Please enjoy this blog post authored by Scott Christensen, Founding Partner, Kyndig Consulting. Kyndig provides strategic advisory and project management services for small to mid-sized law firms. Scott can be reached at scott.christensen@kyndigconsulting.com.
Small law firms often struggle with getting projects over the finish line (they always seem to get to 90% and stall). Similarly, in small law firms it’s very difficult to juggle multiple project priorities amid the pressure of maintaining the “business-as-usual” daily activities. Small firms often have the obligation to support the same platforms that larger firms do but often lack dedicated resources (such as project managers) to help keep things on track. Following are some suggested approaches and activities to "super charge" your project management / PMO efforts:
1. Define priorities
a. Allocate an appropriate percentage of your time to completing project work. The rest can be allocated to the "day to day" tasks. As they say, "fail to plan, plan to fail." Yes, you actually need to do this, or it won’t get done.
b. Prioritize your projects. Not all of them are as important as others. Be realistic.
c. Allocate a realistic amount of time for each project that fits into your "project time" budget. If it doesn't fit, some projects may need to be eliminated or deferred, or you have a solid basis for increasing resources in order to get the projects done faster. Hint: most IT staff drastically underestimate the amount of time projects and tasks will take. Be realistic.
2. Schedule dedicated project time
a. Schedule a "project time" block every day where that time is prioritized over operational interruptions. In my experience, this is one of the primary reasons that projects don't move ahead in a small law firm. Support calls will always seem to “take priority” and your day is over before you know it. Make other members of your team aware of your "project time" to avoid interruptions.
b. Schedule weekly project meetings (even if it's with yourself) for each major project to assess progress. Dedicated focus on each project will bring clarity to project status. Discuss progress, blockers, and any necessary reassignment of tasks to keep things on track. Celebrate your progress, and double down on your remaining tasks.
3. Use simple project management tools
a. Tools that can help with task tracking and deadlines include Asana, Trello, Todoist and Microsoft Planner. Smartsheet is also a commonly used tool that scales well from simple to advanced use.
4. Use a Project Dashboard
a. These allow tasks to be tracked by status (To Do, In Progress, Completed) and viewed in a helpful visual manner. Doing these on a physical board can be motivational for staff members as they accomplish significant tasks. Search "Kanban board" to see how it's done.
5. Project Charter and Responsibilities
a. While it may feel like overkill, most projects of size deserve some formality and it's worth the effort.
b. Define clear project goals. These should be written and agreed to by project stakeholders.
c. Define the roles and responsibilities. Who are the project stakeholders? Who are those managing the work? Who are those doing each task? Who needs to be consulted on various pieces of the project? Who needs to be informed, even if they are not doing the work? Establishing these roles in advance will avoid headaches and confusion, even on small projects.
d. Complex projects involving multiple departments and people may lend themselves to having a smaller "steering committee" to efficiently make key project decisions. Limit the size of this group - the smaller the better, but have key decision-makers in that group.
6. Project Review
a. After each project is completed, review the following:
i. What worked well?
ii. What didn't work so well, and how can we improve it next time?
iii. Are there other things we can think of to improve efficiency or effectiveness on the next project?
7. Consider external resources
a. While small firms often cannot afford to fund a full-time project management resource, project management is one role that is relatively easy to outsource.
b. Project management resources can be hired "fractionally". You can pay for the fractional amount of time that you need to resource a PM function for a firm of your size, even if it's only a few hours a week.
c. Sometimes the "external party" can provide the necessary structure and assistance that you need to make your project execution more successful. If it’s still “not working” after trying it on your own, call for assistance.
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