Finish: By assembling the Flip Charts and releasing your Team
Quickly gather the results of the team's efforts for later summary,
presentation and use. Then state: "if there is no further discussion
on this plan, I will have this material typed up on 8 1/2"
x 11" paper and distributed to you. Subsequent work will clarify
the project work plan in greater detail but at least we have a plan
of attack."
At that, heads will nod in agreement. This is your cue to thank
your Brains Trust Team for their enthusiastic help, and let them
go!
Comments On The Scope-Pak Technique
I guarantee that you will generate more concentrated and focused
thought in this approach to organizing a project than by any other
method that you have seen.
This technique can be used by the boss, chief, chairman, middle
manager, project manager, or group leader. Remember that you, the
leader, are responsible for the group's (brains trust) output. How
effectively can you use them? You have to lead the group very positively
in order for Scope-Pak to be fully effective.
Therefore, develop a positive moving style and assertive question
prompting technique at the start of the session, as you list the
items. You and your group must really move to get done in 60 minutes.
As your team catches on, you'll find they respond readily and find
it a fun exercise because it ends boring hours of discussion of
unorganized trivia.
Notice what you have done. You have organized a project by defining
its objectives, by listing the significant steps towards its accomplishment,
and by planning how the job will be conducted according to the interrelationships
between tasks. Notice, also, how each step builds on the previous
steps and helps to validate their contents. You have now caused
the project to go down a certain path, it is going to move in a
controlled direction.
Now look at another aspect. You have identified the stakeholders,
clarified the objectives and defined the outputs. Defining significant
alternatives, economics and issues, allows you to check for more
significant work items that may have been missed. These are now
exposed so that you can provide managerial perspective, supervisory
overview and quality control. In short meaningful communication.
Similarly, the data sources are also exposed. You can direct a
new person to the pertinent data sources and help them to be more
immediately effective. Indeed, have we tapped all of our available
resources?
After the application of this technique, there are not too many
areas where a subordinate may be spinning his or her wheels. As
a leader, you now have a checklist with which to monitor activities
for effective supervision.
Notice one other thing. You will have built a strong commitment
to results in the minds of your project team members. They will
be keen to get going on the real work in your project.
You have also established the basis for project management by determining
the real criteria for project success!
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Steps
5-8
