Managing our project goals:
how do we get there from here?
S.E. (Susie) Kennedy,
Registrar | University of Lethbridge
Email: [email protected]
Lethbridge, Alberta
A city of approximately 95,000 residents, Lethbridge is
located in southern Alberta and is a short distance from
the Rocky Mountains, Calgary and the U.S. border.
University of Lethbridge
• a comprehensive and research-intensive
university
• founded on the principles of liberal education
• more than 150 undergraduate and 60 graduate
programs in six faculties and schools: Arts &
Science, Education, Fine Arts, Health
Sciences, Management and Graduate Studies
• more than 8,500 students from around the world
ULethbridge at a glance …
•Approximately 75% of Lethbridge campus students re-locate to
attend the U of L
•The entering average for new high school students is around 79%
•We are home to 550 international students from 94 countries
•With approximately 1,200 employees, the U of L is one of
Lethbridge’s largest employers
•Annual provincial economic impact: $1.2 billion
University of Lethbridge
• Spanning 500 acres, our Lethbridge
campus, known for its signature
Arthur Erickson Building, University Hall,
is nestled in the southern Alberta
coulees and overlooks the Oldman
River.
The Destination Project
We will soon be home to a new science and academic
building – which will advance research and learning
opportunities for generations to come, and will shape the
future of the University of Lethbridge and southern Alberta.
Fiat Lux
Our motto
Fiat Lux,
which means let
there be light,
refers to the
illumination that
comes from
research and
learning.
A simple agenda:
•Activity
•Project Management
Project
• A project is a temporary endeavor,
having a defined beginning and end
• What are some of the projects you are
working on in your office?
• Review the objective of the activity then,
• Follow the instructions provided
Activity Objective:
To build the
tallest,
freestanding
structure possible
using the set of tinker toys.
Instruction #1
Congregate into teams
Instruction #2
Your team will receive tinker toys which
you are allowed to dump on the floor but
not allowed to touch.
5 minutes
Instruction #3
Your team will be allowed to touch and
plan your building but
do not put anything together!
3 minutes
Instruction #4
Build the tallest, freestanding structure
possible.
Build for 1 minute.
After building is finished . . .
Activity Objectives
•
To build the tallest, freestanding
structure possible using the tin of
tinker toys.
– What were the results? Let’s measure!
– What did it take to get people to hear
the instructions?
What were the results?
Did you focus on the objective?
Resources
TIME:
• Was an initial plan based on the times
allotted?
• In hind-sight, wasn’t it important to know
how much time you would have to build?
• Did anyone ask?
• Did anyone time the building process to
advise the group how things were going?
A badly planned project
will take three times longer
than expected – a well
planned project only twice
as long as expected.
Resources
PEOPLE:
• What skills did individuals bring to the team?
• Who had previous experience with tinker
toys?
• Did anyone take on the role of manager?
• Was everyone involved?
• Did you involve everyone?
Resources
MATERIAL:
• Did you use all of the materials
provided?
• Again, was everyone familiar with the
materials?
More resources ?
• What if your team had:
– More people?
– More material?
– More time?
– More experience?
Scope / Objectives
• Did your team expand the scope?
• What if the project had:
– A bigger scope?
– Less clear/simple objectives?
Other issues
Did you assume any
constraints?
What is not on paper has not been said.
What you don’t know hurts you.
Other issues
Plan vs Build
The more you plan the luckier you get.
Planning and managing the project
• When the elephant
(project due date) is way
out on the horizon, the
project looks:
• Small
• Manageable
• Workable
• Not worthy of much
concern
• As the elephant
(project due date)
draws closer, the
elephant appears:
• Huge!
• Overwhelming!
• Beyond our
capabilities!
Planning and managing the project
• We need to manage our elephants!
• Eat your
elephant …
ONE
BITE
AT A
TIME
Other issues
Competition
Vs
Co-operation
Working
with IT
Concluding thoughts . . .
What are the expectations of the project?
Scope – Is it clear? Is it finite? What are the risks to
scope? What are the specific objectives/deliverables?
Time – How much time do you have? How much time will it
take? (Double or triple your estimate)
Money – What are the constraints?
People – Is there experience in your team? Are they
cooperative or competitive? Do you have enough people?
Too many people?
Thank you for your participation.
Questions?
Contact:
[email protected]