The purpose of this article is to highlight challenges and barriers that project managers working in a startup or small non-project-based organization may encounter. It will also provide insight on how to navigate those challenges strategically through the use of analysis and project management processes, skill and knowledge. There are many different types of startups; this article references startups and small organizations that do not follow structured project management processes.
Startups by nature move at lightning speed, with constant pivoting to meet new goals, shifting leadership vision and ever-changing client needs. When you place a project manager in this type of environment—especially one without previous experience in a startup organization—it is likely that the immediate reaction is sheer panic. Project managers by nature are process driven, so bringing a PM into the mix of a startup that may not have established processes can be a culture shock. However, project managers can bring immense value to a startup. A project, program and portfolio manager’s knowledge and skills can be leveraged to help the company scale up, meet goals faster, manage priorities and execute on strategic goals more thoroughly.
Here are four tips to keep in mind:
1. Identify of Areas of Opportunity Project managers in startups can focus on identifying where there are major inefficiencies, barriers and internal difficulties for project teams to meet client, leadership or overall project demands. These areas needing improvement will be easily identifiable in day-to-day work.
Below are some general examples of the inefficiencies, barriers or internal struggles that project managers and project teams may encounter in a startup environment:
No repeatable processes, templates or standardized way of carrying out and managing organizational tasks and projects
No established project management framework
Unrealistic timelines, goals and continued scope creep stemming from clients, leadership and founders
Lack of planning for scalability and growth
No clearly defined team roles (for example, blurred lines between “who handles what”)
Once identified, project managers should analyze specifics in the area of concern to get a better understanding of what the root cause issues are, what is missing or what can help streamline that area. It is important to always keep the organization’s strategic goals in mind when trying to implement change of any kind.
2. Create Sustainable Tools Project managers can help develop tools and templates that will help the organization standardize the way that project areas and tasks are executed. For example, if the startup struggles with requirements collection (or if requirements are often unclear or cause confusion), development of a detailed template can help. It can be filled out during requirements gathering, along with listing out which resources should be included in the requirements-gathering session and an outline of how to conduct the session. This is an example of a good way to help build structure and process.
The creation of visuals such as flowcharts and matrixes to map out processes are another great way to help build structure and bring clarity on execution. The development of these tools and templates should be a collaborative effort. Including other project, product and operational team members in the development will help bring in knowledge from other areas of the company and facilitate the creation of a suitable process.
Involving other team members in the creation of tools, templates and processes also makes the team feel involved in the change effort, thus leading to higher adoption rates. This means there will be a higher probability that team members will accept the change and follow the process or use the template going forward.
Creating tools and documenting processes that can be used in a repeatable manner for future projects is an important step toward a startup’s growth and scalability.
3. Establish a Project Management Framework In addition to the development of tools, templates and processes, another important area that a startup should work to establish is an overall project management framework. Establishing an internal project management framework is crucial to an organization’s success because it establishes a proven and repeatable process that individuals in the organization can follow to meet project deliverables (Ozmen, 2013)1.
Many startups and smaller organizations may not follow a standard project management framework or are still trying to get comfortable adjusting to or deciding on one process. Project, program and portfolio managers can lead in helping the startup organization establish this framework. Establishing a framework takes time and a deep understanding of the organization’s strategic goals and current structure. The framework chosen must support the current state of the organization. Analyzing current projects and strategic goals is a good first step.
There must also be buy-in and support of the framework from founders and company leadership. Again, to boost adoption and sustainability, include others in the planning and transitioning to the framework; obtain buy-in from key members of the organization; and always keep the startup’s strategic goals at the forefront of each decision.
4. Manage Client and Leadership Expectations Another set of common challenges for project managers in startup environments is frequent scope creep, unrealistic timelines and unreasonable client requests that leadership has agreed to or set. Because the goal of most startups is quick growth, these challenges often occur as a result.
Project, program and portfolio managers will need to work closely with leadership and the project teams to mitigate these challenges. Clearly outlining resulting risks in a risk register, keeping updated timelines, keeping clear project charters to refer back to when there is scope creep, and presenting actionable data are all great ways to help mitigate these types of challenges.
Remember to always ensure that these deliverables and data connect back to the organization’s strategic goals.
Conclusion Being a part of a growing startup is an incredibly challenging undertaking. It takes grit, courage and the ability to pivot and adapt at a moment's notice. But while it comes with many challenges, there are also many rewards. The personal and professional opportunity for growth is endless, and the experiences gained will be impactful to your career.
You will find yourself presented with many opportunities to solve problems, make large-scale decisions and help set the organization up for sustainable growth and scale. Something that would take years at an enterprise level can be achieved much faster in a startup—and that can be leveraged both for you to gain experience, and for you to make a positive impact in the startup during your time there.
Reference
Ozmen, E. (2013). Project management methodology (PMM): How can PMM serve organisations today? Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2013—EMEA, Istanbul, Turkey. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
