How to enhance project management practice for the small team?

Question

In our team, we have a small team of 3 people, fresh graduate from the computer and networking stream. 2 people are responsible for software development , 1 people are responsible for back-end configuration.

I am responsible for the software development and sometimes meeting clients to propose an I.T solution ranged from a software application to integrated I.T solutions.

Personally, I am a fresh grad student with about cumulatively 1 year of experience developing web applications, from requirement development to system administration, 3 months of Android Applications and hands-on experience of window application.

I would describe my team as follows: self-motivated in the beginning but motivation drops as times goes by, inexperienced , innovative, willing to learn but less time or incentive to finish the task on time as we have other things to do or appointments.

The current project is Window application which all of us needs additional time to get hands on .The deadline is by the end of Nov.

There exists shrinking of the current project and hence risk to compensation due to delay of delivery so I have to be the person to talk with business requirement with new clients in order to get new projects to do for the sake of our business continuity. As for the newly received project, the deadline is End of Dec.

What techniques for project management can be applied in this scenario?

Answer 1

Okay, a few comments here -

The first is to answer your question - "what pm techniques"? Based on your description, the first (and most important) technique is 'commitment'.

I would describe my team as follows: self-motivated in the beginning but motivation drops as times goes by, inexperienced , innovative, willing to learn but less time or incentive to finish the task on time as we have other things to do or appointments.

So you're not sure you can get it done, you're worried about "risk to compensation due to delay of delivery", but you're too busy or have other things to do than work on it?????

The FIRST thing you need to do is figure if this is even something you want to do.

Having decided that, the second technique is 'planning'.

If you have to complete this project by the end of Nov, then you need to break it down into it's component pieces (WBS) and map out what order they need to be done int, when they need to be done by so others can be done, and who's responsible. Without that planning it jsut won't happen.

Answer 2

If your team is composed by 3 persons and you are without serious experience in the background, I suggest you to plan your project finish with 1 week before the deadline. It is very useful to take "code freeze" periods. It persist in using/testing the application, but not modifying the code. It should be at the end of the project.

I started my work as you, with a little bit bigger team, about 7 persons. The strong point of this startup is that you know, that the inner team forces are higher than at a bigger company, because your desire to proof your abilities is much more higher. You can rely on this, and this can motivate your team.

I suggest you to make at the end of each week a meeting, when you shut down your computers, and discuss about the past week's tasks, the strong and the weak points. Here should be discussed the next week's tasks too. It shouldn't take too many time, not more then 1 hour.

You didn't described your working hours, if you develop this project when you have time, or you have a fixed planning. Anyhow, fixed rules and short deadlines may sound strange, but they are very important.

You should pay attention to your colleagues individually. If one of them fails, don't demoralize him, because it can influence his following work. Just stay and discuss why did he fail and how should be this corrected in the future.