I have found that there are certain aspects of project management that I always have to remember before I begin a new project. Although every project should address these considerations, sometimes projects get off track or team members get lost. We do not want to get to that point before we are reminded, so if you answer yes to any of the following questions, these four reminders will be great to review.
- Have you ever experienced a situation in which you and the project team are on completely different pages?
- Have you ever realized, halfway through a project, that there was a huge risk to the project that should have been identified and mitigated before you ever got to that point?
- Have you ever had a team that had trouble completing tasks or knowing when an item was due?
- Have you ever been unsure whether a project was completed or successful?
1) Communication without assumptions
We hear this all the time– communicate, communicate, communicate. Every project should have regular team meetings, but even then, someone could be multi-tasking, absent, or just spacing out. It is always best to follow up with meeting minutes or just individually reaching out to remind team members about action items. Do not ASSUME anything. Always double check with the team to ensure everyone is on the same page. Tasks can be misunderstood and inaccurately completed because the instructions might not have been specific enough.
2) Account for risks before the start of a project
While we cannot completely plan for the unknown unknowns, we can prepare our stakeholders for various risks pertaining to the timeline, resource, scope, etc., based on previous experience or project constraints. Your stakeholders will appreciate having prior knowledge that two full-blown concurrent projects will strain resources and stretch timelines before either project begins, as opposed to both projects falling apart after the fact. Create a Risks Matrix as you begin planning the project and talk with every project stakeholder to determine what risks there may be.
3) Create a Project Plan with your team
Without a plan, projects are bound to fall apart no matter how simple the project is. Do not underestimate the benefits of working with the team to create the plan. Team members who will be doing the actual work will know how much time is required for specific tasks and whether additional items need to be added to the plan. The project manager can pull from experience to add or subtract from the given estimates, but the team will be able to offer specificity that would not otherwise be available. Careful planning and consideration will benefit not only the team, but your stakeholders as well. The team will be able to see where everyone stands on tasks and the overall progression of the project. The stakeholder can be assured that the team is moving forward in line with the agreed upon timetable. At the very least, Project Plans should detail the following:
-Project milestones
-Detailed resource allocation
-Project deliverables
-Realistic deadlines based on discussions with the team
4) Define Critical Success Factors for Your Project with the Sponsor
The project sponsor is the person who champions your project to the stakeholders and is ultimately the project ‘owner.’ Defining criteria to measure project success with the sponsor is extremely important. Otherwise, how will the team know whether the project is successful or not? Make sure to have a discussion with the sponsor at the onset of the project. During status meetings, you can use these factors as a way to measure progress. Whether to goal is to “increase revenue by 5%,” or “migrate 95% of the firm to the new system by ‘x’ date,” the team will have a better idea of what they are working towards if they have set success factors.
These are four of the reminders I constantly think about as a project manager. Do you have any reminders that you know you need before you begin your projects? If so, what are they? I’d love to hear about them!