I typically manage field projects which consist of having personnel working outside in the elements, along pipelines across the country. When you introduce outdoor elements to a project, things become a little more dicey than managing employees within an office space. Very recently, I was managing a lengthy field project where nothing seemed to go right. It didn’t matter how hard I fought or what decision I made, the hits just kept on coming. The battles consisted of bad weather, flooding, equipment failures, experienced personnel leaving the company, data errors, vehicle accidents, personnel errors, etc. It felt like I was stuck in quicksand, I just kept on fighting and fighting, but was seeing no positive gains or progress. Motivation deteriorated, schedules were reduced to garbage, the client started questioning our work, and so forth. As the project has ended, I am looking back to see if I could figure out how I could have been more successful in what seemed like a doomed project.
I decided that project planning, proper project kick-off/training, and improving our risk management plan would have undoubtedly helped. I feel like project planning can always be improved, especially when you find the project not going so well. With a rushed project, I should have took more time to set out a more detailed project plan and properly communicated this project plan to the field crew. Before the project started, I should have conducted a longer and more detailed project kick-off meeting with my team to help prepare them more for what was to come. The risk management plan should have been expanded to include more. Also, a constant communication stream should have occurred with the field crew, reassuring and providing motivation to keep them focused on a goal that may seem impossible to them.
But sometimes, no matter how hard you plan or mitigate risk, things go wrong. Its how you deal with it, communicate with your employees during it, learn from it, and strive to improve the next time. You always have to stay positive with yourself and your employees. That is what will make you a better manager. Having endured such an experience and learning from it, makes me feel like an improved and better manager.
Who here has experienced “quicksand” in project management? What did you learn from your experience and what would you do differently?
I totally hear this Ryan – I also see the uncontrollable elements taking effect lot with my family’s construction business. If their supposed to be working on a roof but there are rain storms for three days straight, it throws everything out of whack. In these fields it is super important to be able to schedule, re-schedule, and communicate constantly. In my experience, no matter what you do, sometimes life gets in the way. The best things you can do are have back up/contingency plans, communicate constantly, and, as you said, recover well. Often it’s not what happens, it’s how you recover from what happened.
Ryan – I think you are right on. I’ve spent 8 years in the commercial construction business as a project manager, and sometimes it sure feels like everything that can go wrong does. I think you touched on the most important aspect of it all though – learn from it, try to improve and communicate. The reality is, as you know in the pipeline business, a majority of the time detailed project plans and risk mitigation plans are hugely beneficial. And other times, they are completely irrelevant because virtually everything about the project has changed. So you deal with things as they happen and keep moving forward. Then comes the most important part in my view, and the part that we often fail to do. When the dust settles and the project is done, take some time to discuss the project with the team, talk about what worked and what didn’t. Then formalize these lessons learned and communicate them to others within the company so others may also benefit from your hard work.