Project Management is quite often the province and responsibility
of an individual project manager. This individual
seldom participates directly in the activities that produce the end
result, but rather strives to maintain the progress and mutual interaction and
tasks of various parties in such a way that reduces the risk of overall
failure, maximizes benefits, and restricts costs.
10 Rules of Highly Successful Project Management
The Project Management Institute defines project management as
"the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities to meet project requirements". To sum up, project management is
all about making the project happen. It is a discipline of initiating,
planning, executing, and managing resources with the goal of completing
specific deliverables within budget and time.
A successful project manager is one who can envision the entire
project from start to finish, and have the prowess to realise this vision. To
keep pace with business and project managers need to make their management
practices more flexible.
1. Be Agile
Traditional project management methodologies are proving to be too
rigid, bureaucratic, and time consuming for today's dynamic business
environment. In fact, these methodologies can work against different
departments. Today, you need to respond with agility to rising issues and
changes. The formal documentation and processes involved in traditional project
management can weigh you down.
2. Do Not Micromanage
The ideal project managers are leaders, not control freaks. Some
project managers can be overly analytical and invest too much time in
perfecting details, when they should really focus on achieving milestones and
the completion of the project. Flexible project management requires a balance
of both the left and right brain, hard and soft skills.
3. Keep Improving Your Project Management Practice
Technology is always evolving to meet the changing needs of users.
In the same way, your approach to project management should evolve alongside
business processes. Communicate with your team, client, and boss, as to how you
can improve your project management practices.
4. Ongoing Planning
The single most important activity of project managers is
planning. Planning must be detailed, organised, and require team participation.
And like the real world, plans always change and reprioritise with situations.
For this, plan, re-plan, and plan.
5. Work with a Sense of Urgency
Wouldn't it be great to work with an unlimited pool of time,
money, and resources? Here on Earth, however, we have fixed 24 hours in a 7-day
week, and we have been taught early on of the importance of spending within our
means. Because projects are constricted with a set timeline, budget, and
resources, it is of utmost importance that the project process is constantly
being driven towards completion. Regular updates, meetings, and follow-ups are
essential.
6. Visualise and communicate all Project Deliverables and
Activities
In short, the project manager and team must have a picture of the
finished deliverables in the minds of everyone involved. This guides everyone
in the same direction. Avoid vague descriptions at all costs, be specific, draw
diagrams and pictures, and make certain everyone agrees with it.
7. Complete Deliverables Step-by-Step
The thought of climbing a mountain in one go can be crippling. But
to see it as a succession of steps and peaks is less intimidating and more
achievable. In the same way, you don't want to jump in a project with the
intent of building all project deliverables at once. Work on each item
step-by-step, get process reviews and approvals, and always maintain a sense of
direction.
8. Healthy Risk Management
Assign a risk officer who will be responsible for detecting
potential project issues. You want someone who has a healthy dose of
scepticism.
o All team members should not hesitate to report concerns or
challenges.
o Maintain a live project risk database that tracks all issues and
resolutions.
o Do not obsess. Assessing risks should not be your main priority.
The last thing you want is to be wasting your time and resources on risk
management, as it will prevent you from ever completing a project, let alone
give you the courage to start it. Remember, you want a healthy dose of risk
management, not a crippling one.
9. Open Communication
Communication is vital in all aspects of project management.
Adhere to a policy of open communication, encouraging all members to voice
opinions and concerns. This cuts through waiting games and significantly
reduces the risk of mistakes, saving you time and money.
10. Never Lose Sight of the 3-Factors: Time, Budget, and Quality
While project management practices have changed to be more
flexible and open, the foundation remains the same. Project success occurs when
it is delivered on time, within budget, with a level of deliverables that are
satisfactory to the client. The Project Manager's main role is to keep all team
members aware of these big 3 - Time, Budget, and Quality.
