When you’re a project manager, you’re taking responsibility for many things that can go wrong without your direct fault. You’re in charge of a group of people who have a very clear idea of what they’re supposed to be doing, while you’ll never have the luxury of knowing whether the big picture will come together until the end. Here’s how you can make all of this less risky and arduous.
1. Set clear and transparent objectives
You should always start by setting realistic objectives. Have a clear timeline and ensure that each task passes a three-point estimation. This means that you’ll have the following:
- Ideal completion time
- Pessimistic completion time
- Realistic completion time
If people understand their role on the project, they’ll understand that they matter and that the work they’re investing in makes a difference.
You may also want to make a roadmap for the project. This way, you’ll better understand how well you’re doing. You’ll also have an easier job tracking the process across the board. This also helps with transparency since it’ll be easier for the rest of your staff to follow the project. This may even be useful when conversing with the client.
2. Pick the right project management tool
This job will be a lot easier with the right project management tools. These platforms are optimized for collaboration and centralize all your efforts.
First, they provide a space to share schedules, open tasks, and upload files. The most important aspect of it is the transparency. You’re doing these things in a shared space accessible to every project participant. You can even give clients access to the parts of the project so that they can track the process.
This is also incredibly important for diagnostics since every edit leaves a digital footprint. While determining who is at fault isn’t the healthiest way to handle things, it can sometimes be important in mediation (something we’ll discuss later).
3. Focus on version control
When working on a project, you will have difficulty keeping track of all the changes and file integrity. The thing is that a single document may undergo many changes by many different parties. When you change the file, you’re not just entering a cosmetic change – sometimes, you’re changing its integrity.
This is why you may want to start using a sophisticated document management system, potentially even a document comparison tool. The key is to back up all the previous versions and keep the changes’ logs.
Just remember that version control ensures the integrity f the project and the interpersonal relationship of everyone participating.
4. Delegate more efficiently
To run a more successful project, you should delegate tasks more efficiently. First, you need to understand the project requirements. This is the only way you’ll be able to pick the right people for the project. Ideally, you’ll have a person in mind for each task.
Second, you need to have trust in your team and give them full autonomy over their tasks. Don’t assign them if you don’t trust them to complete the job. Micromanaging is too time-consuming and bad for morale. After all, you’re giving away the impression that you don’t trust them.
Third, you need to monitor their progress and offer assistance when needed. Some of your team members will be too proud to ask for assistance.
5. Set smarter deadlines
According to Parkinson’s law of deadlines, the work will stretch to fill the time to the deadline. When you give people deadlines that are too short, they’re under stress, they burn out, and the results are always inferior.
At the same time, when you give them too much time to complete the task, they tend to procrastinate, which may be even worse. This is why you need to become incredibly good at making deadline estimates. Good analytics are the key to success in this field.
Try to evaluate how much time the project will take and then add some time (for delays and unforeseen occurrences). You can even set an unofficial deadline that only you’ll know so your employees may get more time (if needed) without counting on it in advance.
6. Prepare for mediation
People get into arguments all the time. People are more likely to get into these arguments under pressure, overworked, and working on a tight deadline. This is why it’s so vital that you’re ready for mediation.
While determining whose fault it is maybe important, this is not the most important thing in the world. The important thing is that the problem is resolved, and everyone’s back at work.
Even if one employee is 100% in the right, backing them too hard may ruin your integrity and make the other party vengeful (making them unusable for the rest of the project). Remember that you have a project to run and sometimes require more diplomacy than you’re used to. A good project manager needs to be a diplomat.
7. Identify bottlenecks
One distinguishing good project managers from bad is their ability to identify bottlenecks before a “clog” occurs. This way, you can take preventive measures and ensure no holdup or downtime.
The most common project-management bottlenecks are:
- Resource constraints
- Poor communication
- Lack of active leadership (hesitation of the leader)
- Risk management
- Unclear roles and responsibilities
By just addressing these several factors, you’ll easily handle all the pressure and ensure that, when the problem arrives, you’re ready to meet it head-on. This way, there’s no hold-up, no downtime, and everything can run as intended.
8. Record everything for future projects
While you may be too obsessed with the current performance, just remember that the first project has many problems that you won’t be able to predict or expect. However, once you experience them, you’ll know them for good.
Keep records of this and ensure you have a more systemic approach to this problem. Actively keep track of your spending, work hours, and delays. In a scenario where you expect to handle the next project with the same team, measure and note their performance. Some people will perform differently under pressure, and you need to know who these star players are.
While the current project is a top priority, remember that your organization or career doesn’t end with a single project.
9. Don’t forget to celebrate a successful project
Remember that every successful project is a cause for celebration. You must understand this and reward your team when everything is completed successfully.
This is not just an event; it’s a milestone. Just go back to the stone age when humans made a grand celebration after every successful hunt. It’s in our nature to commemorate success; you might even say it’s in human nature.
Remember that it’s still an office party, and you can’t just run wild with it. Sometimes, it might be a good idea to extend the invitation to the families and friends of the project participants. After all, they probably also “suffered” while the project lasted, and you might also need to show some gratitude to them.
To be good project management, you need to visualize the entirety of the project
Focusing on project management skills is more important than just fixating on the project because this is not the last time you’re in this role. By the end of your career, you’ll manage so many projects; if you have to start from scratch every time, you’ll never get the job done. This way, you stand a chance of streamlining the process.