Project Management in practice - tips & tricks

A Talk About Project ManagementWith OkapiStudioDana Manolescu / Project Manager

October 24th, 2014

Hello.Nice to meet you! Dana Manolescu

Project Manager

www.okapistudio.com

Multidisciplinary Agency capable of transforming ideas into polished products.

Founded 8 years ago

Andrei Ostacie + Gabi Lungu + Team (15 in-house) + Network (50+)

Background.It took me 29 years to get here.

Experiment diversity to gain PM skills.

Highly organizedMulti taskerGood leaderAble to take responsibilityOutstanding communicatorNegotiatorDetail orientedProblem solver& many more.

...and then PM came along

Decide on what type of projects you want to manage and focus on that.

Events (concerts, weddings)Software (startups, large IT projects)Construction Administrative Health CareAccounting& many many more.

Gain experience in that area.

Preferred vendors & specialists

Industry knowledge (standards, best practices, market, publications, events)

Specific process & timeline

Process.Plan. Execute. Complete.

Various approaches, same goal.

Waterfall (traditional)AgileScrumLeanCritical Chain (TOC)Kanbanetc.

Idea Define Build Grow

Startups (Lean):

Startups (Agile):

Factories (Theory of Constraints):

Our ProcessWe are advocates of a straightforward & proven work methodology, and we can provide relevant input in every step of the process:

● Plan

● Design

● Develop

●...and Iterate, Analyze and Improve every step of the way

Okapi’s Process:

People.Coordinate talents towards the same goal

“The source of most problems is people, but darned if they will admit it. Know the people working on your project to know what the real weak spots are.”

Recommended reading: “One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers” (1995).

ClientsNon-tech hustlers

DesignersPixel pushers

DevelopersCode monkeys

Learning.“Once you stop learning, you start dying.” - Albert Einstein

Change is inevitable.MarketStay up to date with industry trends, best practices and standards.

PeoplePriorities and goals change over the years. Keep an eye on what motivates them.

Management style & processes

Things I wish I knew.Delegate & ResponsibilizeYou should never allow a project to depend on you fully. Trust your team.

Pick your battlesLearn when it’s best to fight for more time and money. Sometimes just “good” can be enough.

Learn to say NOIdentify the essentials and the distractions.

This is it.

Final Thoughts

Project Management is not for everybody

PM is the new career of choice. It’s sexxy.

But don’t do it if:● You’re an introvert & you lack strong communication skills

(spoken & written)● You are not a leader & you are not flexible● You find it difficult to delegate tasks or take charge● You are not very well organized & you hate following a

process● You don’t read the industry news

Thank you!