Any project – whether it be a painting, construction of a home, or a business initiative, begins somewhere – a doodle on a napkin, a simple white boarded idea, or even a structured vision. Taking that vision and transforming it into a successful project that lands on time, within budget, and within scope heavily relies on a project manager’s (PM) ability to manage a variety of workflows and stakeholders. This can be overwhelming to say the least. Below are 8 ideas that can help a PM plan, execute, and measure a successful project.
When a project manager receives a new project, their first job is to grasp and understand the industry, vertical, and vision of their client to further understand the “why” behind the “what,” and to find ways to effectively add value. The client’s vision is their passion, and it’s a project manager’s duty to fully understand the vision, and to then effectively relay the information to their team members and ensure everyone is on the same page and working toward bringing that vision to life.
Communication is key to executing successful projects. People make a project come to life. From writers to creative design, your team plays a crucial role in executing successful projects. It’s imperative a PM communicates effectively with everyone involved and that everyone understands the task and schedule at hand. If everything is a priority, then nothing is. The key here is that a PM should find effective ways to be transparent and be able to provide key, up-to-date information with their team in real time.
Effectively leveraging collaboration tools will help to balance many moving parts while keeping an eye on the end goal. Below are a few tools to help a PM stay organized, accountable, and focused throughout a project. For more details on collaboration tools, see our blog Project Management 101.
There isn’t a one size fits all approach to every project. Each project is unique, and priorities may shift, deliverable format might pivot, and strategy may change. It’s the PM’s role to adapt, adjust, and communicate the changes to all stakeholders according to client and project needs. They should aim to stay two steps ahead, mitigate risk, and have a clear process to follow when a change occurs.
Complex projects include many stakeholders. A successful PM needs to know when to consult their teammates in a tactful way – whether it’s to bounce ideas off one another, problem solve, or just track on a deliverable. Every team member brings a unique set of skills and talents to the team, and when a PM can effectively leverage the skills of the team, the sky is the limit! Collaboration is key, and two heads are always better than one.
To effectively execute any project, a PM should be well equipped in managing the overall timeline and scope and be able to efficiently track the status of every deliverable. By staying organized, adhering to the project schedule, and maintaining open communication with their team, a PM can more easily provide an on-time delivery, mitigate unforeseen changes to the project, and effectively manage the relationship with the client.
The goal of every PM is to satisfy their clients and make them look good. By effectively and proactively communicating through email, sending status reports, attending weekly project syncs, and adhering to consistent review cycles, a PM can easily capture client feedback and drive for success. Communicating client feedback to all internal project stakeholders enables a team to make pivots to upcoming deliverables as needed in addition to understanding what went well and how to improve for the next deliverable and project.
Once a project is complete, it’s always beneficial to hold post-mortem meetings with the internal team. This enables the project manager to look back and talk through what went well, identify key learnings, and map out a strategy to apply those learnings to future projects.
Every PM has a unique ability to strategize, plan, organize, and ultimately execute to bring a client’s vision to life. Implementing these ideas can help a PM manage a variety of workflows and project goals while establishing a positive relationship with internal and external stakeholders. Visit our website to learn how Team Odigo can bring your vision to life.