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Project management is one of the key aspects of business.
Every change, addition, or business venture that your company or organization goes through requires many, if not all, aspects of project management. Whether your business deals with one project at a time or a whole multitude of goals to achieve, the core tenets of project management remain the same.
Project management is both an art and a science. You can expect to go with your gut as often as you go by the numbers to accomplish your goals.
Hopefully by the end of this guide you’ll have a better understanding of these basic points and when you can expect to go by the numbers or use your judgement when leading your teams to success.
Project management is just one segment of an entire company’s operation. It’s a system governed by a detailed plan and executed by a team for the purposes of achieving a goal, whatever that goal might be.
In many ways, project management is just like a car engine. There is a sequence of events, carried out by many moving parts, that must all happen within a specific timeframe in order for the engine to run properly.
Without the correct mixture of fuel, air, and spark, or the correct timing of these three key elements, the engine won’t fire. A project is very similar. Without the correct personnel, scope, money, and resources, a project will never succeed. Project managers ensure that all of these factors are handled, accounted for, and used when they are needed.
Project management is used in all sorts of industries, each with their own unique styles and methods for completing tasks and achieving goals.
When it comes to project management, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving these goals, especially when considering the unique needs of different businesses.
Project managers aren’t shadowy figures behind curtains pulling all of a project’s levers in an Oz-like fashion. Instead, project managers are leaders.
They are the coordinators of a project management plan, ensuring that key players and resources are utilized to their full potential in order to accomplish a goal in the optimal amount of time.
These are the key responsibilities of a project manager:
Project managers ensure that they have the right people for the job and that they utilize team members where and when they are most needed.
They develop plans that steer everyone towards task completion and achieving a goal, and they motivate the team to realize their potential.
The inherent problem with bringing people together to accomplish a goal is the fact that everyone works at their own pace. The job of the project manager is to set realistic deadlines and clearly communicate those deadlines to the team.
On top of setting those deadlines, a good project manager will know when to shift resources when certain tasks are at risk of falling behind.
The initial project outline developed by the project manager gives the team a roadmap for success, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any roadblocks. This is where project managers will step in and take corrective measures to ensure the project is delivered on time and on budget.
The best project managers know that post-project reports are crucial, not only for ensuring all project requirements are delivered, but also for improving future methods and plans.
While it’s important to deliver a project that meets expectations and is on time, if you exceed your project budget, your project might as well be considered a failure. A project manager should know how to prepare, manage, and ensure budgets don’t exceed their estimates.
Building a project management plan requires you to consider many moving parts before you even begin writing out your first draft.
Luckily, I’ve put together five project management steps to get you on your way to building the perfect project management plan that will keep you on track and please your clients or stakeholders.
The first step toward building a project management plan is to set up an opportunity for some face time with the stakeholders. Project stakeholders are those who are impacted by the results of your project, therefore they are the ones you will report back to about any developments and progress.
During this meeting, you will discuss these five points:
This is also a chance for you to discuss any potential pain points or roadblocks you may encounter with this project. This way, initial expectations are set before you begin.
Now that you understand what the stakeholders are looking for, it’s time to list out those needs and set goals around them. These goals have to be attainable and measurable using key performance indicators (KPIs) that will allow you to assess the successes and shortcomings of your project.
These KPIs can include:
Using these KPIs, along with many others, you can set measurable goals that will even help you determine the effectiveness of future projects. Remember, you aren’t married to these KPIs. These measurable goals are subject to adjustment as you move along the project execution process and are meant as a starting point.
You’ve spoken to stakeholders and defined your goals, so now it’s time to assemble your dream team to help execute this project:
This is not a comprehensive list of all potential project roles. No two projects are exactly the same, and all have different needs, so feel free to create and add new roles as you see fit. Once you’ve put together your team, it’s time to start hammering out the remaining project details.
Once you’ve established your deliverables, your goals, and your team, it’s time to put together the real meat of your project plan: the schedule and the budget.
You can accomplish this through a seven-step process:
Once you’ve gathered everything you need in your project plan, be sure to go back to the stakeholders to lay out the process to them. If at any point corrections need to be made, this is no big deal.
Just make a note of the potential changes, reassess your project plan, then come back with your adjustments for approval from your stakeholders. There will likely be multiple instances where your project management plan will require alterations and additions.
Every project needs a project manager, but does every project need software? Below I lay out the reasons why you might or might not need to adopt project management software into your strategy.
Sometimes, everything else about your team makes sense. You have your strategy down and you’re about to move forward with a project. Now all you need is a tool, like Trello or Microsoft To Do, to help you streamline your project management process and iron out the organizational kinks.
Here are four reasons why using project management software makes sense.
Sometimes, project management software is exactly what you need and other times, it’s just another unnecessary expense. Here are four reasons why project management software might not be the solution you are looking for.
Now that you understand the basics of project management, how to put together a project management plan, and when you will need software to bring it all together, why not let us help you find the right tool for you?
I’ve reviewed some of the best project management software platforms currently on the market, including:
Whether you’re new to project management software or need help deciding between choices, like Asana vs. Basecamp, The Ascent will help you choose the right tool for you and your team.
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