The Art of Projects

The Art of Projects

Brenda J Teplitsky

BUS 611: Project Planning and Management

Instructor: Temeka Bradshaw

August 6, 2012

The Art of Projects

When asked to think about a ‘project process”, a person often takes a step back and thinks, “well, I have never really been involved in a project”, but this is far from reality. Everything is a project, in some way or another, and requires a thought process, a plan, a resource (or two), and even a project sponsor and manager. From planning a wedding to building a house addition, or taking over a small business competitor, creating a project plan or initiative is the first step. From an organizational side the project process can be team building and can increase employee efficacy, whether there is a successful outcome or not. However, the idea behind becoming a successful project management office (PMO) is to have the ability to initiate a project, communicate effectively with solid program sponsors, form a project team, and manage the project and team correctly with strong leadership that helps to maneuver the team successfully through the project life cycle from beginning to a strong, educated and highly successful end. Although everything can be viewed as a project, without a strong project plan, not everyone is successful at the project process.

The process of project initiation is not a simple one, although with the right tools the process becomes almost an everyday way of doing business. Sponsorship is the first element, and the right kind of sponsorship makes this element a vital one throughout the entire project life cycle. Sponsors should be strong in their convictions yet pliable to movement; they need to be honest and open in their communications yet willing to listen. Strong sponsorship sets the tone for the project process and uses their insight and resources to choose the right...