💃 Part 1 of 5 | Salesforce Project Management Phases🕺

Good morning, Salesforce Nerds!  Welcome to the first, in a series of five, newsletters dedicated to Salesforce Implementations and how to succeed using the five Project Management phases - Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitor/Control, and Close.  

This knowledge can scale up and down for small changes, like adding fields, to large and complex implementations of Salesforce solutions.  They are applicable to Business Analysts, Project Managers, Salesforce Admins, Consultants, Developers, Architects, etc.  You may be responsible for none, some, or all of these.  Regardless, your awareness of them will add value to your career. 

Agenda for today includes

• Initiation -> Planning -> Execution -> Monitor/Control -> Close

• Daily Principle

• All the Memes

Project Initiation

Initiation is the Most Difficult Phase. If it is Not Hard, Then You Are Doing it Wrong!

What Is It?

In a nutshell, it is hustle.  It is making something out of nothing.  It is 0 to 1. 

An agreement is made to "implement Salesforce," then smiles and high fives all around.  But someone is gonna have to actually implement it.  And they are starting with criminally insufficient detail to do so.  

Typically, but not always, an experienced resource is involved in the initiation.  No question, this resource will start their hustle with the SOW.  They may start by listing out things that will be needed to be successful.  Everything that goes on this list will need to go through a rigorous process.  A simple technique is to ask Why 5x.  Why is this on my list?  Why is that important?  Why does it add value?  Why?  Why?   

Takeaway: The initiation phase will produce the Why so that the rest of the project can use it as a North Star to guide their activities.  

Why Should I Care?