Trainer Insights | Project Management for non-Project Managers

Is Project Management really for me?

In short, yes. Project management might sound like a term used solely by corporate executives or a construction site work force, but in reality it’s a skill that can benefit anyone. Whether you’re cooking a roast dinner, redecorating your house, or planning a holiday, project management fundamentals can help you achieve your goals efficiently and effectively. So let’s explore how project management applies to numerous aspects of everyday life.

Cooking a roast dinner

A favourite example of mine, discussed on nearly every training course, is the small scale project of cooking a roast dinner. A good roast is cooked using all of the benefits from sturdy project management practices. Imagine preparing roast beef with all the trimmings for a family gathering. What might you consider?

• Planning: Have you got enough food to go around?

• Scheduling: How long does each component take to cook?

• Resource Management: Do you have enough trays or oven space for all of the components?

• Monitoring: At what intervals do you need to check on the meat to ensure it’s cooking evenly and adjust the temperature if needed?

Re-decorating the house

And then we can think about structure. An organised approach whereby we have a beginning, middle and end must be in place. Logical orders can be found in many examples, let us use the redecoration of a house:

• Starting Up: What is the vision? Shall we take some measurements and evaluate options?

• Initiation: Define the colour scheme, aims and objectives, the budget and find quotes.

• Stage Delivery: Carrying out the painting, flat pack building, lightbulb changing and so on.

• Closing: Tidy up (often overlooked)! Send contractors home and pay bills. Position furniture where you want it and enjoy.

Effective project management ensures that your home is completed on time, within budget, and to satisfaction.

Booking a holiday

However, every now and then, we all just want to get away. So what about planning a holiday? Good project management ensures a stress-free holiday where you can focus on enjoyment rather than logistics. I find this to be another great example of where our project management skills come in handy:

• Why? What are the dreams we want to fulfil? Establish a business case.

• How? Are we going to fly, drive or hike to our destination? Establish your approach.

• When? At what time of year are we heading out into the World? Schedule your activities and accommodation around what works for you.

• Who? Who shall we boom with? Who is coming with us? Who needs to look after the pet while we are away?

• Where? At its’ very core, where are we going on holiday?

• What? What do we need to bring? What do we need to book? An itinerary can make or break a good holiday.

These above questions make up the fundamentals of project management planning, and any methodology will give you guidance on how to answer them effectively.

So yes, project management is for everyone. This is not an exhaustive list of project management related activities. It could include learning to swim, planning a wedding, updating a website, and many more. The principles of project management help us stay organized, efficient, and successful. By breaking down tasks, managing resources, and monitoring progress, you can achieve your goals with less stress and greater satisfaction. So, next time you embark on a new project, remember the fundamentals of project management and use your tools and techniques to guide you through.

Lacking these tools and techniques? Want to understand how we can apply this further to corporate environments? Confused as to the best ways to scale project controls? Join me on one of my upcoming and highly desired training courses. Speak to our team on 0800 151 0140 to discuss dates, methodologies and more.

About Harley

Having worked in the industry since 2016, Harley’s experience is vast and knowledge of project management methods is of an elite standard. He has covered a wide variety of roles in a plethora of projects and has worked with some incredible project professionals over the years; there is seldom a scenario that Harley has not encountered.

Residing in Poole, Dorset Harley has specialized in maritime projects and programmes in and around the stunning natural harbour. From project managing major yachting events, to advising on risk management approaches, the natural elements have thrown endless challenges into projects where Harley has strategically extracted the best outcomes from each scenario. These tales make up some of Harley’s most interesting  examples used when delivering his training of which attendees enjoy.

SPOCE is proud to have industry leading pass rates for delegates in the PRINCE2® and APM methods which Harley has played a vital part in achieving. Starting his training career in 2019, he would run sessions such as “what makes the perfect business case?” and the much loved “PRINCE2 Practitioner exam workshops”.

Click here for our APM Training page to read more about PFQ

Call;    01202 736 373 

email: sales@spoce.com