1. Tinker Tailor
A more recently emphasised aspect of PRINCE2 is the tailoring of the PRINCE2 framework to the demands of the particular project you are working on. This means that in some cases you will not be adhering to every detail proposed by the PRINCE2 framework - and that is perfectly fine! In fact, if you do not tailor PRINCE2 to the needs of your project you may be putting your project at risk. For small projects I have worked on where I have been both project manager and business analyst, I would have not had the time to keep up with all the suggested documentation for PRINCE2. Instead, I elected to have a simplified PID that still did the job and allowed anyone to step into my shoes when I was away and run the project effectively, without necessarily having to understand any of the details.
2. Running an Agile project? Why not use PRINCE2!?
Just because you are using PRINCE2 doesn't mean you cannot run an Agile project. In fact I would say Agile projects would greatly benefit from utilising the PRINCE2 framework in certain situations. PRINCE2 Agile provides a framework that allows for great agility at the delivery level (Kanban/Scrum) whilst still maintaining project controls that regularly test against the business case. When running a PRINCE2 Agile project it is important to ensure that the PRINCE2 principles do not compromise the Agile delivery methodology. It is important to tailor the framework to your project to ensure you have the right mix of both worlds that are relevant to your project.
AXELOS have a certification for PRINCE2 Agile if you want to check it out: https://www.axelos.com/certifications/prince2-2009-certifications/prince2-agile
Additionally this blog post a lot more detail on the PRINCE2 Agile framework if you want to dive deeper and are already familiar with PRINCE2: https://hennyportman.wordpress.com/2015/07/12/prince2-agile-a-first-overview/
3. The importance of "manage by exception"
Avoiding micromanagement is one of the areas I need to definitely improve on. It's something that is so easy to be drawn into but can have devastating affects on a project when left unchecked. The "manage by exception" principle allows your team to feel empowered with responsibility and removes the need for you to micromanage. To enforce this principle effectively, the whole team needs to understand who they are reporting to, how they should report issues and what the tolerances are that they should be monitoring. The tolerances that you set should encapsulate time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits.
4. Roles and responsibilities
It is extremely important that the team understands what they are responsible for individually and have clarity on the chains of command and reporting structure. This will allow your team to know what to do and who to talk to when things aren't going so well. An understanding of roles and responsibilities within your team unit is a vital ingredient to a successful project. Not only does this understanding give empower team members, it also means there is an understanding of accountability and responsibility - see my other article for details on how this can help improve team dynamics: https://steemit.com/leadership/@hassyousif/how-managing-your-attitude-can-help-you-to-become-a-better-project-manager-and-leader.