23 July 2010
The 7 Sins of Managing Web Projects
Managing web projects is both tough and satisfying in equal measures. Every project is a new learning curve and even though I’m educated from every project I work on, new problems are presented to me on a daily basis.
Some problems and challenges on the other hand, rear their head time after time, and I have classified these in line with the 7 deadly sins, renaming them of course as the 7 sins of managing web projects.
Pride
As a Project Manager it is easy, too easy, to blame clients or members of the project team when things go wrong. You should never be too proud to admit when mistakes have been made and as manager of that project you should take ownership of trying to resolve the issue.
At some stage in the project you will almost always have to compromise on something or face an issue that wasn’t planned for. It is far more productive to focus on the solution, so identify the problem, agree the course of action to getting it resolved and get things back on track.
Envy
Depending on the process you adopt on your projects, chances are you will indulge in some sort of competitor research. Upon doing so we can learn what works and what doesn’t for others.
It is unlikely that you will find a site that answers your client’s brief down to the last pixel but with trends emerging seemingly overnight and with work being shared more freely through sites like Dribbble, Twitter and others, there is probably a site out there that you like, that you really like.
It is easy to be jealous of other sites and want to incorporate bits of them in your own. That’s fine of course as we can all be inspired by others but don’t let envy stomp all over your creativity. Ensure your website is not a tapestry of others. Be original, make sure you answer your client’s brief and consider their audience throughout the project. Be inspired by others but don’t copy them.
Gluttony
Clients are demanding, naturally they want as much as they can for as little money as possible. Who wouldn’t?
This is where we have to say no though. Don’t try to cram everything into phase 1. Be realistic about what is achievable based on the allocated budget and timescales. Agree on the core tasks, essential pages and functionality that have to be incorporated for initial launch.
Anything else can be achieved during retainers or additional phases. Trying to incorporate a little of everything will mean you are spread too thinly. Nobody wants to be a jack of all trades and nor should your client’s website be.
Lust
It is important to love what you do; being passionate will motivate the project team, fuel creativity and ensure that even the most wearing of projects will reach the finish line. The key though is not to get too involved. Doing so can cloud your judgement when it comes to making those tough project related decisions.
Take a step back and be impartial. Does your work answer the brief? Refer back to the signed off project scoping/briefing document to check this before proceeding. Immerse yourself in your client’s world and in the project but not at the expense of bumbling along answering yes to everything.
Anger
It is easier said than done at times but don’t lose your cool when client demands reach fever pitch or things aren’t going right. I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a project where I wasn’t pushed to my limits at some point. This is good though, being challenged helps us learn, quickly.
Instead of getting wound up though, focus your energy on trying to plan as much as possible at the start of the project and adopt standard risk assessment processes into your planning phase such as SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).
Greed
Delegation is one of qualities of a good Project Manager. It isn’t to be confused with passing the buck, rather delegating tasks across the team so people are used to their strengths. Don’t try to handle everything yourself, it will only end in tears, big over budget, behind schedule tears!
The role of the Project Manager is to ensure things get done, to budget and on schedule so there is no time to be greedy. Project work is all about communication and collaboration. Share the work and the glory (and the problems).
Sloth
Continuing from the last point above, don’t let members of the project team drag their feet. As Project Manager you will need to keep them motivated and involved throughout the project. Be firm with the project team, set clear tasks, deliverables, responsibilities and deadlines.
Report back throughout the project so the team know what has been achieved, feedback from the client is communicated and any changes in deliverables is understood. The minute anyone in the team feels uninvolved in the project is the minute they will lose enthusiasm for it.
Communication throughout is paramount to any project being successful and in my experience, never underestimate the power of the simple words, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Just seven?
Are there any sins that I have omitted? If you have your own please share them in the comments below.
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Julio Gonzalez
# July 23, 2010 - 4:00 pm
I enjoyed the article, thanks for sharing..
Eryn
# July 23, 2010 - 4:17 pm
Covet
Try not to get too emotionally attached to any work that you do, because it is bound to be changed, overhauled, ripped apart, put back together, etc. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take pride in what you do and get into it, but If you design and/or build with this in mind, when the changes come, it won’t hit you over the head as hard in the end.
Rob Mills
# July 27, 2010 - 7:53 pm
Hi Eryn,
Good point. It’s hard to keep detached sometimes though isn’t it but you are right, keeping some sort of distance does help numb the pain :)
Richard Monk
# July 23, 2010 - 4:36 pm
I really think that ‘just say no’ is a really, really important point to make here… project scope creeping forward is a really big barrier to delivering a high quality final product, and it can be deeply frustrating for clients that don’t always understand the work involved.
Personally I think the best way of avoiding this is by being very clear about project scope right from the initial briefing stage, especially clarifying any areas where you think there can be potential points of confusion.
At the same time it’s also good to deliver a project above-expectation… Just not too far above!
Rob Mills
# July 27, 2010 - 7:55 pm
Hi Richard,
Scope creep is a battle I face most days! The confidence to say no is definitely a good tool for Project Managers to have and it is usually for the good of the project too.
Rob.
divinefusion
# July 23, 2010 - 6:46 pm
Thank you Rob, totally love your analogy. I find myself reminding myself to stick to phase 1 agreements, without getting to zealous to add in improvements ; ) My ‘Big Picture’ vision would love to do everything now! lol
Rob Mills
# July 27, 2010 - 7:55 pm
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed the article :)
suej
# July 23, 2010 - 7:59 pm
Great article – have bookmarked it :-)
Rob Smith
# July 23, 2010 - 9:51 pm
Good article Rob. Well worth reading Sam Barnes series of articles of the same name from Sep last year – some great stuff in there too.
http://www.thesambarnes.com/web-project-management/web-project-management-seven-deadly-sins-part-1/
Rob Mills
# July 26, 2010 - 7:33 pm
Hi Rob,
I wasn’t aware of Sam’s articles so I will definitely check those out too :)
Thanks.
Rob.
Mat_
# July 24, 2010 - 8:34 am
Hi Rob, great article really!
I would love to translate it in french and share it, i will of course add the link at the beginning of the article in case some french people want to read the original, and one at the end.
If it’s ok with you, can you send me a mail please ?
thanks a lot!
HomeIndianapolis
# July 24, 2010 - 4:08 pm
This is really an helpful article…! Thanks for posting. :)
Alex
# July 26, 2010 - 7:18 pm
the 8th sin of managing web project might be “Aimlessness” …. if one manages too many projects at once one might lose the plot, which may lead to a lack of quality of the results.
Rob Mills
# July 27, 2010 - 7:57 pm
Hi Alex,
Quality not quantity I guess. I agree! It’s easy to spread yourself too thinly and then actually fail to deliver across the board.
Rob.
Sam Barnes
# July 26, 2010 - 7:24 pm
Hey Rob, really nice post, literally agree with everything you say! And for an opinionated little so and so like myself that’s quite rare ;-)
Rob Mills
# July 27, 2010 - 7:58 pm
Hey Sam,
Thanks for your comment. Glad you agree :) I have also been introduced to your articles and posts too so it is nice to meet a like-minded soul.
katchja
# July 27, 2010 - 9:03 pm
Hi Rob,
Cool article, enjoyed it from first to last sentence. I think there are a few webapps that help us manage efficiently web projects, no pride involved (just time tracking), no need to be greedy either… but I do feel that Lust is not so bad after all. Creatives all around the web need it or at least I need it. Otherwise it would be a big waste of ideas, sleepless nights and caffeine. But I see your points, though!
WebDepend - Web Project Management
# August 2, 2010 - 2:29 pm
Great article, thanks for sharing.
I completely agree on the Gluttony sin.
Saying no to clients can be very difficult, especially if the changes start off small and then become more complicated and start to have an impact overall.
As the project manager, if you are organised and respond clearly to the client then you can let them make the decision as to whether you incorporate changes (at additional cost and a change to the timescales) or not.
A good tactic can be to put changes into a ‘Phase 2′, as was mentioned in the article, so you can concentrate on delivering the first phase on time and on budget, as long as you can convince the client that what they are asking to change is outside of the original project scope.
John
# August 3, 2010 - 3:23 am
Great points, all of them. And great reminders even for veteran project managers. Pride is a big one. Not just from the project manager, but web designers and developers are often subject to fits of pride. Everyone on the team has to be willing to put their pride aside for a project to be successful.
Blair Keen
# August 9, 2010 - 10:18 am
You make a good point about delegation, team motivation, but not passing the buck. In some respects this is getting easier these days with a lot of work being collaborated on virtually, with many parts of the project being handled by a variety of niche providers who all understand the need to work to deadlines and scope.
I’d be interested to read a similar post and how the specifics change in the virtual team/multiple provider environment?