Project Management on the Fly
As we wrap up the remainder of an unprecedented global-pandemic year, we can look back and see how our project management skills have helped us survive. The year started off as a normal one when the U.S. unemployment rate was at 3.5%, the economy was rising, travelers were scurrying around the country, children were in classrooms, projects were humming, and we were having PMI chapter events in person.
Then March 2020 hit and the each individual, each family, each leader had to figure out our own on-the-fly contingency plan on preventing the spread of a new and highly contagious virus that was in our homes, offices, classrooms, and hospitals. Many states were shutting down stores, restaurants, schools, and other large gatherings, so life as we knew it came to a pause. Quickly the new-normal became clear and this was the perfect time for our leadership and project management skills to be utilized as a new and large project faced each of us.
As project managers we know how to identify an intended outcome, develop a plan, apply resources, follow a budget, and execute. Through this pandemic, individually and collectively as a society, we have had several projects to lead:
- Readjust our budgets and prioritize expenses
- Setup a classroom at home so children can continue to learn virtually
- Move the workforce from an office building to a home office
- Innovate and create a new vaccine in record time
- Improve and embrace telehealth services to enable remote physician appointments
- Implement preventative measures to reduce the spread of the virus
- Learn new ways to engage and encourage staff, associates and chapter members
- Learned to be flexible when facing unforeseen and unprecedented risks.
The lesson learned is that although risks and contingency plans are typically identified early in a project, we now have a better appreciation that there is always the risk of the unknown issue that we didn’t see coming. When developing your next contingency plan, think about the risks from all angles. Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is to never stop questioning.”
Fortunately, through the unforeseen challenges of 2020, we are stronger and better equipped for what the future holds and build better risk mitigation and contingency plans for our projects. Let’s grasp 2021 by the horns and keep growing our project management skills and network – hopefully healthy and safely again in person!
Karen Scott
President – Elect
PMITLH.org