A BUM’s Project Management Guidelines

Project management processes, guidelines, and leadership techniques are becoming a predominant factor in how organizations conduct business and coordinate resources to achieve desired and agreed-upon results. To some degree, large or small, projects can utilize the processes project management offers. Whether projects will be managed reactively or proactively depends upon an organization's culture, belief, and support of project management and the quality of management and leadership skills the project manager provides. This being said it is critical that a practical set of project management guidelines is agreed upon and adapted to conduct project business.

The art of project management is more complex than people often wish to believe. Contrary to some people's belief, project management is not a computer or some rare form of mechanized warfare. Project management is a people business, and those people who attain the highest levels of success are individuals who recognize their team as the true and honest answer to successful projects. Since this author believes strongly in the "Involvement Gets Commitment" philosophy, this material is a guideline, not a policy manual. Project management is a process that works best when there is an organized and consistent way of conducting project business. The PMG (Project Management Guidelines) is the starting place for that process with a defined beginning and agreed-upon ending. Project management is the management of a project through properly placed authority. Project Management must have more than authority; it must exhibit leadership and communication skills to succeed consistently (the most vital part of the job description). Project management makes use of active personnel assigned to a specific project. This becomes the organizational structure forming a project team and environment throughout the project's life cycle. Project management has become more critical today than ever due to increasing costs, demands for more robust projects (technology changes daily) with fewer resources, and greater financial accountability, including more accurate cash flow control.

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