Articles
If you want to take more control of your workload, IMechE’s upcoming Project Working for Engineers training session could be for you. This one-day course covers the practical tools you need to start contributing more to your projects and your organisation.
Here course trainer Mary Guerdoux-Harries gives four useful tips to help you take control using project management techniques.
Break down the work
A lot of people start from the goal of the project, the very ‘macro’ bit, and then go very quickly all the way down to the details. This misses a step, which is where they go wrong.
Having a work breakdown structure in between is a really good way for everyone to visualise and understand what needs to be done – but also to understand who can take responsibility for what, from quite early on.
Keep documentation under control
Everyone knows documentation needs to happen, but – because it’s the thing that nobody really likes doing – it gets left to the end. When it’s been there for ages, it becomes even harder to do. So it’s important to keep those updates happening throughout.
Most people don’t go into engineering to write up what they’re doing – they want to do the ‘doing’ bit. It might feel less urgent than fixing a problem or moving a design forward, but you are just creating more work in the end if you ignore it.
Assess the risks (but keep the list short)
People often say in training that they don’t manage risks well, or that risk assessments are just an exercise done at the start of projects. They produce a gigantic list and say: “Oh, my goodness – we’ve got all these risks.” And then it's just a document that may or may not get updated every now and again. It doesn’t drive anything; it’s more of a box-ticking exercise that leads to issues.
It's better to have a short list of things that you can really do something about than produce some beautiful, huge list that doesn’t serve any actual purpose.
Prioritise communication
Most people think the principal role of a project manager is to execute actions to make the project happen, but it is actually to communicate – receiving information, communicating back to stakeholders. That could be the client or it could be people in the team, but it’s about being that central source and making sure that everyone who needs information gets it.
That’s usually a surprise to people – but even things like producing a schedule and updating finances are part of communication, because they are tools you use to communicate measurable things about the project, which will in turn move it forwards.
Usually, people end up being project managers because they’re good engineers – but being a good engineer doesn’t necessarily make you a good project manager. That shift, in terms of what you’re doing, can be quite hard to make. It’s useful to have the communication mindset from the beginning, so you can make that transition and start being more effective as a project manager.
Project Working for Engineers next takes place online on 25 August, then in London on 9 December. Learn more, book your attendance or check for further dates here.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.