PM Documentation which is filed away in the laptop isn't worth the effort to type. I am often surprised how those new to the project management field create documentation in silos alone at their desk just to achieve a requirement. The purpose of project management documentation is communication. The documentation should be the outcome of meaningful dialogue with the business owner. Let's take the example of a project charter and protocols.
The first section of our project charter is the high-level project overview. It captures the history, purpose, business benefits, where we are, and where we want to be. These are great topics of discussion to have with the project sponsor, project champion, and executive sponsor. It is the time to get everyone sharing the vision of the desired outcome. These ideas should not be captured in a vacuum.
The TakeAway
If you find yourself creating documentation just for documentation's sake, take a step back and reconsider how to get others engaged in the conversation. The purpose of the documentation is the communication and shared understanding needed before it can be derived. If you are missing that component, the conversation needs to happen.Subscribe and Share!
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1 Comments to “The Importance of Documentation is Facilitating Conversation”
The executive leadership team or project champion owns the project and is therefore responsible for helping the rest of the organization to understand the vision and the reasoning behind the effort. The charter is the tool that can help bring a consistent message to the team and all the stakeholders that may be impacted.
The PM is the one that needs to assist the executive or champion in defining the charter to help get the message out. Many members of the team may often feel overwhelmed and out of touch as to why change is necessary. The project charter can help them understand and get past the “why” and move on to “how” the plan will positively affect the organization. This, in turn will help them to stay focused on the tasks that need to be accomplished in order for the project to be successful.
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Welcome to the Healthcare IT Project Management Blog of Elyse Nielsen. This is the place where I share the ideas I have learned, the things I’d like to remember, and my thoughts for a brighter future. Find out more.
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