Identifying a Problem and Implementing a Solution as a Project Manager
Challenge
The role of a Project Management Consultant for a new client is always challenging, and when the position is remote, it makes the challenge much more difficult. Often, the training available for external resources is quite limited, so when it comes to learning your new role within the company and stepping up as an effective Project Manager (PM), it is often left to the individual. Finding the tools necessary to perform your role as a PM and, most importantly, considering what works best for you as you start a new contract is essential. Devoting time at the very beginning to assemble the tools and uncover the processes that will assist you in your new role enables you to learn the methods and tasks involved with your job more readily and allows you to provide high-quality service for the client in a more effective manner.
Approach
The first thing to do is evaluate what training tools are already available, identify any gaps, and then with input from members of the project team, familiarize yourself with each step of a project. By learning the step-by-step process, what tasks are to be done, who is responsible for various milestones, what forms or documents may be needed, and what your responsibilities are as the PM, you can then develop Work Instructions outlining the process for facilitating your role as a PM enabling you to do the tasks necessary to manage your assigned project(s). Depending on how involved the training materials are, consider if reference sheets would also be useful.
Results
As PMs, we identify problems and then develop and implement solutions to improve a process to provide better service to our clients. Having detailed training information is useful, especially as a consultant coming into a new company and trying to get up to speed with the work you will be doing for the client. It allows each PM to follow a similar process by standardizing how projects are managed and providing your client with valuable training materials.
