Project management techniques such as PRINCE2 are based on careful planning and tight control. There is also the fundamental acceptance that plans will need to be changed as the project progresses – if this sounds confusing then learning PRINCE2 techniques will let you know when and how to adapt the project.
For example, you will usually set flexible decision points for each stage where progress is reviewed against the business case. What I want to discuss today is the scope for flexibility beyond these points.
It’s true that PRINCE2 is a structured methodology, but this should not mean sticking to procedure when a common sense approach may be more appropriate. It can be tempting to measure PM success as how closely you stuck to the framework, but the most important thing is that the job is done well, not that the job is done by applying the PRINCE2 formula to the letter.
The best project managers can apply their training to real-life scenarios – when things never quite go the same as they do on paper! Sometimes you need to make business decisions on a gut feeling. A great PM is not a robot – you are hired for your personality and experience, which make your decisions valid.
Here are our top insights for understanding the role of flexibility in PRINCE2: Read the rest of “When to be Flexible in PRINCE2 Project Management”
Being a project manager means having to juggle lots of tasks, demands and resources at once. Budgets and deadlines must be met, progress monitored and reports produced; and many people, including team members and stakeholders, need to be kept up to date with developments.