Project management can be a tough gig. You serve as the backbone businesses rely on to streamline their projects, delegate important tasks, and keep those nasty budgets in check. Having leadership skills is incredibly important. But is it enough?
You may be thinking, “Am I doing something wrong?”
The problem is that there are no set-in-stone rules when it comes to project management. But take a breath, you are probably doing a great job. This article is here to serve as a guideline to help you go from being a decent project manager, to being the best darn project manager businesses can get.
So what are the DO’s and DON’Ts of project management?
Everything You Should Be Doing As A Project Manager
Always Set Up A Project Plan
If you serve as the backbone of business productivity, a project plan serves as the crutch.
But really, you should always be working with a project plan. It will help the upper management understand exactly what is in the pipeline, and how it is expected to play out. But more importantly, it will help keep your team organized. Including providing realistic milestones for their deliverables.
If you really want to be a superhero in a project management outfit, you may want to consider implementing a project selection methodology in your project plan. This will help the company manage projects far more efficiently.
Stay On Top Of Your Game With Your Schedule And Budget
When you start working on the next big project, it’s important to set up an easy-to-see results method of measuring the progress of the project in terms of both time and money.
As a project manager, you already know that the project has a high likelihood of changing completely, but having a measurable way to track progress will help you keep on top of your game. When things do start changing with your project, keep your team in the loop. So that together you can make the necessary adjustments to blow the project out of the water.
Do Use A Software To Better Manage Your Team And Keep Them On Top Of Their Games
Team management is a large part of your job as a project manager. You are responsible for keeping your team productive and their tasks flowing seamlessly. But how can you ensure everyone knows what to do and when?
Team management software is a blessing in disguise.
Implementing team management software will help you ensure everyone knows what to do, and when. It will also make your team feel more involved, improving morale, and work focus. Slack and Trello are just two examples of great software that you can combine for team management.
What You Should Be Trying To Avoid As A Project Manager
Assumptions Are Your Worst Enemy
The child-friendly version of the saying goes, “assumptions are the mother of all mess-ups.”
When it comes to project management – this needs to become your motto. Making assumptions about any aspect of the work could spell disaster.
As a project manager, you should always know exactly what you need to in order to streamline the project. Right from the budget, down to the milestone and deliverables expected. Taking anything for granted could lead to some serious repercussions and project downtime.
Don’t Think Of Your Project Plan As A Set-In-Stone Procedure
The corporate world is fluid. Thing’s change plans shift, and ideas get improved. That is the exact reason why it is important to never consider your project plan as a set-in-stone procedure.
Be willing to take into account potential changes, and adapt to the new shifts in order to keep productivity at a maximum.
If you truly want to keep project productivity at a maximum – we strongly suggest a regular meeting with stakeholders and sponsors in the light of changes. This will help you ensure that the project does not need further adjustments.
Keep It Simple For The Team
Don’t go overboard with technicalities. The last thing you want is for your team members to be spending more time on the process – than on the work itself.
If you are responsible for developing the process for your team, make sure its strict enough to keep them in line – but simple enough to keep them motivated to do their jobs. No one enjoys being asphyxiated after all.
If senior partners are responsible for dictating the process, and you notice your team is struggling – hold a meeting. Let them know that the process is bottle-necking productivity, and suggest adjustments to make it easier on the team.