say you are the PM on a complex IT project that is centralizing customer data across the enterprise. The vice president of marketing calls you and says that the completion date must be moved up two weeks to make the new database available for a critical industry event. What do you do?
Immediately ask yourself: Is this a formal change request or just a spur of the moment idea? Does this person have the authority to force the change? With which other stakeholders will I need to confer to assess the impact?
Proactive PMs do not just react to situations, they think ahead. In the situation described above, proactive PMs would treat the VP’s request as a routine, although important, change request. PMs would contract senior team members to determine the viability and impact of the request on other constraints, such as budget and scope. When fully informed, the PM meets with the change review board. The change review board would determine what action to take; the PM would implement the board’s decision.
About the Author
Brian Denis Egan is CEO of a manufacturing company (Book Box Company) and a management consultant. He has written three professional development manuals and numerous white papers on aspects of management science. Since 2000, Brian has been a part-time instructor for Global Knowledge within the Management product line.
This article was originally published in Global Knowledge’s Business Brief e-newsletter. Global Knowledge delivers comprehensive hands-on project management, business process, and professional skills training. Visit our online Knowledge Center at www.globalknowledge.com/business for free white papers, webinars, and more.
© Copyright 2008, Global Knowledge. All rights reserved.
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