Planning is a huge task, whether it’s for home improvement,
planning a wedding, a kid’s birthday party or for a 50th wedding
anniversary. It is not an easy task because there are a lot of things to do in
order for an event or a project to be successful. That's the role of an organizer, coordinator or a project manager. Before today, if you had asked
me if I’ve done project management before, I would have told you no.
You may be wondering, what exactly is project management? You are
not alone, I asked that same question. In an article I read, it defines the
word “project” first in that it is temporary; it has a defined beginning and end
in time…it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations to
accomplish a singular goal (pmi.org). Project Management is the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project
requirements (pmi.org). It has always been done informally but began to emerge
as a distinct profession in the mid-20th century (pmi.org). The link
to the article is found here:
One of the projects I would consider as something in the category
of project management was renovating our kitchen a few years ago. My husband
and I bought a “fixer-upper” and since he is a handyman, we both liked the idea
of creating something new from something old. From the time we bought the
house, we had done minor updates such as adding a shower in the bathroom,
changing bedroom doors and painting walls. But we wanted to renovate our
old, dark, tiny kitchen so we talked and talked about it, indicating that
eventually, this was something we wanted to do. One weekend, while I was
away on a conference, my husband decided to surprise me by initiating the
project and taking down walls, opening up the kitchen to the dining area. Wow, finally
it was happening! The excitement kicked in and we both went to work. But the
excitement turned into anxiousness and into frustration because months went by,
and we were still not done with this project. This job was too big of a job to
do for one, maybe two people, if the job was easy enough for me to do. So, without any additional help, without seriously thinking about budget and the project timeline, since
we were both working full time, the renovation lasted about 8 months. Yes, that’s
how long it took!
Our project was finally finished, and I am greatly satisfied
with the results. However, looking back on that experience, there are a few things I would have liked
incorporated before delving into our kitchen renovation:
- Thorough planning, which included the total cost involved, projected timeline and maybe hiring additional help, would have been helpful. I liked this article and its ending quote from Ben Franklin stating “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
In project management, I think planning is one of the most crucial and important phases. As Adrienne Watt stated that the planning phase is when the project plans are documented, the project deliverables and requirements are defined, and the project schedule is created (2014). It involves creating a set of plans to help guide your team through the implementation and closure phases of the project. This phase will help you manage time, cost, quality, changes, risk, and related issues (Watt, 2014). There were a lot of headaches that we could have avoided, if we planned it well.
So take on another project, and plan another event, just don't forget the words Project management!
References:
Project Management Institute (n.d.). What is project
management? Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management
Watt, A. (2014). Project
Management. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-8-overview-of-project-planning-project-management/
Hello Khristine,
ReplyDeleteReading through your post, I can just imagine how you both must have felt when you started to realize how much more work it cost to renovate your kitchen. I must agree with you that planning is essential for any project. As stated by Blomquist, Hällgren, Nilsson, and Söderholm (2010), “plans are a cornerstone of any project; consequently, planning is a dominant activity within a project context” (p.11).
For example, my partner bought a 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser, which was so neglected that it had rust all over and pieces of the body missing; the pieces were so rusted they fell off. He did not plan for this project. He did not have a budget set, and no timeline. Now he just realized how much money he spent on the car, which is in the tens of thousands of florins (1 florin equals $1.78). Since he owns his own business, and he has not set up a salary for himself yet, he just delved into some of the money of his company also. After realizing this, he immediately understood the importance of planning. He has said that he will never again do a project without planning.
Reference
Blomquist, T., Hällgren, M., Nilsson, A., & Söderholm, A. (2010). Project-as-practice: In search of
project management research that matters. Project Management Journal, 41(1), 5–16.
Hi Khristine,
ReplyDeleteYour reminiscence about your kitchen project is right on point concerning projects we want to learn from. It sounds like you and your husband did a lot of planning when you were talking about the renovation. You both had the same idea in your head about what you wanted it to look like in the end and you had an idea of how to make it happen. If I understand the situation, the problem was the unforeseen events that caused the project to drag on. This s often the case in home repair and renovation. The simple tasks, such as changing a sink out or painting a room, don't require much planning. We don't do a lessons learned on them because they weren't major projects. Kitchens are different. When my wife and I decided to expand our kitchen, we shopped around and hired a contractor. I'm not that handy. I applaud your efforts and on completing the task. The lessons learned you and your husband stored away will come in handy for other big projects. Thanks for sharing the experience.
Bobby
From: Nicoletta Alexander
ReplyDeleteHi Kristine,
Your project of a fixer upper sounds like a great idea. It is something that I have wanted to do myself for a few years now, but I cannot imagine actually taking on a project of that magnitude. I have thought about investing in a small, inexpensive property and fixing it up. The idea while exciting is also overwhelming. It is definitely that type of project that would benefit from principles of project management. I can also see how scope creep could be a huge problem and “blow the budget” particularly when fixing up a property that is near and dear to you such has your own home for example.
In your blog you wrote, “In project management, I think planning is one of the most crucial and important phases.” I could not agree with you more! Greer’s (2010) guidelines are helpful when working on projects. I feel that they apply to both personal and professional projects alike. I am happy to be learning so much about project management guidelines. I wished I had known about them while working on previous projects, but I will certainly be applying them to projects in the future.
P.S. I thought the Project Management video was a very nice touch!
Thank you for sharing you story!
Reference:
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.