5. Applying LEAN PrinciplesFigure 5Top PMs know that the journey matters as much as
the goal. At times, the project journey is made especially cumbersome by a process
that defines how things should be done. This could take the form of unnecessarily
heavy templates, pointless meetings, or distracting peripheral issues that hinder
the journey. Nevertheless, it is your responsibility as PM to make sure these
hindrances impact your team as little as possible. Top PMs should identify
more efficient and effective processes for the team, drawing from agile project
management principles, well defined in LEAN methodology. A popular misconception
is that LEAN is suited only for manufacturing, which is simply not true. LEAN
project management methods can enhance every project and every process. It is
not just a cost reduction program, but rather a way of thinking and acting by
your team. a quote from the CEO of Toyota, Katsuaki Watanabe, summarizes
well the benefits of applying LEAN principles. He says: "Brilliant
process management is our strategy. We get brilliant results from average people
managing brilliant processes. We observe that our competitors often get average
(or worse) results from brilliant people managing broken processes."
A
Top PM with a bias for eliminating unnecessary project noise and work will
naturally drive the process toward LEAN principles. A Top PM should work
tightly with a Product Owner, their team and relevant stakeholders to help them
streamline and specify their needs and the expected value as a response to those
needs. It is also useful to look beyond LEAN for borrowing the best PM
practices for your project. For example, only PRINCE2 methodology includes an
obligatory task of reviewing all the lessons learned from previous projects during
a project's startup phase. This is obviously better than writing another document
at the end of the project that will seldom get used by others when initiating
a new one. It's always important not to be afraid of changing processes to eliminate
any unnecessary steps. Instead, focus on the ones that add real value. In
fact, this is a good opportunity, to review and reshape processes, or to help
the team pick the right ones from the start. These clear performance indicators
should be shared transparently with all involved to define a clear guide towards
project success. Key takeaway: "Finding the right
solutions is as important as having a correct streamlined process for delivering
those solutions."
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4. Understanding
the Environment
