How to utilise Project Management in non project oriented organizations

Question

How have folks been successful in implementing and utilizing PM skills, tools, and mindsets in organizations /roles that are not traditionally project focused? I have my PMP but often feel like I am just not utilizing it. Any idea?

Answer 1

First of all, you have to make it meaningful for your audience. Introducing PM concepts, principles and practices within a team or company which hasn't used those before is a sales and change management exercise, start small focusing on simple changes that can generate big benefits and be pragmatic.

Speaking directly to organizations that normally don't run projects, then here are some of the items you can remember doing:

- Wrote up a task list by talking to each person
- Added a "countdown" calendar to the office area to show when stuff was due
- Did a pros/cons exercise on each software package
- Set up a budget
- Had a weekly lunch with the key people (This was the status meeting)

The key was to take the "Project" terminology out and replace it with things the stakeholders were familiar with.