1. What kinds of projects do we usually have?
There are two kinds of regular projects, large projects
1. Regular items
The focus of the technical team is to do the execution well, and you need to pay more attention to process control to ensure system delivery
2. Big projects:
What is a big project and what are its characteristics
Large projects require a large time investment, a large scale of personnel, a larger system, high complexity, and difficult coordination. There are also difficulties in the coordination of members and the advancement of affairs, and you must have the ability to solve these difficulties
Common projects include: No. 1 project, system reconstruction project, new product development project,
During the epidemic last year, we completed the system refactoring. On the basis of multiple blockades, we successfully completed the refactoring system and launched it. Looking back, if you look at it simple, if you think so, let’s try another big project. how did you get it
2. For big projects, focus on the key points, make decisions before moving
I think the more important the project, the more energy should be invested in planning, design, and preparation.
I summarize a few points:
In terms of business, technology, team, etc., ask clearly WHY, WHAT, WHO, HOW, and think clearly
WHY (why the project is done). Many leaders are not keen to explore the WHY behind the project because they are used to execution and delivery, or feel that nothing can be changed even if they have different views. If you don’t know WHY, when you want to solve a problem, you will lack the core logical basis, and it is difficult for you to identify the real demand, and it is difficult to judge whether the function you want and the problem you want to solve are the same thing.
WHAT (what kind of project is made). WHY is to determine the motivation and goals of the project, and WHAT is to determine the specific form of the project. Simply put, it is what kind of products and systems to achieve the goals. For example, in the annual demand, those links seriously hinder our business development, especially new business. If you participate in such a "Super" project, you should at least figure out the following two points.
WHO (who comes to do projects together). Many problems are not only system problems, but people are also the key factor, and you need to identify the core personnel of the project and list all related parties of the project.
HOW (how to do after starting the project). After clarifying the business goals, result expectations and relevant people, enter the project execution process. On the basis of conventional project management, you should pay attention to these two points.
Reasonable splitting of tasks (modules) is half the success of a project: a large project is to package the final effect together for design and planning, and it will definitely be divided and conquered during the execution process. The key is that you have to wait for everyone to reach a consensus on the final architecture, and then split tasks and modules according to the dimensions of the team, business domain, and specific scenario tasks, starting with the end in mind, and determining how to start splitting from the final desired result ( The shape of the final architecture should be based on the overall architecture of the product and system).
Maintain risk awareness and be in awe of Murphy's Law: Large projects are prone to emergencies and probabilistic events during the promotion process. You must make good plans, such as reserve enough Buffer in the project schedule, and determine emergency treatment in advance mechanism of the problem, etc.
After making sufficient preparations, a project establishment meeting can be held to synchronize the information and thinking of WHY, WHAT, WHO, and HOW to relevant project personnel. The Kick Off meeting sets the tone of the project, synchronizes necessary information, and clears obstacles for the project to advance.
Third, how to deal with difficult problems,
Large projects are extremely complex and prone to many thorny problems. The core principle for dealing with these problems is: be oriented towards the final result, use all possible help and resources, and achieve the goal with proper balance and compromise without violating the principle . Next, I will share some of the pitfalls I have stepped on from the two dimensions of people and things, hoping to inspire you.
Talent inventory, ability matching, product requirements, goal management, task decomposition, team atmosphere, etc., do not add new people during this process, otherwise the bigger the job, the busier it will be, and do not engage in large-scale training, because it will have a great impact on time, progress, cost, etc. , to give direction, give plan
1. Question 1: What should I do if there is a shortage of major generals?
Insufficient people in the project has become a norm. For example, a set of core systems in the department needs to be rewritten, but the team cannot continue to iterate and complete the rewrite within the specified time. If everyone rewrites ALL IN, the system iteration will be suspended for 2 ~3 months, not commercially acceptable. If the cycle is prolonged and the rewriting project lasts for half a year, it will not only increase the risk of accidents, but also the rewriting project will not be able to create value for a long time, which will become a burden on the team.
If you encounter a similar situation, you need to move around internally, use the value and benefits of the project as the principal, and borrow people from other teams with the help of the superior organization. If you have had the experience of "borrowing" or "being borrowed", you will probably hate it, because this method will cause many new problems, such as students from other teams who are not familiar with the business and system (the cost of entering the state is very high) , or there is no reporting relationship between you, and the work arrangement and task execution are not smooth.
Therefore, I do not recommend that large projects often borrow people to supplement project members. The frequent secondment of personnel itself reflects the mismatch of rights and responsibilities, which will lead to a series of problems. A good way should be to make the cross-organizational structure of the project team a normal and consensus within the organization, and design a flexible performance, assessment, and reporting system so that everyone can flexibly join the project team as needed. In addition, when you are in the project team, you should pay attention to the following points.
When the project begins, look for the right students from a larger perspective than looking at who is on your team.
Summarize the reporting relationship and performance appraisal of the students participating in the project within a certain period of time into the project team, and the project leader will rearrange the rights and responsibilities of each person according to the actual situation, and determine the binding relationship and proportion of performance.
Project delivery does not mean the end, and the performance results of all people should be closely and long-term related to the achievement of project goals.
Finally, sometimes it is not only necessary to solve the problem of "shortage of soldiers", but also to seriously consider whether to be a "major general"? It is necessary to fully consider whether the current personnel are suitable to be the owner of the project. From my experience, the project owner almost determines 80% of the success or failure of the project. If the owner is not capable enough, you have to give help and support, or find another person, or even a superior Don't compromise on the selection of Owner, after all, the success or failure of the project is the key.
2. Question 2: Is it people or things that cannot be pushed?
Do you have a similar experience: some functions or modules are often not implemented by everyone, or rushed to do it (for example, the newly added activity gameplay of Double Eleven will allow many relevant teams to implement the system they are responsible for), This can block project progress.
Before, I was in charge of the company's order transaction system for a long time. Students who are familiar with this field must know that the order system is a hodgepodge, and any business wants to add a field to the order form. In the beginning, I often argued with others about whether to add a piece of data to the order system, because I was worried that the unclean design would hinder the stability and maintainability of the system.
From these two situations, you will find that people and organizations have a lot to do with things that cannot be moved. Improper handling will intensify conflicts between different related parties. You must deal with similar problems. I offer you 3 suggestions.
Understand the interest demands under the phenomenon of conflict: Behind the phenomenon of conflict of views between different related parties is actually a conflict of interest. You need to understand each other's concerns. For example, I don't want a certain system field to be included in the order, mainly because of the maintainability and stability of the order system. If you can solve my concerns, it will be easy to convince me.
Appropriate compromise for project results: In many cases, we cannot make a perfect solution, and it may be necessary to realize the requirements through poor implementation in the system. The project is not 100% perfect. It is a good strategy to grasp the core principles and not give up. It is a good strategy to compromise the controllable parts in exchange for the progress of the project.
Promote projects through project status and decision-making mechanism: Large projects are often the product of the company's major strategies. Under normal circumstances, no one will oppose a certain company's established strategy, and you can use the importance of large projects to strive for more in the system. Many resources and help. If you are facing some conflicts, learn to use the decision-making mechanism to get a solution through the communication and decision-making of higher-level members.
3. Question 3: Will there be project changes?
For you, the most difficult thing to deal with is the sudden change, which means adjusting the previous plan, and new difficulties and problems will appear. There are often two common changes:
During the evolution of the project, the missing points that were not identified or considered before were identified, resulting in the need to adjust the plan.
Changes in requirements from the boss, in many cases are to add content.
The reason why project changes and boss CR are difficult to deal with is that it will disrupt the original planning rhythm of the project. The originally interlocking time schedule, manpower schedule, task and module schedule must be rearranged, combined, and conflict resolved. The risk is transmitted to the entire project link through the link, resulting in a strong linkage effect.
My suggestion to you is to keep a normal mind. Almost all projects will encounter similar situations. Negative emotions will only make it more difficult for you to solve the problem. You have to do two things well.
To solve it from the outside to the inside, start with priority adjustments, new resources, and schedule adjustments. If not, consider compressing time, adjusting plans, and even working overtime. Do a good job of weighing ROI and risk, and don't create more difficult problem B in order to solve problem A.
Unified change management, all changes should be managed, reviewed, evaluated, recorded, and finally broadcast to all project members to ensure that everyone's information is consistent and there is no error in the understanding of the end point.
In addition, I would like to share my own experience. If you are troubled by the frequent changes of the boss, try to make more reports, so that he can have a more intuitive experience of the progress of the project and the difficulties being solved, so that he can understand the differences brought about by the new changes. Deterministic risk leads to greater empathy.
Four. Summary
Large-scale projects are the proving grounds for technology leaders. They not only test your technical capabilities, but also test their comprehensive capabilities in terms of products, business, communication, and business advancement. Students who have experienced severe beatings in major projects will be more calm when dealing with other problems.
Therefore, if you have the opportunity to participate in or lead a similar project in your actual work, you can give it a try, which will greatly improve your problem-solving ability. In today's lecture, I want to emphasize the following three points:
Mastering big projects is your touchstone and watershed. Students who have certain requirements for their own career planning must not miss the opportunity to polish and practice.
In large projects, human problems are often more difficult to solve than technical and system problems, because problems related to people may not be completely rational and logical. At this time, you may wish to see if emotional communication and communication are better. Effect.
Always keep in mind that if you launch the project on time without any failures, you only achieved 60 points, and what is more important is the business effect. Therefore, in addition to keeping an eye on the development process, you must also devote yourself to it at the very beginning of the business and product design stage.
