Do you ever wonder how successful companies like Domin execute their projects? If so, welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at Domin’s unique approach to project management and the secrets behind our consistent project success.
At Domin, project management isn’t just about tasks and timelines; it’s about people, culture, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration. We have several principles that set us apart and drive our projects to success. Let’s delve a little deeper:
1. Culture is Key
Our company culture follows a people-centric approach that is built around radical candor, collaboration, open communication, and continuous improvement. Everyone is encouraged to share ideas and concerns freely. Every voice matters and contributes to our collective success. We believe that without sharing problems, you can’t find the right solutions.
2. Tools as Enablers, Not Drivers
While we leverage the best tools available for each task, we understand that tools serve the people rather than the other way around. Our approach is tool-agnostic, in which we select the best tools for each task based on user-friendliness and accessibility. Tools like Airtable and Power BI are not mere software solutions but enablers of a seamless flow of information across all departments. They are used to integrate our ecosystem and optimise our processes.
3. Data Drives Decisions
Data is at the heart of our decision-making process. We make use of the DIKW (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) pyramid to help drive our decisions. It helps our project managers take raw data and turn them into actionable wisdom. Additionally, the RICE scoring model forms part of our data-driven decision-making process. It is used to streamline our project prioritisation by evaluating initiatives across four dimensions: Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. Reach assesses the scope of an initiative’s effect, Impact measures its significance on our objectives, Confidence gauges our certainty in these estimates, and Effort quantifies the resources required. This enables us to make balanced, data-driven decisions.
4. Transparency Reigns
Transparency is ingrained in our culture. From stand-up meetings to transparent documentation practices, we prioritise open communication at every level. We create a supportive ecosystem in which problems are addressed proactively by fostering an environment where everyone feels empowered to share ideas and concerns.
5. Project Flexibility
At Domin, our OKRs (objectives and key results) and processes are designed to adapt to changing circumstances, understanding that the journey is never linear. We use Wrike as a hybrid project-management tool, allowing us the flexibility to adapt to the unique needs of each project with its sprint and structured agile elements. For larger, more complex projects, Wrike allows for the project to be broken down into small, digestible parts with its sprint capability. On the other hand, it offers a waterfall element for projects with well-defined stages that will benefit from linear progression.
6. Engaged Leadership
Our leadership plays a key role in supporting project managers with the right resources and direction. Upper management is actively involved in projects. They provide guidance and ensure that projects are aligned with organisational goals. This engaged leadership collaborates with project managers to drive project success.
7. Effective Communication is Prioritised
We value effective communication and therefore have a ‘minimal’ meeting culture that involves two weekly stand-up meetings of about 30 minutes. We ensure that information flows freely within teams with our stand-up meetings, dedicated team-chat channels, and transparent documentation practices. This emphasis on communication minimises misunderstandings, aligns expectations, and keeps projects on track.
8. Learning Culture
We foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. We promote knowledge sharing using resources like CODA, which serves as a hub for sharing project updates and information, user guides, insights, and best practices, working alongside the hands-on learning opportunities that empower project managers to develop new skills and approaches. Our lesson-learned initiative also allows our employees to learn from experiences. We capture and prevent recurring issues through tools like Figma. This allows our teams to learn and grow with each project iteration.
9. Risk Management
We prioritise risk management to future-proof our projects. We make use of our new risk-management tool, Airtable, to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks.
Final Word
Our project-management success is based on a people-centric approach, a commitment to transparency and collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. Embracing these core principles empowers our teams to tackle challenges head-on, adapt to changing circumstances, and drive innovation in everything we do.
If you want to be part of a team that is pushing boundaries, then head to our careers page to explore our current vacancies.
