It's not rocket science! Project Management needn't be resource hungry, nor should it be an end in itself. Put simply, good project management is about turning strategic business objectives into reality - efficiently and effectively.
Information on project management is abundant – type it into Google and you’ll get many hundreds of millions of results back. There are many associations & institutes, plus formal, highly detailed approaches and systems. You can spend your money an array of software packages, courses, accreditations and consultancies specialising in project management. The problem is not finding out about project management, it’s making it relevant to your business.
Though large, complex projects may need the detailed structure & tools used by some of these approaches, the vast majority of small to medium sized projects do not. That said, just because a change initiative isn’t highly complex, does not mean it’s implementation doesn’t need managing effectively. Juggling a number of smaller, concurrent projects also needs a lot of careful management.
It’s about getting the balance right, ensuring you have the discipline in place to ensure the project is well defined, organised, controlled and completed, without resorting to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! In introducing too many controls, systems, reporting and red tape, you run the risk of reducing efficiency, demoralising the project team, confusing the work force and frustrating the management. Ultimately, the project will fail.
Like with many things, a bit of common sense counts for a lot, but you do need an awareness of the tools, their use and benefits, to be in a position to select them effectively. The skill of the project manager will therefore be critical to ensure the approach taken is that most appropriate to the given circumstances.