This article is contributed by Jason Dirkham.
Many project managers are considered to be a jack of all trades; this is because they have to wear many hats and have knowledge of several complex areas to be successful.
So what is considered to be a successful project? There’s no right answer when it comes to this as it’s down to several factors and often can only be judged on an individual basis. It could mean delivering on the project’s objectives, regardless of the time spent on the project and the funds donated (just get the task completed) but chances are it’s going to include things such as meeting the objectives, including scope, schedule, budget, good resource use, quality performance and end project, value, and overall outcomes. Whatever way you decide to look at it, it’s going to be something that’s agreed upon jointly by you, your team, and your client. Bear in mind though that this can change regularly, mainly as the project develops.
It’s not a secret that a project manager’s role is vital to the success of any project, and creating a stable, reliable framework for this requires a large amount of thought and attention to detail. Often project managers will be seen with piles of paperwork, emails galore, and folder after folder of information they need to sort through. The biggest problem is that not all project managers can thoroughly apply themselves and achieve the goals they set out. With this time, experiences and some tips along the way will help you to become the best project manager you can be.
How can you achieve success? Well, project management is about creating the right working environment, using resources in the best way possible, and having the right attitude. Have a look here at what it will take to be successful with project management with some of the steps you will need to achieve this.
Have A Plan In Place
Planning has to be one of the most crucial areas for successful project management; without a plan, you are already setting yourself up to fail. It takes a lot of organization, commitments and the involvement of your whole team to achieve put a plan in place. Using project scheduling software can be extremely useful with keeping a project precise, cleared and organized. You need to be able to see where, who and when things are going to happen for a plan to come together, it’s wise to look at all employees strengths and weaknesses so that you can tailor your ideas around the skills available. You should also consider the fact that priorities in a project can change during the duration of a project. You should expect to continually revisit, reshape and refine your plan and adjust accordingly.
Make Sure You Can Deliver
You will come across an array of different project management styles, but one thing they all have in common is the fact that they appear to be able to ‘talk the talk’ but too often it’s the case that they aren’t able to deliver what they promise. If you’re not ready to ‘walk the walk’ and provide everything you talk about, then you are never going to be able to motivate a team and keep them on board with changes. This will mean that your project is likely to fail. As a project manager, it’s essential to realize that people will be looking to you throughout the whole project. This means you’ll not only need to demonstrate excellent leadership but also brilliant communication, and organizational skills. No excuses.
During your project, you might need to up-skill on specific topics, and there is nothing wrong with this. There may be times when you need to admit your limits and look to outsourcing; a successful project manager will identify this and include as part of the plan rather than burying their head in the sand. This will show initiative and ethical leadership.
Be Flexible
You won’t succeed if you’re not willing to be flexible, any decent project manager will be able to flex to meet and new demands, unexpected challenges and often failures mid-project. One thing to consider is the time scale of your project if your project is going to running across five years, the chances are that something newer and better may have become available for use compared to at the start of the project. For example, a different type of equipment for the production team that will increase productivity more than the original plan, it’s best to consider other options at least as and when they do arise. Make sure you are leading by example if you’re flexible people working on the project with you are bound to follow suit.
Always Expect To Be Overdue
In the eyes of management or sometimes even team members, a project can appear to be taking longer than they deem to be necessary. It’s important to stick your ground and reassure these people with the practical guidelines you have put in place. You will find that you are quite often explaining the effects that certain things have had on your timeline. Every project is affected by, budgets, deadline, and resources. An excellent project manager knows this and will work within their limitations. One thing that you can do is have a proactive and encourage a sense of urgency in a fast-paced environment. Try to make time for regular check-ins, hold productivity meetings, and have regular follow-ups without becoming too overbearing.
Avoid Micromanaging
The most successful project managers lead; they don’t take over and become overbearing. They will have an extreme level of trust for the others involved in the plan of action and will generally steer clear of stepping on toes and micromanaging (unless it was necessary) They are also very good at understanding their limitations, and therefore have faith in people who will be better in certain areas. Get to know your team, the managers and speak about the importance of hitting milestones and achieving deadlines. You should make sure you fully know and understand the skills of your organization.
Constant Feedback Is Essential
Whether your project is being wholly successful or it’s failing miserably, it’s not necessarily bad either way. However, it is crucial to identify areas that were successful and not successful in improving and making changes when moving forward. This is why feedback is considered to be so important. You should encourage everyone involved in the project to express their honest opinions and concerns openly, even if this is aimed at areas you’ve spent a lot of time and effort on. This will help you avoid mistakes and ultimately improve the way you handle the next project.
Constant Communication
It’s highly likely that you’re not going to be able to be on-site and overlooking every aspect of a project, but this doesn’t have to mean that you’re not available. You should be on hand for constant, working hours, communication and consider out of hours if you have people working on the project when you’re not around. You need to be able to show that you’re there for guidance and questions if needed, project managers should be some of the most approachable people in the working environment. Use all the communication tools you can- emails, phone calls, video chat or in person, the more you make available and respond to the more successful your project will be.
Treat It Like An Assembly Line
So, no project is the same, so technically it’s not going to be anything like an assembly line; however, it’s essential to make sure you take your project one step at a time. If you break a project down into manageable parts, it will make it seem less intimidating and more achievable. This enables you to do regular reviews and generate feedback along the way which will, in turn, keep you on track. Of course, not every area can be treated in this way, but if you try to apply it as a general rule, it should help.
Make Sure You’re Fully Equipped
Successful project management relies on using your resources wisely in a significant way, including both people, firmware and software. You should make it a priority to try and make sure you are fully equipped right from the start of a project, although it’s not always possible. You’re not likely to know if you need to employ someone with particular expertise until you delve into areas of the project more. You can, however, recruit for the project, install relevant software and ensure you have the right technologies for getting you off to the best start. You need to expect to change these further down the line if you need to.
There can be a lot to consider when it comes to becoming successful in project management; hopefully, this handy guide has given you some food for thought with some of the critical areas to consider. Do you have any other tips for being a successful project manager? Please share them in the comments section below.
