It's Game Day: Leading Complex Deployments

Whether it’s a large or small deployment, complex deployments can be tricky and stressful. I have found a few simple things that have helped me in each deployment I lead. We all know the standard do’s like having a project plan and keeping a risk tracker with return to green actions to stay on target; but there are a few simple things I do that have helped me and I hope they can help you.

Stay Organized

This might sound like common sense but staying organized can make your life a lot easier.

· MoMs (Minutes of Meetings): Sending out meeting minutes seems like a small thing; but they allow you to keep track of action items and completed tasks. They are also an easy way to provide status details to management.

· Consistency is Key: Consistency in your meetings like having standup calls with a focal group provides an outlet for people to ask questions and raise issues. They are also an easy way to keep a team on target.

· Collaborate: Collaboration Tools like IBM’s BlueworksLive/Sametime, and Microsoft’s Sharepoint/Skype, or even Google Drive and Webex keep the entire team informed and make it easy for anyone to make updates to deployment process documents.

Less Stress is Always Best

Most projects have times of stress however there are ways to manage stress.

· Your Work: Doing your own work helps you stay focused and keeps you from stressing out. You were put in a role to provide specific deliverables and it’s important that you do. Tools like a RACI will help the entire team understand what deliverables each group is accountable for. If you find you have additional bandwidth to take on more work look for project gaps or let your leads know about your availability.

· Eat, Pray Love: Having outlets like working out, prayer, or spending time with family are great ways to leave work at work each day. It’s important that you take that time out so you can recharge or you will find that your efforts can provide a diminishing return on the success of the deployment.

· Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Don’t worry when things go wrong because things happen and will go wrong. When they do keep a clear and focused mind. It is easier to solve problems when you have your wits about you.

Know Your Team

Each project team has a culture and it’s important to work within the bounds of that culture.

· Do Unto Others: Helping others without overstepping your roles boundaries is a great way to keep a good working relationship with other teams. Also ask for help when you need it, you’ll find that when you are helpful to others, others are helpful to you.

· Know the Limits: Knowing the limitations of each group you work with can ensure things are done in a timely manner. If procurement has a 2-month SLA due to the approval process ensure you schedule items for procurement in advance to reduce any delays.

· Co-locate: Understanding the logistic limitations of your team will help you strategize where you will place key resources during the deployment. For example, if you know you have vendors in other cities it may be worth having each vendor send a resource to the project hub location for better teaming.