Knowing Your Allies: How Processes Can Help You Ramp Up Faster
Over the past year, I’ve been working at White Prompt, a next-level software development company who offers true end-to-end capabilities from IT consulting to quality assurance. They also have a well-defined set of processes and tools to manage projects. As someone who has experience leading multidisciplinary teams using agile and waterfall methodologies, I found myself facing a new challenge when I was assigned project manager and account manager for a staff augmentation project with a client. At that time, I would have never imagined who were my best allies to tackle this challenge.
Spoiler alert! It’s not a “who”, it’s a “what”.
In my new role, I had to wear two hats — one as a project manager, which was kind of my comfort zone. The second as an account manager, which was not. As an account manager, I had to negotiate rates, mentor team members and check in on their well being, solve communication issues, and build a strong relationship with the client. Initially, I found it difficult to adapt to this new role, but I soon realized that the key to success was to follow our established processes, which were designed to help me navigate these challenges.
White Prompt relies on tools like Trello, Redmine, and Google G Suite to manage their projects. We have a wealth of processes written in Redmine Wiki, which at first I questioned if it was the ideal tool but fortunately time would prove me wrong. With that being said, I found these processes to be incredibly useful as they provided me with a roadmap for each step of the project. By following them almost blindly, I was able to get up to speed quickly and make progress on everyday tasks when it came to account management.
Through my experiences at White Prompt, I have learned how following well-established processes can help you focus on the unique challenges of your role without getting bogged down in the details of how to accomplish them. In turn, I worked more efficiently and produced better results.
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Furthermore, when processes are written properly, they can significantly ease the ramp-up process for new employees. By following a well-documented process, new employees can quickly understand what is expected of them and what the company values. This not only leads to better results but also improves employee satisfaction and retention rates internally.
Yes, I know. The paragraph above may sound a little bit cliche. However there is a point to be made that the balance and understanding in the number of processes, and the tasks being described, is of fundamental importance.
Here is an example to better explain my point. If I want a new project manager (or all project managers for that case) to know how to present an end of sprint summary report that follows a standard reporting style consistent for all projects, then I write a process that indicates how that report should be built. But if I want the new employees to find where the kitchen is and I don’t write a process for that, they will just follow the rest when they feel hungry, right?
In my experience, having a clearly defined set of processes is crucial for an organization to operate smoothly. Processes help to ensure that tasks are completed consistently and efficiently, reducing errors and avoiding unnecessary delays. They provide a framework for employees to follow, reducing confusion and allowing for easier communication and collaboration.
However, it’s important to strike a balance between oversimplifying and overcomplicating when defining processes. Oversimplified processes may be too vague and lack detail, deeming them useless or even misleading. On the other hand, processes that are too complicated may be difficult to understand and follow, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
To avoid these issues, processes should be clearly defined but also easy to understand and follow. They should be concise and to the point, without unnecessary jargon or complexity. Additionally, it’s important to regularly review and update processes as needed to ensure that they remain relevant and effective.
In conclusion, my experience at White Prompt has shown me how important processes are in making tasks more manageable and predictable. By following well-established processes, I have been able to succeed in my two roles as a project manager and account manager. I believe that this success is a result of White Prompt’s commitment to their processes and updating them on a regular basis. I am grateful for the experience and the lessons I have learned so far, and I look forward to applying them in the future.
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