Managing Creative Project Ref: Proposals

Managing Creative Project

Ref: Proposals regarding the creation of a structural and procedural framework for change aimed at creating a process to increase efficiency and better organize projects

The report will start with the identification of the main objectives that this restructuring will need to undertake. First of all, we aim at increasing the efficiency of the reporting, feedback and control mechanisms, so as to be able to increase our capacity of both identifying the potential problems that may appear and create the right solutions by which these problems can be addressed and solved. At the same time, the aim of this new structural framework is to facilitate and encourage a better horizontal and vertical communication, both between the management and the subordinates and the various project teams.

For this, we suggest, first of all, a flat hierarchic organizational structure, combined with a cross-functional one. Let's address both parts. A flat organizational structure will mean that (1) there is a short distance between the upper management and the operational teams, (2) the decisions made by the management can be quickly transferred and communicated to the operational teams and (3) there is a constant quick flux of information going both ways.

As for the cross-functional organizational structure, this will encourage a better cooperation between different parts of our organization, but will also create more flexible teams, able to identify, given a wider area of expertise, better suited solutions to potential problems.

This brings into discussion another important change that will need to be implemented at the level of the structural and organizational change. The project teams will need to be very flexible and almost entirely independent. There are several ways this can be achieved. First of all, because of the proper communication already mentioned in the previous paragraph, the project teams will be able to act independently on some of the decisions that will need to be made along the way as the project is carried out. On the other hand, independence also means an increased efficiency: the teams will be able to act more and spent less time in discussions and debates, once they know the overarching goals and duties.

The project teams should necessarily include a project manager, who will have several important functions. First of all, the project manager is also the team's link with the upper management. In this sense, it is the project manager who coordinates with the upper management, who draws the relevant conclusions from these meetings, who understands what the goals and objectives to be reached are. At the same time, he then acts as an interface and communicates to the team the general directions in which the company is moving. However, the project manager also acts as an internal motivator within the team, a coordinator and organizer.

A similarly important role will be played by the project manager in his capacity to act as an interface between the different entities and shareholders involved in a certain project. In order to control scope, several documents should be used, such as, for example, the statement of work, as part of the requests for proposals, or scheduling and budget estimates. For these, the project manager will work with representatives from other departments (marketing and sales etc.), but also with the clients. At the same time, the project manager will have consulted previously with his own team, thus being able to carry to these meetings their own evaluations and estimates. We will thus be able to have a coordination linking all the main shareholders of a project.

Risk management and communication management are in fact closely related. In terms of risk management, the aim is to both quickly be able to identify the causes of risk and the impact that the risk may have on the project and obtain the necessary solutions through which the effects of that respective risk can be marginalized. For the second part, you also need a good and efficient communication, both within the project team and between the team and the other entities in the company.