changes...

I feel unhappy
I feel so sad
I've lost the best friend
That I ever had...
...
I'm going through changes...
I'm going through changes...
-ozzy ozzborne

And so goes one of the few slow songs by the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath. Although things are not as gloomy and downtrodden as the song, more often than not, managers - project managers moreso - are faced with changes at a very regular basis. Changes that affect ones professional career both within projects and within the organization itself.

I've thought of putting out my two cents on this topic since we've just recently started off the company's fiscal year, and together with it several changes in both the organization and the way we do business as a whole. I for one moved into the so-called Project Management Office of our organization. And although it may seem like a good spot to be in... I would definitely miss out on all the action. Nothing feels better than being in-the-trenches together with your men and fighting the war.

This however, ain't about war. It's about change management.

Project Managers should very much be open to the fact that change is constant in any project. A Project that does not change is a project that is not moving. We should always expect change to happen in our projects. Changes that involve schedule, costs, scope, resources, location, risks, issues, and a whole lot of other things. This does not give managers the freedom to not do anything or not plan for anything since we are aware that things are bound to change anyways. The whole point here is to manage the change that will occur. That's why its called change management in the first place.

Some tips to remember when managing change

1. Each change is always caused by something. Change doesn't happen because it just did. An event, action, or decision can trigger a change. It is very important to identify what caused the change (or the need to change). It can be as simple as the resources not showing up to work for three straight days or as large as the stakeholder all of a sudden redirects the focus of the project.

2. Changes causes other things to change. In short, a change always has an impact. You can never add to the scope and expect that the end date won't move or that there is no need to add resources. There will always be an impact to the status quo no matter how small a change is.

3. Changes are not always a bad thing. Conversely, nor is it always a good thing. What's important is to understand the merits of the change and as a manager, decide on whether or not to pursue the change. More often than not, depending on the nature of the change, a select group of people (such as the customer) would need to approve of the change before it takes place.

4. Everyone must be aware of the change. This includes the scope of the change, when will this occur (or when did this occur), and how does this impact the individuals concerned.

5. Rebaseline. Once changes are approved. You should bear in mind that the new plan should now take into consideration the approved changes as it could impact the cost, schedule, and scope of the project.

Ciao.