Project Management: A Simplistic View
A country director for a multinational corporation spoke to employees about working unitedly to make the company’s crucial projects successful. He then told them of the story of a swan. A swan swims gracefully above water without showing that both feet are working hard and propelling underneath. That, he said, is the essence of project management.
Without proper project management, companies’ projects can go haywire. These in turn will cause employees to be demotivated and can lose the company a lot of money. Project management is key as it puts to action the disciplines of planning, organizing, and managing valuable resources to make sure that a company’s project ventures.
Project management does not have to be complicated. Here are six simple precepts to ensure a project’s success.
Position a competent project manager. This person works among the members of the project team and ensures milestones happen. This person also has the approval of the stakeholders and investors and can effectively communicate with them. A competent project manager also knows how to work with the team.
Set up the project plan. Using project planning software such as the MS Project, make Gantt charts that will show the full project timeline, critical delivery dates, persons responsible for an action, milestones, and other key reports on the project. A chart is the visual representation of the project. It keeps everyone abreast with regards to the status of the project.
Outline a clear communication path. A project can be so big it crosses countries and time zones. But even smaller scale projects can use clear communication lines. A well defined communication path is important to keep the project phases going hassle-free. In contrast, failure of communication or miscommunication can cause the entire project to fail altogether.
Put a stress on the “How” over the “What”. Answer the question, “How was the project carried out?” instead of just answering “completed?” Good project management assures that successful projects mean those who worked on it are also happy and feel fulfilled. In the long run, it is what people affected by the project feel about it that really matters in measuring its success.
Conclude the project. With a competent project manager who sees both the trees and the forest, and a skilled manpower compliment who are experts in the processes involved in the project, a project can be ended with success, at the right timing, and within the given project budget. Always remember to close the project and record best practices and other important milestone achievements.
Celebrate success. During the project, celebrating achievements is important to keep the people’s spirits up. Towards the conclusion of the project, celebrating success is one way to give back to the employees.
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