Project execution for paranoids

KCIC Bootcamp, Fall 2013 , Susan Mernit, presenter

Project execution For paranoids

Creating your 100 day plan.

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You got the funding ! Now what?

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You make a plan  Q: How do you move from concept to execution ?

Answer: Very thoughtfully.

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• Budget • Hiring • Obstacles & Dependencies • Partnerships • Platforms • Requirements • Timeline

All things to think about as you plan

CR, talking to new grantee: “Who do you

want your project to reach?”

Grantee: EVERYONE!

CR: Uh, who does that mean, exactly?

Define  your  audience  

Who  are  the  audiences  for  your  project?—break  it  down  into  3  or  4  segments  

Are  these  new  audiences  you  want  to  reach?—Or  audiences  you  have?  

And  what  do  you  know  about  their  online  behaviors?  

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Who’s your audience? Age

Gender Race

Values Behaviors

Income Jobs

Life stages Technology consumption

Interests All play a role in determining level of

interest

?

Remember that everyone is a group of someones

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Strategic question 1

•  Ask: Who are the core audiences my project needs to connect with/?

•  Understand: Core characteristics and behaviors of those groups

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Next, plan your team

Basic questions: •  What are the roles we need to make this happen? •  What are the skills we need? •  Who is the project lead? •  Who do we have? •  Whom do we need to hire? •  What are the roles and responsibilities?

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Keep  it  CLEAR  Know who the lead is

Make sure roles are defined—and everyone knows them.

Set goals and milestones where all can see them.

Select project management tools—Google Docs, Basecamp, Asana are some choices

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If you can’t measure it, you haven’t thought it through.

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It’s all about the roadmap

Iterative design

Launching—and then refining

Define product requirements AND project outcomes—

HOW will you get there?

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Example:  GrowWNY  game  as  content  for  young  adults  focused  on  green  issues  

What’s my footprint? Global footprint game was a direct result of wanting to reach younger adults via gamification

See: http://growwny.org/learn-a-live-green-home/whats-my-footprint

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Invest  in  process  in  your  plan  

Think about: Who’s in charge? What are the results you need? Are you measuring the right

things? Who decides in a conflict?

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Check  in  with  your  community  AKA  your  audience  

Are you solving a problem others would like to solve?Are you working in partnership?

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Measure  your  work—  learn  from  the  data  

The best friends you can have:

•  Google analytics •  Facebook insights •  Twitter analytics •  Survey Monkey

Check stats daily, weekly, monthly

•  Compile & discuss •  Use to fine tune

Use to refine approach, focus 17

Work  your  plan  

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Work on your plan through the whole boot camp

Show it to advisors and colleagues

Modify, adjust, tweak

QUESTIONS  &  DISCUSSIONS  

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What’s the biggest risk? What do you know you don’t know?

It’s not a unicorn, okay?

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Resources  Boot-­‐camp:    This  week  is  

hands-­‐on  Circuit-­‐Riders:  You  have  one

—take  advantage  Further  reading:  GeJng  Things  Done:  The  Art  of  

Stress-­‐Free  ProducOvity  by  David  Allen    

The  One-­‐Page  Project  Manager:  Communicate  and  Manage  Any  Project  With  a  Single  Sheet  of  Paper  by  Clark  A.  Campbell    

The  DefiniOve  Guide  to  Project  Management:  The  fast  track  to  geJng  the  job  done  on  Ome  and  on  budget  (2nd  EdiOon)  by  SebasOan  Nokes  

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SUSAN  MERNIT  

mernit@gmail.com  

TwiWer:  susanmernit  Susanmernit.com  

Susanmernit.tumblr.com  

QuesLons  welcomed—hit  me  up  via  email.  

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