The success of individual projects is what leads to general success. However, it often happens that a project breaks the deadline and requires a greater budget than was originally estimated. On the other hand, even such projects aren’t necessarily regarded as failures, although a timely delivered project, within the planned scope and below the set budget is an irreplaceable asset of a thriving business. Here are 5 tips that will help you with your projects.
1. Make sure that everyone understands the purpose of the project
Why is it that work is often divided into projects? Because the broader the subject in question, the less focus there is. Sadly enough, you’d be amazed at how many “headless” projects there are out there. We’re not talking about team efforts without a manager or someone in charge but attempts at tackling a certain goal without fully understanding its purpose, without everyone being on the same page and, therefore, lacking in motivation and dedication.
This is all on management: as a person who’s in charge, it is your duty not only to be clear about the purpose of the given project, but also to make sure that everyone understands it to the fullest extent. Projects are all about going into the tiny details of a larger goal, but not at the cost of its essence – at the end of the day, it’s all about the big picture.
2. Make sure that everyone’s on the same page
The next step in understanding the project through-and-through is keeping your eyes on the prize. What this means is that you should have a well-defined vision and goals – the two pillars of project success. Of course, the more people are involved, the more difficult it is to stay on the right track. This is why it’s important that you hire a team of people who clearly understand the purpose and the point of the project. Properly preparing the project team, carefully explaining what the point is and choosing a handful of dedicated and passionate individuals rather than an entire workforce of semi-motivated workers are all factors that make a world of difference. Oh yeah, and keep the goals SMART!
3. Make an effort to put together an awesome team
Why are people divided into groups/teams? Because a single person can’t multitask on the team level. What’s the main downside to any team? Having difficult time acting like a single body. Unfortunately, making sure that your project machine is well-oiled is something built on experience – no matter how good you are at workplace psychology and team management, and no matter how well you know all your employees on personal and professional basis, you’re going to have a difficult time assembling a perfect team.
What you can do, for the time being, is make sure that none of the parts of the project machine are missing. Clearly define each member’s roles and responsibilities – write it down on a whiteboard, just so that there is no confusion and in order to avoid unnecessary disputes.
4. Put an emphasis on automation
The bigger the project team, the less personal it gets, meaning that as you add more people to a project, motivation and unity slowly start to diminish. Automation, on the other hand, saves money, time and energy in a wide variety of ways.
Here’s an example of automation: instead of writing a list of tasks and duties on a plain whiteboard (or even worse, discussing it only verbally), a project manager (or whoever’s in charge) can use technology to share this list of tasks and duties with everyone – all it takes is a PC unit equipped with MS Excel.
Of course, automation doesn’t end with Excel. For instance, employee tracking platforms can help you immensely, as well. For example, platforms for monitoring computer activities doesn’t only allow you to see who’s late for work, but it also helps you understand why some of your team members are more productive than others.
5. Clear communication is paramount
No matter where the project takes place, and no matter where the team members might be at any given time, it is essential that they are able to communicate as seamlessly and effortlessly as possible. This means phone calls, video calls, conference calls, but also things such as properly functioning cloud storage, etc. Communication is an integral part of success in business – encourage it.
Following these 5 tips will help you tackle a project on time, on a planned budget and within the originally designated scope. Making sure that everyone is clear on the purpose, vision and goals of the project, putting together and managing a perfect team, boosting communication and allowing for automation to take over leads to successful project management!
