Learning from a Project “ Post-mortem”
I had the opportunity to be the training lead
on a large-scale internal project that meant implementing (and training) and
new customer relationship management software company-wide. Fortunately, the project was a huge success. The only thing that I really wish would have
been different was the issues I had with the software when I was trying to
train it, as it was still being developed/fixed. Because of the short timeline, I was
literally teaching and developing materials before the environment was
ready. This caused a lot of frustration,
as we encountered multiple errors when working in the software. It gave a poor impression of the quality of
the software, and often left me unable to complete the desired tasks. If I could “wave a magic wand” and change
something about the project management of the project, it would be to make sure
these two critical areas did not overlap.
I would request a go-live ready environment prior to giving any
training. It was very difficult to plan
and get on everyone’s schedule, so I understand why/how it happened. A lot of the trainees travel, thus getting a
block of time on their calendar was a challenge. I had to plan months in advance. If any challenges came along the way (which
there were multiple ones), this caused issues with scheduling. I rescheduled 120 employees at one time;
doing it again was not an option, so we just proceeded with the errors. Somehow, someway, we worked through the
issues and had tremendous success with the implementation of the new software.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteWow! It seems that you were able to overcome some serious obstacles in your training. It sounds like it was a challenge. Although it is on a different level entirely, I recall a situation where I had to do something similar. I was teaching Business Communications at a community college. We were in the process of implementing the use of new textbooks, but neither the students nor I had copies of them for several weeks. Luckily I had taught the course in the past and had many supplemental materials that would apply to the course regardless of the text change. Students were frustrated, as they had no way to prepare for class. I was frustrated because while I had an old edition of the text, I had no way of knowing what changes had been made in the curriculum. We made it through, but one thing was clear. The change should not have been made to the curriculum before having the proper materials in hand. The department head, who I would equate with the PM, definitely dropped the ball on this one.
Lisa,
DeleteMy son was placed in 10th grade Geometry (he is in 9th grade). They have no textbooks yet! He (and I) are frustrated...I can only imagine how difficult this would be for the instructor. Right now he is using only worksheets and has little reference for what was taught. I can't help but wonder if they would have just been ordered sooner, the problem could have been overted!
Angela,
ReplyDeleteIt seems whenever new software is involved, there are always issues. I know that my wife experienced many issues as her company implemented a new software program to manage their projects. Changes were occurring regularly and made it difficult to train others on the use of the program. It is great that your project was a success in the end.
Angela,
ReplyDeletethat's great that your project turned out to be a success. You had some issues with the software program, but you were able to work it out and improvise. Good managers create a strategic plan and implement it to the best of his or her ability. There are going to be glitches along the way, but it's how you meet these challenges that determine what the outcome will be. You met your challenges and like you said it was a success.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your drive and determination. You certainly have the ability and experience to adapt to and overcome obstacles both in the present and future. In my opinion, scheduling is the absolute worst and most frustrating aspect of any project. Meeting deadlines around the busy calendars and priorities of other project members can give any project manager grey hair or end up bald from pulling it all out. Thankfully, I have learned already in the initial two weeks of this course that we do have specific tools available to help us counter potential issues such as this. Starting a project off with a strong statement of work and/or other biding agreements will assist in emphasizing priorities, timelines and especially expectations from each project member. I am a firm believer of "laying down the law" from the git-go and the tools introduced to us thus far in this course should provide great assistance in solidifying our "laws"
Great blog post!
Have a wonderful weekend!
William
It's amazing how software tends to have a mind of it's own when you have to present! Great post. Monica
ReplyDelete