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Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Kimbrell, G. (2014, January 31). Four project management lessons you can learn from software
engineers. Forbes.
Larson, E., & Larson, R. (2004, September 10). How to create a clear project plan. CIO Magazine.

Saunders, E. G. (2013, January 7). How to allocate your time, and your effort. Harvard Business
Review Blog Network.

Trammell, J. (2013, June 18). The resource allocation dilemma faced by CEOs every single day.
Forbes.

4. Operating on a shoestring? Bargain for resources. Sometimes you’ll need to be creative to get
what you need. That means learning to bargain, negotiate, trade, cajole, and influence. What can you
borrow? What do you have that you can trade? What do you need to trade for? Who do you know
that could help? What could you provide in return? How can you make it a win for everyone? Use
relationships to help where you can; find people in your network to borrow from. Working
internationally? Adjust your resource-bargaining approach to match the local culture. Worried you
may be pushing the ethics envelope? Study up on the legal practices of the country in which you are
operating and how they may influence or limit what you can do. If you are operating in a questionable
area, get help from legal or others who have worked in similar situations.

5. Money tight? Watch the budget. Be clear on exactly what funding you have and plan spending
carefully. Write down all your funding sources along with when each element of funding will be
available. Make a list of the costs you’re anticipating and when they are likely to occur. Which are
fixed and which might vary? Align the funding coming in to the expenditures going out. If you can,
have a reserve in case the unexpected comes up. Projected spending higher than the funding
available? Look at the variable costs to find areas to cut back. Or work backwards—take the funding
you have available and consider how to best spend it in line with what needs to be delivered. Set up a
funding time line to track ongoing expenditures. Review your spending regularly to keep on track.

6. Not getting the most out of people resources? Delegate. On long, complex, multi-track projects,
you can’t do everything yourself. Your people resources each come with a unique set of skills,
knowledge, experience, and ideas. All available for you to tap into. Get comfortable giving up control.
Give away as much as possible along with the authority that goes with it. Be clear on the outcome
required but open on how it’s achieved. Give people leeway, encourage experimentation. One clear
finding in research is that people are more motivated when they have control over their work, can
determine how to do it, and have the authority to make decisions. It’s also developmental. Telling
them how to do it may help you in the short-term, but if people just carry out your instructions, they
won’t grow. Agree on boundaries and authority levels. Give context to the bigger strategic picture—
take three extra minutes to talk about its importance to the goals and objectives of the unit.

7. Limited pool of resources to draw upon? Observe master resource builders in action. Do you
tend to rely on the same resources over and over? Amazed by others who get resources from far and
wide? Who find and secure the rare resources others can’t? Don’t just wonder at them, actively
observe their behavior. How do they get things done? How do they use internal culture, structures,
and processes to get what they need? How do they influence and negotiate? What tactics do they
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