4 tips you need to succeed in your projects as a project manager
If you’re like most project managers, you feel like your projects never end. From the big ones – launching a new product or service to the little ones that keep you up at night – they all seem to be coming at you at once. This is especially true when it comes to public projects. The more visibility there is on social media and other platforms, the more eyes are on your work and the more opportunity for someone to find bugs or leave you feedback.
It’s also why solo developers and startups are struggling with so many project failures until they find the right people and partners to help them take their ideas from A to Z in a timely manner. If you’re working on a personal or small business project, chances are it feels the same. You may have investors breathing down your neck, customers waiting for results, or another deadline looming. Or perhaps you’re just trying to eat dinner every night without making a mess in your kitchen because that’s what happens when there’s too much stress on any given day. Whatever the reason, using project management software can go a long way toward making sure everything gets done on time, within budget, and with minimal stress for everyone involved.
Be accountable
One of the best things about project management is that you can be completely accountable for each and every project or initiative you’re responsible for. If you’re starting off as a project manager and you’re only managing a few projects at a time, this may not apply to you as much. In fact, if you’re managing a small project with a few dozen people, you may not even be aware that there’s a team working on your brief or that someone else is taking over some of your tasks. While you don’t want to stop being accountable for your work when you get promoted to a manager or founder, it’s also a good idea to keep tabs on how your responsibilities have evolved as a project manager over time.
Have a vision
The foundation of any successful project is a clear vision from the beginning that guides everything you do. This may be your company’s mission, what you’re trying to accomplish with your product, or how you would like your company to be seen. If you don’t have a vision, no one will. It will be very difficult to justify the time, effort, and money that will be spent on your project without one. Having a vision will not only help you stay focused, but it will also give you a confidence boost when it comes to presenting your work to investors, customers, and others who will be involved with your project. You’ll have a much better chance of success if you can see your project in terms of who, what, where, when, and how.
Stay organized
As the project manager on a team, it’s your job to be organized. From who you contact to what activities your team should be doing, be it a project list or a WIP list, your team should be able to find it. If you’re like most people, you keep track of all the details on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet, which means you’re likely messy and disorganized. If you’re on a team, this can really turn into a disaster. If one person accidentally launches a document or a piece of paper gets scattered throughout the office, the project is in jeopardy.
It’s important to keep track of who you’re working with, what they’re doing, and where they are within the project. This will help you stay organized and on-task, which will help your team stay organized and on-task as well.
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Follow up
Even if everything on your project list gets successfully completed, there will still be times when things don’t go as planned. You’ll probably experience times when things don’t go as planned and you’ll need to bring the project to its knees. Having a written plan for dealing with these types of situations will help you avoid getting in over your head. If you don’t have a plan, you may be dealing with a “he said, she said” situation. In this case, you’ll probably end up figuring out the entire project on your own because no one will be able to tell you which details to rely on. Having a plan for dealing with this will help you avoid getting in over your head.
Conclusion
As the project manager on a team, it’s your job to be organized. From who you contact to what activities your team should be doing, be it a project list or a WIP list, your team should be able to find it. If you’re like most people, you keep track of all the details on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet, which means you’re likely messy and disorganized. If you’re on a team, this can really turn into a disaster. If one person accidentally launches a document or a piece of paper gets scattered throughout the office, the project is in jeopardy. It’s essential to keep track of who you’re working with, what they’re doing, and where they are within the project. This will help you stay organized and on-task, which will help your team stay organized and on-task as well.
What is project management?
Examples of projects
Planning a wedding
Planning a family vacation trip
Planning your daily and weekly activities
Developing a website for your brand or client