Comments on: Project Milestones and the Project Team http://www.pmhut.com/project-milestones-and-the-project-team Thu, 24 May 2012 08:34:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: William W. (Woody) Williams http://www.pmhut.com/project-milestones-and-the-project-team/comment-page-1#comment-3714 William W. (Woody) Williams Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:56:04 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=3289#comment-3714 Couldn't agree more. I have (very successfully) managed projects with nothing but milestones visible. In one sense, the milestones are the only important parts -- if they are handled (identified, set-up, aligned) correctly. Couldn’t agree more. I have (very successfully) managed projects with nothing but milestones visible. In one sense, the milestones are the only important parts — if they are handled (identified, set-up, aligned) correctly.

]]> By: Dina http://www.pmhut.com/project-milestones-and-the-project-team/comment-page-1#comment-3698 Dina Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:33:13 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=3289#comment-3698 I totally agree, and learned (the hard way unfortunately) about the importance of making sure my team members were aware of how we were doing against the schedule, if we were running late, what the approximate launch date might be, etc. At that time I didn't feel like it was necessary to constantly remind my team of all of the milestones and instead let them focus on their specific tasks and check in to see how much they thought they had left to go, if the task took more time than expected, etc. Then one day, one of my programmers was in the elevator with the president of the company (it was a small agency, 25 people) and the prez asked when the project would be launching. I don't remember how close we were to launching at that point, but far enough away that this programmer couldn't answer the question (and his mind was probably on the lunch he just finished, and not the project launch date, I figured that was my job). Anyway, I got a mouthful from the prez later that day, telling me how critical it was that all of my team was aware of the milestone dates at all times. As I mentioned, I didn't totally agree and preferred to keep them focused on short term goals. But, ever since then I would prep my team at all status meetings and ask them (with the tone of a 4th grade teacher) "If you're ever riding the elevator and someone asks you when the project will launch, what are you going to tell them?!" On a related note, I would recommend using LiquidPlanner as a project management tool to help make sure your project team is always aware of deadlines and milestones. Unlike MS Project where they will need to install the software and will be afraid to update the gantt if a task takes longer than estimated (because we know that happens sometimes, and I know the programmers I've worked with are afriad to touch MS project), LiquidPlanner has an easy to use web interface that anyone can log into and update their tasks and see how it affects upcoming milestones. There are cute little flame icons that will display next to a task if it is at risk of not being met. Better to see the little flames when they are little than have them turn into big fires that need fighting! I totally agree, and learned (the hard way unfortunately) about the importance of making sure my team members were aware of how we were doing against the schedule, if we were running late, what the approximate launch date might be, etc. At that time I didn’t feel like it was necessary to constantly remind my team of all of the milestones and instead let them focus on their specific tasks and check in to see how much they thought they had left to go, if the task took more time than expected, etc.

Then one day, one of my programmers was in the elevator with the president of the company (it was a small agency, 25 people) and the prez asked when the project would be launching. I don’t remember how close we were to launching at that point, but far enough away that this programmer couldn’t answer the question (and his mind was probably on the lunch he just finished, and not the project launch date, I figured that was my job). Anyway, I got a mouthful from the prez later that day, telling me how critical it was that all of my team was aware of the milestone dates at all times.

As I mentioned, I didn’t totally agree and preferred to keep them focused on short term goals. But, ever since then I would prep my team at all status meetings and ask them (with the tone of a 4th grade teacher) “If you’re ever riding the elevator and someone asks you when the project will launch, what are you going to tell them?!”

On a related note, I would recommend using LiquidPlanner as a project management tool to help make sure your project team is always aware of deadlines and milestones. Unlike MS Project where they will need to install the software and will be afraid to update the gantt if a task takes longer than estimated (because we know that happens sometimes, and I know the programmers I’ve worked with are afriad to touch MS project), LiquidPlanner has an easy to use web interface that anyone can log into and update their tasks and see how it affects upcoming milestones. There are cute little flame icons that will display next to a task if it is at risk of not being met.

Better to see the little flames when they are little than have them turn into big fires that need fighting!

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