A Fresh Look at Improving Your Work Environment

Introduction: Adding Value

My focus for this book is combining both the principles of project management and the work ethic needed to make it effective. This is what I am calling a “value-added work environment” and sometimes a “project management work environment”.

My perspective is that all the work performed in your organization is to add value. This could be value through maintaining the status quo, communicating a new human resource policy, winning a contract, research and development or cleaning the stairwell. Project management principles are about completing your work and adding value by using formalized processes, steps, rules, metrics, controls, etc.

Even though I am an experienced project manager and a huge advocate for project management, I need to say that no organization needs project management.

Hear me out before you ask for a refund.

Certainly, cleaning the stairwell does not entail detailed formal processes and metrics. It does benefit from instilling an ethic to provide value to your organization. Similarly, organizations that have instituted project management, Lean, Six Sigma, ISO 9000, etc. don’t always use these systems with an ethic to provide value. If not managed properly their use regresses to a prescriptive, “follow the steps” level rather than a “let’s use these to add value” level. Project management principles simply provide a structure for work, but the implementation and execution depends on the ethic in your organization to use the structure for the purpose of adding value.

Now, every organization has some type and level of formal structure and work ethic. Some are effective, some aren’t. So, if your organization already has an established structure and an accompanying ethic that is effective to complete quality work, then you are already benefiting from a strong value-added work environment. However, the converse of this can go three ways:

1. Eager staff that wants to add value but does not have a formal structure to channel their dedication effectively. Project management principles can provide the channeling structure.

2. Formal work structure principles but not the value-added work ethic.

3. Either of the two above but which uses project management principles only for “projects”. They don’t’ extend the principles to work that aren’t defined as projects.

I’ve worked within each organization. Eager staff whose efforts are not supported by a an effective work structure can become frustrated and lose their dedication; their value-added ethic. Staff without the value-added ethic can follow a formal work structure but omit simple, yet key features that make the difference between adding value and creating problems. The third situation is addressed specifically below in the sections: “Planning Knows No Bounds” and “Use Change Management Wherever Change Happens”.

Think of a value-added work environment similar to formal accounting and formal human resources rules and policies. The formal structure, rules and processes provides uniformity, consistency, a common vocabulary, definitions, etc. so that everyone knows how to submit expense receipts or rules for taking sick time. The formal structure of project management actually facilitates completing work. The ethic of adding value needs to permeate the formal structure.

So, while no organization needs project management, if your organization wants to ensure that value is added by completing work with quality, then a formalized project management work environment ensures the value add. I’m aware that skepticism exists and that skeptics could say: “Sure! I’d like to see that!” Maybe even: “Especially in this place.” OK. Read on. A healthy skepticism usually surfaces meaningful issues. Hopefully, I address many adequately in this book

This book is about improving your work environment so that employees, vendors and clients know both

1. The formal work structure / operations and

2. How they should work within it to add value to your organization.

Years ago, when I first thought of this book I shared the concept with a colleague who asked “Do you mean creating a Project Management Office?” “No” I replied. A project management office (PMO) is a unit or office within an organization that structures and implements project management. I’ve seen strengths and weaknesses of formal project management in organizations with and without PMOs. Similar to having accounting and human resources departments, having a PMO may be a step in the right direction, but it is neither necessary nor sufficient to ensure completing work that adds value.

Now, this book complements my other book “Project Management for Executives and Those Who Want to Influence Executives” which presents the role of executives for actively supporting projects so that they add value. Using both books will provide a strong foundation for success. Both books are written intentionally concise to address specific topics and to be easy to use references.

Part of helping add value is providing active exercises and development steps that you can use in your organization. Many are presented at appropriate points in each chapter. To support this goal I have two recommendations. First, read this book one chapter at a time taking notes and thinking of pros and cons. Then brainstorm ideas. The first Appendix is a work table you can use for this purpose. I recommend keeping your finger in this page and looking at the table now. Create your own and keep your notes stuffed in the pages like a bookmark for each reference.

A second recommendation is to consider the book as a reference source that you can return to as you think of ideas or encounter situations and think “I know Houseworth mentioned this.” Or, I want to share this with Renee because I think it fits her situation”. So, while I present several active exercises and advocate several ways to implement into your organization, I encourage you to use this table – or create your own.