Simple Project Management
Strategies

- ABOUT -

Most business leaders have to manage projects on the side at some point, because that’s how change gets done. But they also don’t have simple templates with straightforward steps to follow to deliver results in the little time they have.

They may find courses or templates online, but they’re most likely overly complicated frameworks meant for bigger projects with larger teams and many moving parts; intended for a full-time project manager.

After leading over 50 projects, many as a business leader, for over 30 different clients, and collaborating with other leaders and teams about what worked and didn’t work, a set of simplified and streamlined tools and steps was developed into a system called the Manager Project Mastery (MPM) framework. This framework allows a leader to have wildly successful projects delivering what is expected, with the money available, in the time required.

MPM Model Detail

MPM Approach


 

Background

I’m an engineer and a professional PM, and I’ve also held roles of president, divisional leader, director, manager, and project manager in both small firms and large Fortune 500 companies, and while in those roles, was always working to improve in how my leaders and teams operated to deliver projects successfully.

It was frustrating that the only tools available were heavy and complex tools for large projects. An approach was needed that delivered the simplest steps and tools to get the job done.

The MPM framework provides a streamlined set of tools to deliver wildly successful projects, delivering what was expected with the money available and in the time required.

 
SteveMadsen 2020-07-26 b.jpg
 

I recently surveyed leaders about the greatest challenges they faced managing projects and the top most frequently identified challenges included:

  • Time to manage the projects: Managers expressing not having enough time for project management.

  • Team: Leading, engaging, collaborating, and facilitating results with the team.

  • Stakeholders: Engaging and managing expectations for those affected by the project change or helping direct the project.

  • Schedule Management: Deliverables and tasks, dependencies, dates, duration, effort, resources.

 
 

Not having time to do project management affects the ability to lead, engage, and create a collaborative environment for the team. This also limits the time available to work at keeping stakeholders engaged, to manage their expectations; and to manage and ensure the schedule is met and keep the team inspired.

Not being able to deliver on changes can affect a leader’s career opportunities, in terms of perceptions regarding their ability to deliver in expected timeframes, lead a team through specific challenges, and establish relationships with peers and executive for change initiatives in an organization.

For leaders who want to manage projects successfully, deliver on results, inspire a team, engage with stakeholders, and meet critical deadlines, it is important to make some critical shifts in how to manage projects.

To have a quick discussion to see if mentorship for project management would help you, book a 15-minute strategy discovery call, or email me at stephen.madsen@simplepmstrategies.com.

 

Experience

Industry sector experience includes:

  • Electrical Utility

  • Health Care

  • Infrastructure

  • Telecommunications

  • Oil and Gas

  • Power Management

  • Beverage Distribution

  • Consumer Retail

  • Network Management

  • Real Estate

  • Technology Services

  • Power Engineering

  • Power Management

  • Management Consulting

  • Provincial Government

  • City Government

  • Pulp and Paper

  • Recycling

  • Financial

  • Auto Manufacturing

  • Security Systems Support

  • Health Insurance

Projects and Programs include: 

  • Infrastructure Revitalization

  • Regulatory Commission Strategy

  • Well-site Monitoring Integration

  • Energy Management

  • Business Intelligence

  • Secure Access Service

  • Web Site Redesign

  • Service Coordinator Strategy

  • Identification and Authorization

  • Transactional Hub

  • Business Development

  • Project Management Office

  • MIT Sloan Strategy Study

  • Service Delivery

  • Web Application Server

  • Broker Client Tracking

  • Business and Technology Alignment

  • Divisional Management

  • Global Desktop and Messaging

  • Process Re-engineering

  • Enterprise Storage

  • Server Farm System Upgrade

  • Remote Software Distribution

  • Thin Client Upgrade

  • Real-time Process Methodology

  • Customer and Sales Tracking

  • Work Order Tracking

  • Strategic Information Systems

  • Farm Income Stability

  • Real-time Environment Compliance Data Reporting

  • Gas Retailer Tracking and Monitoring

  • Land Developer Fund Management

  • Foreign Trade Zone

  • Plant Management System

  • On-line Receiving

  • Corporate Desktop Migration & Integration

  • Corporate Email Migration & Integration

  • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

  • Network Migration and Integration

  • Data Management and Transformation

Organizations where projects have been managed include:

  • Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

  • Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency

  • ATCO Utilities

  • Capital Health

  • Service Alberta

  • Bell Canada

  • Zedi

  • EPCOR

  • Brewers Distributor

  • Alberta Health

  • Campbell Soup

  • Roadrunner Records

  • Barnes and Noble.com

  • Avaya

  • Newmark and Company Real Estate – Now www.ngkf.com

  • Spireknowledge

  • Sohonet

  • South Carolina Electric and Gas

  • Phillips Lighting

  • Exxon

  • Alberta Environment

  • ISMA

  • IBM

  • Northwestern Utilities

  • Telus

  • Alberta Newsprint

  • Brick Warehouse

  • City of Edmonton

  • Computronix

  • General Motors

  • EDS

  • Alberta Blue Cross


Through all of the above projects, clients, and industry sectors I have boiled down the essential strategies and tools for you to use, as a busy leader, to execute your projects successfully using less of your time each week with the Manager Project Mastery framework.

To have a quick discussion to see if you or your managers are ready for this program now, or if you’d like to learn more, book a 15-minute strategy discovery call, or email me at stephen.madsen@simplepmstrategies.com.