Stop Wasting Precious Proposal Time!

Stop Wasting Precious Proposal Time!

Chris Simmons, Rainmakerz Consulting LLCAPMP Georgia Chattahoochee Chapter

September 29, 2010

Copyright © 2010, Rainmakerz Consulting, LLC2

The Time Management Challenge Basic NeedsEating, Sleeping, Exercise, Relaxing

Significant OthersAdrienne, Spencer, Shea, Family, Friends

Work• Proposals• Other billable• Non-Billable• APMP

OtherChurch, PTA,Chores, Hobbies

8,760 hrs.

Many of us spend too much time at work leaving precious little time for other (more important) things.


The Time Management Solution

Being more productive at work means more personal time for you.

Basic NeedsEating, Sleeping, Exercise, Relaxing

Significant OthersAdrienne, Spencer, Shea, Family, Friends

Work• Proposals• Other billable• Non-Billable• APMP

OtherChurch, PTA,Chores, Hobbies

8,760 hrs.


Time Management Challenges…

The most frequently mentioned proposal development issues are related to time management.

(Source: 24Hour Company Issues, April, 2008)

….for Proposal Professionals

‘Issues’ Survey Not enough time to respond No respect for proposal schedule deadlines Limited resources that increase time

pressures The biggest challenge I face is time! 12 other time related issues


The History of Time Management

Time management started more than 6,000 years ago and continues to increase in popularity and diversity.

Egyptian-built obelisks Middle East (3500 BC)

Egyptian sundial (1500 BC)

Greek/Roman water clocks (100 BC)

Spring powered and pendulum clocks (1600 AD)

Quartz (digital) watches (1920)

Cesium atomic clock NIST (1967)


Proposal Management Challenges

Many proposals are doomed for failure even before they begin, largely because there isn’t enough time.

APMP Conference

RFP issued

Proposal kickoff

Proposal due date


7 Time Management Reco’s and Tips

The seven high impact recommendations and tips will help you get more out of your proposal in less time.

Deadly Sins

Days in a week Habits of highly effective people

Lucky Number ‘7’


1. Set Ground Rules and PLAN

Thorough advanced planning is one of the cornerstones of managing time efficiently and effectively.

CapturePlan

Proposal Plan

Opportunity overview

Customer analysis Competitor analysis Critical success

factors Win strategy High-level

solution(s)

Proposal team organization

High-Level outline Methodology Schedule Processes, tools.

Templates Lessons learned


• Priorities • Constraints

RFP

Methodologies• ShipleyAssociates• SM&A

• CapturePlanning.com• LORE

Story-boards Pink Gold

15-day Schedule

Use a Proposal Development Methodology

Use the appropriate methodology and take proposal priorities and constraints into account.


Secure Appropriate Resources

Verify the right number of resources with the right skills.

50 page target All new narrative (industry average = 5 pages/day) 5 days to complete 1 writer

Technical Section:

1. Base section on boilerplate (not recommended)2. Work writer 16+ hour days (not recommended)3. Request another full-time writer

Options:


Pick the Right Time and Start Meetings on Time…Every Time

Starting meetings on time shows you mean business and value everyone’s time.


2. Organize the Work into Small, Manageable Steps

Let’s……understand the RFP…determine solution(s)…develop an outline…storyboard/module plan

Let’s… …start writing and review in a week

Don’t let your proposal team go off for too long on a single task.


Don’t plan to work weekends, but be prepared if it becomes absolutely necessary.

Avoid Scheduling Work on Weekends…at least initially


Mutually Agree on Deadlines

Work with your team to close the gap between the perfect world and a less than perfect reality.

When can it be done? When will it be done!

Best case scenario No constraints Optimum efficiency

Constraints Limitations Miscommunicati

on Inherent

inefficiencies Murphy’s Law


Set Deadline Windows and Avoid the COB Syndrome

Deadline windows help to bridge the gap between the perfect world and the practical realities of the real world.

Storyboard deadline window


Set Specific Deadline Times (within the windows)

Set specific deadline times that strike a balance between writer needs and reviewer demands.

Storyboard deadline window

“Your section is due on June 18th at 11:00am in the SharePoint SB folder with all checklist items complete.”

Writer’s Checklist File name Sections complete Spell check Passive voice (<5%) Sentence length Forbidden words +/- 10% pages


3. Focus on Status and Next Steps

Keep the team accountable with daily status summaries and action item lists with owners and due dates.

“Almost done” “Done but I haven’t

turned it in” “95% completed” “Waiting on input from…” “Something came up”


Use a Section Status Summary

Review a simple color-coded status summary during daily stand-ups to identify proposal bandits.

For Murder:

Vicky Volume(Section

1)


Schedule Time-Outs

Schedule time-outs to confirm understanding, to reset expectations, and reach a mutual commitment to action.

WHEN? Missed deadlines Incomplete work Poor quality Low outputWHY? Discuss circumstances Confirm understanding Reset expectations Commit to action


4. Keep Interactions Short and Action-Oriented

Meetings, conversations, and email messages can be big time wasters if not managed closely.

?12

6

39Meetings

Conversations

Email Messages


Meetings

Always distribute an agenda with time allocations and manage the meeting to finish early.

Agenda Item-1 (12:05) Item-2 (12:15)o Item-3 (12:30)o Item-4 (12:45)o Item-5 (1:15)

How long is this meeting going to go? I’m going to be late for golf!


Conversations

Avoid detailed personal conversations on project time.

DO’s Get to know co-workers Develop rapport Be cordial Have fun Keep it short Talk about it at lunch

DONT’S Discuss detailed

personal issues/problems

Be disruptive to others 10+ minute personal

conversations


Never send a chain-mail, joke mail, or other non-work related message to your team.

E-Mail Messages


5. Don’t Hesitate to Escalate

A big part of having enough proposal time is making sure the right resources are in place to do the job.

“Houston, we’ve got a problem.”(Jim Lovell, Apollo 13, April 14, 1970)

The Team We Need? The Team We Have!


Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities

Make sure the proposal organization is clearly defined and effectively communicated.

Ed Executive Carl Capture

Matt ManagerCarol

CoordinatorVicki

Volume Lead

Kurt Cost

Walter Writer


Develop and communicate viable options with resource alternatives or reset expectations if necessary.

Proposal A: ‘Must Win’ Detailed plans and

processes Additional resources Reassignments Training Additional equipment Specialization SME/Operational

support Graphics rich Themes and

discriminators

Provide Management with Realistic Options and Trade-offs

Proposal B: ‘Make Due’

No plans Limited resources Static organization Do your best….. Lack of

experience/skills Generalists Boilerplate Unsubstantiated

claims and marketing fluff


6. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

One of the most common proposal team problems is the inability to communicate even basic ideas.

“Do as much as

you can by Wednesday morning.”

“It’s due tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10am.”

“It’s due tomorrow around 10

(pm?).”

“I think it’s due by COB.”


You Hear What You Want to Hear!


In general, return messages using the same communication channel.

Use the Right Communication Channel

Voicemail Message

TelephoneCall? Email?

Face-to-face? Ignore?

InstantMessage?

Telephone Call


Walk the Halls

Management (by walking around) can make communication more efficient and effective.

How is it going?


7. Make it Better the Next Time

Make lessons learned a standard part of your proposal development process.

Low

Low

High

Hig

h

EFFECTIVENESS: Securing the win

EFFI

CIE

NC

Y: G

ettin

g it

in

Ad hoc processes Not enough resources Lack of discipline Internal focus Too much boilerplate Working more/winning less

Standard processes ‘Right’ people, tools and

templates Disciplined approach Customer focus A lot less boilerplate Working less/winning

more


Solicit feedback from a wide variety of proposal team members and put it in writing.

Get Feedback in Writing

Feedback Form Score SummaryVery Satisfied (5.0)

Mostly Satisfied (4.0)

Satisfied (3.0)

Partially Dissatisfied (2.0)

Very Dissatisfied (1.0)DeliveryProcess

ProjectManagemen

t

FinalDeliverable

People/Team


Develop recommendations for improvement and discuss with management to develop an action plan.

Develop Action-Oriented Recommendations

Identify strengths and improvement areas

Develop action-oriented recommendations

Deliver to appropriate management

Suggest a time to discuss

• Level of resources• Experience/Skills

mix• Roles/

Responsibilities• Communication

• BD/Capture• Proposal

Management• Proposal

Development• Proposal Production• Technology Process• Communication

• Document Management

• Version Control

• Knowledge Management

• Communication

People

Process

Technology


What TM Gurus and Wannabees Say

Make a “To Do’ list every day Use spare minutes wisely It’s OK to say “No” Review your notes every day Get a good night’s sleep Become a taskmaster Don’t waste time agonizing Keep things in perspective Use technology wisely Prioritize ruthlessly

Time management gurus and wannabees have similar time management concepts and recommendations.

http://www.linkedin.com/?trk=hb_logo


What if…Time is Really Running Out?

Time is all you have. And you may find one day that you have less than you think. ---Randy Pauch (www.thelastlecture.com)

Time must be explicitly managed

You can change your plan, but only if you have one

Are you spending your time on the right things?

Develop a good filing system Rethink the telephone Delegate Take a timeout

http://www.thelastlecture.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RandyPausch_Wiki_2.jpg


Time IS on Your Side…YES IT IS!

Shea (5) and Spencer (8) Adrienne


References

1. About.com, 11 Time Management Tips, Susan Ward2. About.com, Determining Your Personal Return on Investment, Susan Ward3. CollegeBoard.com, Time Management Tips for High School Students4. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity, David Allen, Penguin Books,

20015. Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, The Big Proposal

Management Study of 2009, Spring/Summer 20096. Linked-In (www.linkedin.com) APMP Group Discussion7. New York Times, Meetings are a Matter of Precious Time, Reid Hastie, January 17, 20098. ShipleyAssociates Proposal Guide for Business and Technical Professionals

(Winning Business), Third Edition9. TFCN (www.federalcontractor.us) Program/Project Management; Business Development

Group Discussions10. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon & Schuster, 1989 11. The CapturePlanning.com MustWin Process Workbook, 2008 Edition12. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch, Hyperion, 2008

http://www.linkedin.com/

http://www.tfcn.com/


Chris SimmonsPrincipal

Rainmakerz Consulting LLCwww.rainmakerz.biz

202-255-2355

http://www.rainmakerz.biz/

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Stop Wasting Precious Proposal Time!