Are you familiar with project management techniques,
and perhaps are wondering how you can use them
outside of the project?
Well, look no further 'cause I have the answer for you.
We're going to explore how to use
those project management techniques outside of a project.
And if you want to learn more about project management
and how to even go deeper in regards to using templates
for your projects, outside of your projects,
et cetera, et cetera, again, I've got you covered.
This is your one stop shop for everything, by the way,
so I hope that you are subscribed.
But I actually have for you a free webinar
I want you to check out.
The link is right now underneath this video.
So if you want to go to it, go for it,
and it's going to give you the five top things you need to
know for projects so that you can be successful.
'Cause again, I have your back.
Hi, if you're new here, welcome.
My name is Adriana Girdler and you have landed
on the best practical project management channel
out there in YouTube world.
Again, my personal opinion, but I hope you agree.
So if you're really excited about learning
how to use templates out, project templates,
techniques outside of your project and to implement them
in other parts of the professional world, I'm telling you,
I've got you covered.
Let's go to those details because it is extremely cool.
What makes project management techniques so special?
Well, the truth of it is this.
Project management is a skillset, a discipline,
and the techniques within it are so transferable
not only to a project, obviously,
but to so many other aspects in business,
and interesting enough, your personal life as well.
Project management is about getting things done.
And if you think about it,
all parts of your life, professional, personal,
whatever it may be, we are trying to get things done,
and there are really good fundamental ways to do it.
And that's why project management in my personal opinion
has so much value and so much transferable aspects to it.
We sometimes just don't look at it from that perspective.
But when you do, it actually becomes quite larger,
your aspect of what you can do because now these skills
that you've been doing in projects are transferable
to other rules, responsibilities, and it really helps
with your growth professionally.
And I know that's a lot of us what we want.
We want to grow professionally.
So project management skillset and techniques
are something you have to look at.
So let's start getting into
what are some of those techniques
that you can start applying outside of a project?
Technique number one, after action reviews.
Now, if you've done projects,
you've definitely done an after action review.
Now what is an after action review?
They're sometimes called lesson learns, postmortems.
In essence, when you are done a major milestone
or major activity and you want to understand how well you
did and room for improvement, you do your after action
review. As what we like to say, AARs, let's do the AAR.
So how is that transferable outside of a project?
Well, let me tell you, it is so transferable
outside of a project because an AAR can be used
practically for anything that goes on in business,
particularly when maybe something
didn't go as well as it should have or expected.
And if you wanna take out any emotional charge
and people feeling like they're being blamed,
or even as a person who has to like put things back
on track and course correct,
an AAR is an easy technique to neutralize things.
Why, 'cause in project management
we're very specific with our templates.
What was it that we were supposed to do
is the first thing that you want to mark out.
What actually happened
and what are the areas for improvement,
and not just improvement,
but what did we do really well that we want to keep?
So if you take that perspective,
which helps in projects constantly,
and you want to apply that let's say to maybe an issue
that happened in the office
where you have to maybe course correct someone
'cause they didn't do a good job, like a team member.
I've even done AAR with my kids.
Obviously not so formal, more informal,
but it actually really helps.
It's just a great way to diffuse things
and really get clear on what worked well.
What's really cool with AARs
is if you've launched product
or you're really doing anything
that you want to take learnings from
so that you can get better
is an amazing thing to do
just across the board in business.
Technique number two, scope statement.
So in project management,
before you even kick anything off
and you've gotten your marching order,
you really as a project manager,
we look for our scope statement.
That scope statement has some specific things in it.
What was a background justification for the project?
What exactly are we delivering on?
We make that very succinct, but even more importantly,
what's in and out, some assumptions.
And sometimes you can put a little bit of risk in there,
but it's really a generalization of high level
with some really good detail as to what it is
that in essence everyone's going to expect us to deliver on.
And it usually kicks off some other documentation
that you have to do in more detail
down the road in your project.
So how is this transferable outside of a project?
Well, there are so many new ideas and opportunities
that we a, either present to our bosses or senior executives
or vice versa, senior executives present back down,
maybe they're doing a strategy session
and they're going oh my goodness, we have this vision.
We want to do these three things.
Well, the scope statement is the perfect template
to start collecting that information
so you can do a really good analysis
with what exactly are we doing
and what is it that we're expecting from an ins and out?
Because I promise you,
one of the biggest mistakes that happen
in business, projects, non projects, our assumptions,
and the scope template is an amazing tool
to really lessen the gap of assumptions.
'Cause I'm not saying you're never going to have them.
You're human.
You're going to do your best to predict everything.
But it is a great tool to start using
for any new idea or any planning initiative.
And really, it should come within the whole organization.
If someone presents you an idea,
the first thing you should say is can you please
fill that out in your scope template?
Technique number three, priority matrix.
Now, before we get into this tip,
if you're liking so far what you're hearing,
please give this video a like.
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Comments also help, so that's always appreciated.
So project priority matrix in projects is really important.
In fact, we live by the the triangle of things
that we need to do,
which is around project scope and budget.
And that priority matrix really helps
to understand what is it that you can play around with?
What are you trying to optimize
that you don't really want to change,
but you know if you have to, you could,
and what's a constraint that no way can you change?
Because one thing when it comes to projects
and we're really clear with as project managers,
we really push this with our stakeholders
and sponsors is not everything is number one.
And what I mean by that is I can't have scope,
time and budget all a constraint.
I need to have some flexibility somewhere
because things happen, right?
Things unfold.
And if we're going to be successful in the deliverable,
I need to know what I can play around with
in order to move the project forward.
So we do that a lot.
Now in non projects, this tool and technique is huge,
particularly at yearly planning.
How often are there ideas and concepts
senior executives have or departments have
that they may have 10 really good initiatives,
but you really need to understand
what is the priority matrix around each one?
Is it the scope of what you're doing?
Is it the budget?
Is it time?
And with those three, what's one, two and three?
So that becomes important.
It's prior to prioritization and it is at a great tool.
Oh my goodness.
The most awesome tool.
Yes, do it at the beginning.
But when things are happening and you're in the midst
of a crisis or course correction
or people are wanting you to do extra stuff,
you go to your priority matrix and you see
if what they're asking from you
is something that you can move around with.
And if not because it's a constraint,
then you have that ability
and power to bring that back to the conversation
and either shut it down or move forward with it.
It's really powerful to keep people on track
and I highly recommend adopting that,
particularly in the planning cycles and initiatives
that we all do yearly
and are expected to do too, by the way.
Technique number four, change control.
Ugh, clap, clap, clap.
Oh my goodness.
You have no idea.
I love this technique in projects,
let alone non projects because if you want to nip things
in the bud that people are trying
to get on your project done, we use this all the time.
It's a very simple technique.
It's a template which basically asks
whoever is asking for change,
particularly if it's going to have a major impact,
what they're asking for.
And there's a slew of questions that you go through
and we keep it to a one pager.
I use it as a technique as well to stop those one offs.
Hey, can you just add this?
And it really does a great job
when I give them the template.
"Hey, not a problem to consider it.
Can you please fill this out?"
All of a sudden, that ask is not as important anymore.
Now, how does this apply to non projects
and how do you take it outside of a project
into the business world?
Well, the same technique that I use
for a project is stop scope creep
or additional things being asked
without really being thought through the impact,
you can use in business.
How often are you asked to do things?
How often are you asked to add more to either your plate
or to add to a strategy and no really thought
or good thought or thorough thinking was not used.
This chain control template, it actually guides you
to ask yourself some really good questions,
but it also deters people who are just throwing things
flippantly to really think twice about asking you for it
because now they have to think through it.
So that is something that I definitely,
definitely highly recommend,
not only from a thought process,
but also as a deterrent too.
Technique number five, meeting notes.
Why Adriana?
Why are we talking about meeting notes?
Projects, let's be honest.
Yes. It's about executing on task
but majority of us in projects are in meetings.
We're in meetings.
Why, because we're either a resolution
to an issue that's popped up, we're brainstorming new ideas.
We may have to get approval on something.
And so one of the things that I know I rely on heavily
and other project managers do too are our meeting notes.
What did we talk about?
What did we come to agreement with
and who is doing what and when?
Now, those meeting notes can either be transferred,
sent off, et cetera.
But there also are like paper trail that we use.
So that a month from now, if someone says
I" can't remember that we agree to that."
You just go into your meeting notes,
pull it out and you can then continue on
with whatever it is you need to do
and validate whatever needs to be validated.
Now, how is this transferable to its side of a project?
Well, let me ask you, are you in meetings?
Yes you are.
Of course you are.
In fact, that's probably the number one inefficiency
that organizations have is they have too many meetings
with not enough productivity coming out of it.
Part of the reason why that's a big issue in organization
is 'cause there's no clear standard meeting note taking.
Wouldn't it be cool if you took the standard technique
of project management note taking and you brought it outside
of your projects and you just brought it
into every single meeting that was out there,
standardizing your process.
It would make a huge difference in ensuring
that everyone is very clear and effective
and efficient with what they're doing.
Now the good news is, if you are interested,
I actually have templates and notes and discussions
in my Slay Project Management course.
The link is underneath this video.
Yes, it's a shameless plug,
but if it is something that you're intrigued by,
you should definitely check that out.
So meeting notes is going to be really important
just in the organization.
Generally speaking, 'cause it's something
that we're not taught and it really should be something
that should be taught and standardized across the board
from everyone, top all the way down.
You made it to the end, congratulations.
If you learned something along the way,
please give this video a thumbs up to lock in your learning.
It does tell YouTube we're doing a good job too
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On that note, I'll see you in the next video.
Bye.