In a previous post, we looked at some tools and techniques for managing processes. For purposes of discussion we divided processes into 1) sequencing actions towards a particular objective, and 2) optimizing repeatable steps to deliver things at scale.
In this post we apply that thinking to managing projects. Why is this important, and how is it different from process-oriented thinking?
“BAU” versus “Project mode”
If you are a lawyer, you may have missed out on one of the great acronyms of the business world: "Business As Usual" ("BAU"). This may seem trivial but it is in fact very, very important to the life of a business organization.
Businesses that achieve scale and sustain themselves have typically done so by hitting on a profitable formula, and then producing and selling as much as they can using that formula, with as little variation and deviation as possible. Exceptions are expensive. Tweaking the formula is distracting. Doing the same thing, the same way, roughly speaking, "business as usual", and it is what businesses prefer to spend their day doing.
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| Business as usual ("BAU") at a bottling plant Image created with DALL-E |
But to survive in an ever-changing world, a business must invest time and energy in optimizing, adapting and preparing for shocks as well as dealing with their aftermath. These investments are deviations from the magic formula. They are typically time-bound, and intended to fulfil a particular objective. Businesses tend to refer to these as "projects", and make a clear distinction between these activities and the ones that make up BAU.
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| A one-off project to build an additional plant Image created with DALL-E |
Projects can be large or small, short-term or long-term, high-stakes or low. But what they share is that they are responses to the dynamism of the world, and each of them will be slightly different. As such they require more discretion in management, than does running an established process. But that increased discretion needs to balanced out by additional governance, to make sure that the project is managed in alignment with the overall strategy and objectives of the organization.
Cases and Deals: are they processes or projects?
It depends! As briefly mentioned in the post on processes, both litigation and transactional work have their share of standardized, sequential activities. Some matters can be handled as BAU, in the sense that they present no surprises, and can be handled within the parameters of day-to-day operations. An employment law firm that specializes in drafting employment contracts for large companies probably spends most of its time generating standard form documents. Adding a new client in a familiar industry, who wants template contracts for a typical job description will typically be considered BAU.
But other matters are less routine. They require additional resources, additional planning, additional consultation, and additional governance. Law firms specialising in mergers and acquisitions or high-stakes complex litigation, for example, make it their business to be flexible, responsive, bespoke and adaptable. Though even they may have processes that govern client onboarding, billing, and recruitment, their core business is based on handling matters that are less amenable to standardised responses. Each matter is, effectively, a "project". So it's worth learning to think like a project manager.
How to think like a project manager
As you start to look up project management tools and techniques in detail, you will see a lot of jargon and plenty of methodologies. Each of them probably have worthwhile features, and almost any system beats having no system. But some are better adapted for speed, and others for scale. Some are better for exploratory projects, and others for more tightly defined ones. But at a very high level, we can build on the tools mentioned in the previous post on process management.
Below are some of the typical steps I follow, and the very simple (maybe slightly outdated) tools I use:
| Typical Step in the Project Planning Process | Typical Tool |
|---|---|
| Make a list of the things that need to be done | Checklist |
| Figure out who should be assigned to each of these items | Swimlane |
| Add in timelines and dependencies | Gantt Chart |
| Figure out what resources are required for each task | Spreadsheet |
| Lock in resources in, so they are available at the right time | Get commitments in writing |
| Decide how to track progress | Dashboard |
| Decide how to report progress and flag up roadblocks | Meetings / Comms |
As with financial models, most of what you need can be sketched out in a few minutes on a piece of paper, but as you tackle more complex projects a spreadsheet or task management programme is probably a good idea.
Project governance and status reporting
Almost as important as getting the project done, is involving the relevant sponsors or stakeholders in a helpful way. Projects (and therefore extension many cases and deals) are important to someone who is important enough to marshal the resources to get it done. And that person will take a keen interest in the progress of the project.
But they are by no means the only person to whom the project manager is accountable. Projects often require requesting and co-ordinating resources from different parts of an organisation. They may involve doing things for which special permission is required. They may be concerned with situations for which specialised knowledge or political blessing is needed. All of this increases the number of people who get to have a say in how the project is carried out. These people may be formal members of a steering committee, they may be unofficial advisors, or have some other lever of influence.
Having some sort of regular status update, keeps all the parties apprised of progress, involved in execution, and invested in helping to solve problems as they arise. One simple but effective way is a "Red"/"Amber"/"Green" or "RAG" status assessment, where green denotes "completed" (or perhaps "on track"), amber denotes "in progress" (or perhaps "at risk of missing deadline") and red denotes "not started" (or perhaps "blocked").
Projects as "stretch assignments"
Project management requires a combination of hard and soft skills: organisational rigour is crucial, but communication and stakeholder management are also very important. Projects tend to be linked to strategic priorities, and often require taking a fresh look at things. They also tend to involve working across departments, and reporting to various steering committees. And they often require setting up new, temporary management structures, which create opportunities for younger staff to take on short-term leadership roles.
For all these reasons, projects represent a great opportunity for young lawyers to test and hone skills that are relevant to becoming a leader. For any of you who want to accelerate your career, a couple of "stretch assignments" that take you out of the world of BAU can be a very good thing.