The project manager is the project leader, the go-to person
on the project, the one everyone is supposed to look to and listen to for
direction and status. What about the project customer who can’t reach out and
touch the project manager whenever they want to? Do they have concerns? Is
their money being well spent? And what about the project manager? What
obstacles does the remote PM face that would otherwise not be present if he was
sitting at the customer site on a daily basis?
Let’s examine four key obstacles that can easily become an
issue on any remotely managed project. I’m certain there are many more possible
obstacles, but these are some of the most common ones that I’ve encountered.
Lack of face time. The
customer can’t control the project manager nor do they really want to. The mere
term ‘consultant’ or ‘project manager’ can sometimes give a hands-off type
feeling to the customer and to staff at the customer’s site. But the one thing the
customer often feels they can control is just being aware of how much time the
project manager is spending on the project and where that PM is at any given
time. ‘Seeing’ the PM and project team assures the customer that the PM is
actually doing something for all that money they’re spending on him and the
team. Take the visibility out of the equation and now you have a customer who
has no idea how much time the project resources are working on the project, and
they may even feel uneasy about getting their money’s worth. It’s an obstacle
the remote project manager must overcome and they’re likely going to feel that
extra need to show significant value in the absence of face-to-face
interaction.
The best way I’ve found to combat this situation is to have a
weekly status discussion – either by phone or in person – with the project
customer and to also provide a detailed weekly status report prior to the
meeting that will serve as a basis for discussion. This way, the customer has a
document to refer to that identifies the current project status showing what’s
been completed, what’s in progress, and what’s coming up in the future. They
have the documented frame of reference they’re looking for as justification for
them money they’re spending on the project.
Time zone issues. Depending
on where the project manager is located in relation to the customer, there may
be time zone issues to overcome. Of course, that can happen in just about any
employee scenario these days because of the diversified nature and global presence
of many larger companies. But with the project manager, since there is no
employer-employee relationship already in place, the time zone issue can become
an even bigger obstacle. The key is to be as flexible as possible for your
customer. If they are six hours ahead of you and need an 11:00 a.m. meeting,
you may need to actually be on a call at 5:00 a.m. your time. Thankfully, I was
only dealing with US time zones on a similar issue and the difference was three
hours, but those 6:30 a.m. design sessions twice a week were still painful…but
necessary.
Management of other
project resources. Remote management of project resources can be
challenging enough, but overseeing resources remotely that report to an
organization that you yourself do not directly work for can present even more
problems. The authority factor is gone. Yes, you’re the PM guru brought in to
consult, but you have no direct “official” working relationship with your
project resources’ supervisors so that area of accountability can be somewhat grey.
In a situation where you’re managing a project with a
customer remotely and you’ll also be overseeing work of some of their resources
on the project, it’s important to lay some ground rules at the outset of the
engagement. Jointly meet – even if it’s by phone – with the resources you’ll be
using and their direct supervisors to establish availability and reporting
accountability. The key is to get everyone on the same page and of the
understanding that – for the purposes of their work on this project – they are
accountable to you and that you will have direct access to their supervisor
should issues arise.
Communication. Finally,
communication is always a concern. How communication will happen, when it will
happen, who will initiate, and who is ultimately responsible for it all needs
to be established at the beginning of the process. For consulting project
managers who regularly work with remote customers on longer-term engagements, I
highly recommend establishing how various communications like status reporting,
emails, and conference calls will happen by documenting these processes in the
form of a formal project communications plan.
Summary / call for input. There are obstacles, but they can be overcome. Remote project
management is not for everyone...you must be flexible, a good communicator, and
organized. But it is possible and can actually work very well as you can
perform tasks in a timeframe that works best for the project, not just on a 9-5
schedule.
Readers – please share your thoughts and experiences and
discuss.