Project Cake – Why?!
A client once asked my why I had employed the services of a range of people for his website and online development and I used the metaphor that managing and delivering a good project was a bit like making a really good cake…
There are several factors that make a good cake:
1. The correct ingredients
2. Good ingredients
3. Instructions on how to make the cake
4. A plan to put everything together
Similarly, managing and delivering a project needs:
1. The correct people employed
2. Good people who are experts in their field
3. Instructions on how to deliver the project
4. A plan to put everything together
OK, this may be a very top-level view of running successful projects, but you get the gist. There’s no point in getting the icing sugar to cover the cake ready at the start, as you haven’t got anything to put it on, and there’s no point in hiring a developer to get building a website when you haven’t even investigated requirements and a design.
Projects, like cakes, require analysis and investigation into what the goals and achievements will be at the end of play. A good plan and experience will ensure that you know who the right people are to work on the project and at what stage they are put into the mix to ensure the project is delivered in the most efficient and cost effective way for the client.
The role of the Project Manager is to ensure the ingredients are right, the instructions are followed, the ingredients are mixed and used at the right time, and the cake looks, smells and tastes exactly how it is supposed to.
I would love to say I was as good at cooking as I was at Project Managing, but sadly, I would be lying! I have my culinary specialties and I’m learning as much as I can from as many people as possible, but for the time being, I’ll stick to managing and delivering projects.
