As Project Managers, we must be able to assimilate large amounts of information from diverse perspectives, make lucid observations and coalesce into a clear project framework from which all constituents maintain a clear understanding of goals, objectives and their specific role in the project. And, we must be observant and flexible enough to pivot when the need arises.
A handful of years ago, I was asked to take leadership of a program to launch a medical device firm in Europe (11 countries to go live on the same day) which included seamlessly taking over support of pre-existing customers being supported by a distribution partner whose contract was ending.
Ultimately, the program entailed the following for each of the 11 countries: setting up legal entities, staffing, office space, business processes tuned to each country’s legal and regulatory requirements to onboard new and manage existing customers, IT systems, product readiness, including local language translation of packaging, user guides and marketing collateral, engaging 3rd party partners for customer care and logistics – and the list went on…
To say that the amount of information coming at us (the PMO) was overwhelming is an absolute understatement.
When taking over an in-flight program, the first priority is to DO NO HARM! That is, the team was cranking away towards launch readiness (9 months out, at the time) and it was imperative to ensure forward progress was maintained while I was getting my head around all the moving parts of the program.
Fortunately, we had a rock solid team, which simply needed strong program leadership to organize and drive activities in a laser-focused manner while effectively communicating with all stakeholders involved.
Early on, we had a dedicated conference room with walls which were floor-to-ceiling white board panels. Each panel was dedicated to a particular functional area and/or critical topic we were dealing with. They were FULL of information. We had essentially collected a bunch of lego pieces which were strewn about the room with absolutely NO instructions on how to piece them together to launch a leading edge medical device company in 11 European countries – on the same day!
After several weeks of drinking from the fire hose, I went home and sat in my office with my blank whiteboard. As I began mapping things out, I had an epiphany: we were REALLY only doing 3 things (in each of the 11 countries):
- Establishing the company (legal entities, bank accounts, office space, staffing, etc.)
- Engaging with the market (determine/meet legal and regulatory requirements, engage with user groups, etc.)
- Lighting up operations (ready and move product, onboard and support customers, etc.)
Simple, right?
When I came back to the client’s office the following Monday, I immediately met with key stakeholders to “try out” my new found program level organization. And, it was a hit!
Shortly thereafter, the program’s executive sponsor (the GM of Europe) let me know that the CEO wanted to meet with me on the project to get comfortable that we would get the job done. The reality was the firm’s stock price was riding on this program and therefore failure was quite simply NOT an option! After sharing the simplified summary of what we were doing and my approach to leading the effort, the CEO was apparently convinced!
And, the proof was in the pudding…That is, after launch, the GM of Europe reported that the company’s investors and European user groups commented on how the transition went off without a hitch. We had done our job VERY well!
Now, let’s cover the key Analytical and Organizational factors (a.k.a. being able to drink from a fire hose without drowning) that contributed to our success.
First, we (the PM) must pay attention to the details by listening intently and learning. For medium to large-sized programs, there are MANY variables and moving parts to consider. So, we must write EVERYTHING down.
During this early (information overload) stage, we must constantly sort and sift the information in an organized fashion as we begin tying things together. To do so, we need to take time to be alone to think, plan and draw on our white board. And, we must give ourselves time to let all the information percolate in our brain. A key thing to realize here is that the PM is often the ONLY person positioned to receive and coalesce these numerous inputs, connect the dots and have epiphanies (e.g., strategies, approaches, course corrections, etc.). So, we must give ourselves the time to do so.
As we absorb the daunting amount of information, we can then begin to divide and conquer. That is, we organize the content by key objectives, topics and/or deliverables while considering interdependencies. And, the outcome of this exercise is to ultimately put together what I like to call a “duck and bunny” diagram outlining the big picture. That is, we create a picture that we could use to explain the top-level program to a 4-year old.
My duck and bunny diagram for the above-mentioned program shared how at the top-level we were ONLY doing 3 things to launch the firm in Europe: 1) Establish the company in each country, 2) Engage with each country’s market and 3) Light-up operations. That’s it. EVERYTHING we needed to do fell into those 3 categories, each of which subsequently had a PM assigned to further flush-out the details and drive to completion!
After effectively flushing-out, framing-up and driving the program as organized above, we then determined (closer to go-live) that it was time to pivot and provide laser-focus on per country planning and execution. From there, we drove the country-level tactical execution plans leading to the successful launch in Europe! All, on the same day…
Shortly thereafter, I went on a much needed sabbatical 😎
In closing, if you are looking to improve PM performance and capabilities in your organization, feel free to reach out so that we may discuss how I can help.
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