Working with other project managers, I have noticed a distinct lack of time and attention on scoping activities. Back in March I wrote about Managing Expectations and in order to be able to do this effectively, one activity that demands attention is scoping.
Firstly, what is scoping?? Better Projects defines scoping as “as the body of work that will be done to deliver a working product (or solution) to the customer”. And then goes on to identify the big hiccup to this as… “Traditionally project managers are talking about the scope of work and business analysts (and product managers) talk about the scope of a product”
So, we are looking at a classic communication breakdown - as the intention of all parties is to produce a solid final product but the definition is ‘loose’ at best depending on the position of the interpreter. Language and Definition!
So how do we overcome these 2 problems:
#1 not spending enough time on scoping and
#2 communication so that everyone is on the same page.
I think that it is one of the priorities of the project manager to ensure that the terms are defined at the beginning of the project. Sitting down with the team to come up with group definitions is easy and clears the air.
Secondly, instead of traditional project management, incorporate Agile into your style and host daily morning meetings that address (what you have done in the past 24 hrs, what you are going to do in the next 24 hrs and what challenges can I help you overcome). This technique will ensure that you catch communication issues early and often within the project.
The final piece is to take a step back from the project during the early stages and enlist help in reevaluating things (ie: scoping activity rehash). This will give you some perspective, see things from a different point of view, ensures that you have met your clients’ needs and are able to effectively manage their expectations!
