Imagine you’re building a complex Lego masterpiece. You wouldn’t just dump all the bricks in a pile and expect everyone to build simultaneously, would you? Chaos would ensue! Instead, you’d break down the construction into smaller, manageable modules, assigning specific tasks to different builders.

This concept of modularity is crucial for effective resource management, especially in a Program Recovery scenario. While it might be tempting to try and micromanage every single task and resource, this approach is often unsustainable and counterproductive.

Think of it like this: you’re a general leading an army. You wouldn’t personally instruct every single soldier on the battlefield, would you? You’d delegate authority to your lieutenants, who in turn would command their platoons, and so on.

Similarly, in project recovery, you need a layered approach to resource management. Detailed planning and resource allocation shouldn’t be a one-person show. It needs to be delegated to the lowest management level – the team leads or small project teams. They’re the ones closest to the action, with the best understanding of their team’s skills and the tasks at hand.

The “Holy Grail” Illusion:

While the dream of enterprise-level resource management might seem appealing, it’s often an elusive fantasy. Trying to track and control every single resource across an entire organisation is like trying to herd cats – it’s just not practical.

Instead, a more realistic and effective approach is to apply resource management techniques at different levels of granularity. Think of it like a pyramid:

• Base Layer (Team Leads): At the base, team leads allocate resources to specific tasks on a daily basis. They have the most granular view of their team’s capacity and the tasks that need to be completed.
• Middle Layer (Project Managers): Project managers, in turn, allocate resources to different teams or departments on a weekly basis, ensuring that each team has the necessary resources to achieve its objectives.
• Top Layer (Department Heads): At the top, department heads allocate resources to different projects on a monthly or quarterly basis, ensuring that the organisation’s resources are aligned with its strategic priorities.

The Power of “Flow”:

One of the most critical aspects of this layered approach is avoiding resource fragmentation. When a resource is assigned to a project or task, they should be fully dedicated to it, at least for that day.

Think of it like this: a programmer needs to get into a state of “flow” to write effective code. Constantly switching between different tasks disrupts this flow, leading to decreased productivity and increased errors.

The SWAT Team Solution:

To handle urgent issues and unexpected requests, you can designate a dedicated “SWAT team.” These individuals are your project firefighters, ready to tackle any emergency that arises. They don’t have specific daily tasks; their role is to be the “grease” that keeps the project running smoothly, freeing up other resources to focus on their assigned tasks.

By adopting this layered approach to resource management, you create a more efficient and effective system. You empower team leads, avoid micromanagement, and allow your technical resources to achieve that critical state of “flow.” This, in turn, leads to increased productivity, improved quality, and a smoother path to project recovery.