Be your own project manager

Presented at Confab Central in May 2015. A full transcript is available at http://webmeadow.com/presentations/be-pm.html.

Transcript

1. Aaron Parkening Director of Project Strategy webmeadow.com 
 @aparkening May 21 2015 How to get stuff done without resorting to threats and bribes Be your own project manager
2. Preparing for success Keeping things on track Ending well We’ll Cover
3. Get Specific about Success • How will your own work improve? • How will you recognize and measure success? • What will improve in your organization?
4. https://flic.kr/p/u6A8E Map out all the steps. 
 (Even the ones you think are obvious.)
5. If you don’t have time to plan, 
 you don’t have time to project. https://flic.kr/p/6wGwzf Hard Truth:
6. A nice neat 
 list may be 
 all you need. Project Plans https://flic.kr/p/CdE9B
7. Charts are helpful when the steps overlap and intersect. Project Plans Content Revamp Stakeholder Interviews Schedule calls Do interviews 2 Marketing 1 Sales 1 Customer Service Write analysis/summary Content Audit CAT Inventory Analytics review Prioritize rewrites Quality analysis ROT content Business goals Upkeep hassle Rewrites Biographies Schedule photographer Get headshots Each person submits bio text Review for tone Service descriptions Company history
8. Seek external insight on steps, times, and potential roadblocks. https://www.flickr.com/photos/iicd/5348562559 Use your experts
9. https://flic.kr/p/6kPsqH Granularity 
 is (often)
 the enemy of accuracy. Estimating Time:
10. https://flic.kr/p/8BwhUp and then add 20% Round up time estimates
11. https://flic.kr/p/a31MwY Identify your most likely roadblocks, then plan some contingency paths around them. We all get stuck sometimes.
12. Interviews Writing Analysis Training Revisions Reviews Revisions Revisions Simple timelines for simple projects June 2015 August 2015 Reviews
13. Example Gantt Chart http://teamgantt.com
14. • Project goals • Success metrics • Groups of tasks • Milestones • Potential risks • Project timeline Project Snapshot http://www.google.com/patents/US4594071
15. Give the whole team • Context • Clarity • Responsibility Formal Kickoff Meeting
16. Team roles Plan
 review Project
 mechanics Formal Kickoff Meeting
17. https://flic.kr/p/8Z5pHi The plan is not an 
 immutable object. Adjust as necessary.
18. Preparing for success Keeping things on track Ending well What Now?
19. What’s been
 completed Roadblocks encountered What’s in progress Next steps Status Updates should say:
20. You’re allowed to talk to team members between meetings. It’s probably even a good idea. https://www.flickr.com/photos/shepard4711/14339825810
21. If anyone (including you) 
 has a question, it’s your job to find the answer. https://flic.kr/p/8KrWLt
22. Always start by reviewing: • Project goals • Meeting goals • The type of feedback 
 you’re looking for Milestone & Delivery Meetings
23. The Scheduling Kind The Approval Kind Mid-Project Problems
24. The best way to find a solution is Take a deep breath. Then take another. https://flic.kr/p/5dmnG5
25. Problems aren’t catastrophes, they’re puzzles. Solve them. https://flic.kr/p/ahBQcb
26. Preparing for success Keeping things on track Ending well Almost Done!
27. https://flic.kr/p/ve4tb Give the project a proper finish. This is your chance to tell 
 the whole project story. https://flic.kr/p/8N2xDo
28. Meeting goals Project
 goals Key decisions Significant wins Final Presentation
29. Honest feedback What 
 worked? What 
 didn’t? Looking 
 forward Get Retrospective
30. Preparing for success Keeping things on track Ending well Finished
31. Aaron Parkening Director of Project Strategy webmeadow.com 
 @aparkening May 21 2015 Thank You!
32. • Basecamp (basecamp.com)
 Great for threaded communications; useful file repository, calendar, and todo lists. • Slack (slack.com)
 Fantastic instant messenger with channels and many service integrations (Twitter, Dropbox, Github, etc.). Communication Tools
33. Planning & Execution Tools • TeamGantt (teamgantt.com)
 Easy Gantt charts; editable by team; easy exports for sharing. • dapulse (dapulse.com) 
 Great for task review and execution; excellent task-based communications; no timeline or Gantt chart task views. • Wunderlist (wunderlist.com)
 Intuitive todo list; syncs across devices; can be collaborative.