Project Management Axioms “Blaxioms”Plan the Work -Work the Plan Plan The Work •Tailored to the project •Developed by the project team •On large projects, developed by the

Project Management Axioms

“Blaxioms”

Wisdom acquired in 50 years of Project/Program Management

By Fred W. Black

© BLAX Professional Project Management, LLC

My Projects


What is an Axiom?

synonyms: accepted truth, general truth, dictum, truism, principle;


ax·i·omDictionary result for axiom

/ˈaksēəm/nounplural noun: axioms1.a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, 2.accepted, or self-evidently true.(You will not find “Blaxioms” in the dictionary)

Plan the Work - Work the Plan

Plan The Work• Tailored to the project• Developed by the

project team• On large projects,

developed by the key team leaders (leadership team)

Work the Plan• Use it!• Project website• Hold team members

accountable to their part of the project

• Periodic reviews• Maintain it


Fail to Plan? – Plan to Fail!

• A project is a journey from start to finish

• You have never been there before

• You need a map


“What Gets Measured, Gets Done”

• Who said that?• What did it accomplish

in Japan?

• BLAX Corollary:What does NOT get measured, does NOT get done


Manage Change

- or it will manage

you!


Break the Work Down into

Manageable Elements

• A project as a whole may be a huge undertaking

• What are manageable elements?

• You decide

Work Breakdown Structure

• Essential to all projects Big and small

• The basis of all other project planning tools

• Don’t start a project without it!


Package the Work

• Work Packages are very effective

• Distribute the work to the team members who will do the work

• Ideally, a Work Package for each Manageable Element of the project

• Be specific• Aurthorize;

ScopeScheduleBudgetDeliverablesAcceptance criteria


You assign – they accept. A quasi-contract

Working Together

A powerful concept that worked on the Boeing 777 design program

Consider the alternative.© BLAX Professional Project Management, LLC

Integrate

• What do project managers do?• What is our contribution to the

success of our project?• We integrate• The conductor integrates the

various musicians in the orchestra into a harmonious symphony

Consider the opposite of integrated


The Value of Earned Value


• Integrates Cost Schedule and Scope completion like no other project management tool!

• Required on DOD contracts – for good reason

• It WORKS!• Try it. You’ll like it


Earned Value at a GlanceThe BLAX Chart (copyrighted) Fill the bars in to reflect progress and cost at Time Now

TimeNow

Schedule

Budget Plan(time phased budget)

Actual Cost

Earned Value

Planned Value

Parkinson’s Law• C. Northcote Parkinson;

“Work expands to fill the time available”

• Many corollaries in project management

• Cost expands to fill the budget available

• Scope expands to fill the schedule


Impose and manage constraints

Deliverables

• Tangible evidence of progress

• Objective v. subjective• A product you can see

A specificationAn analysisA designA report


Beware of % Complete

Stuff Happens

• Expect the unexpected• Manage risk• Set up continency plans• Reserve funds to fix

stuff• Encourage open

communication of problems


Phase Gates

Periodic project reviews at key events or phases

• Limit risk• Limit cost overrun exposure• Assess progress• Make corrective action• Do not proceed until you

are satisfied with progress to the plan

• Re-plan if necessary© BLAX Professional Project Management, LLC

Be the Go To Person


• Be the one person on the project team that knows more about the overall project than any other one team member

Lead by Example

Be willing to do whatever needs to be done for your project to

succeed


Don’t Share Chaos


• Keep it to yourself

• Chaos is contagious

• The project manager must be calm, cool and collected

• Stop it before it spreads

Be Professional

• We are professionals• Be professional:

• Know your “trade”• Practice best principles• Maintain currency• Look sharp• Act confidently • Be reliable


Continuous Improvement

• Demming said; “PLAN, DO. CHECK, ACT” (PDCA)

• I say; PLAN, DO, CHECK, ADJUST

Anyway you do it – just do itEvery time you do it – do it better


Create a Vision


• Create a vision for the completed project

• Share it with the team

• Remind the team of the vision

• Build a model• Paint a picture• Architects use

renderings to create a vision

Marina Sands Hotel, Singapore

Learn, Do, TeachFollow the surgeon’s model


Critical Path Method Scheduling© BLAX Professional Project Management, LLC

• Manage by exception

• Manage the Critical Path activities

• Monitor slack• Set threshold

slack values• Great for

planning• Great for

managing

No Risk Estimates

• Find a way to Remove the risk factor from estimates

• Honor your team member’s concern for risk

• Let them identify perceived risks

Everyone knows that will happen, so everyone “pads” their estimates

Find a Way

• Whatever you encounter on your project, find a way to overcome it (an Alan MuLallay axiom)

• “Don’t come to me with a problem, come to me with a solution.”

• It worked for him at Boeing and Ford. It can work for you


Questions, Comments, Suggestions

• I am one of those “Been There, Done That, Got the Tee Shirt” guys

• Project management has been a great career for me – and it is not over

• It is payback or pay-it-forward time for me


Documents

Project Management Axioms “Blaxioms”Plan the Work -Work the Plan Plan The Work •Tailored to the project •Developed by the project team •On large projects, developed by the