Connect with stakeholders
People who hire you for a particular project don't like surprises, especially if these surprises bring bad news. It might seem easier to keep the problem quiet and try to solve it yourself first, but what if things get out of hand? Then you will definitely have to visit your boss.
It will be best if, in case of possible signs of irregularities in the project, you organise an interview with the stakeholders, explain the situation and present an action plan to solve the problem. This way, you can not only get the owner's consent but even get help to speed up the process.
Ben Snyder, CEO of Systemation, recommends keeping top management and other stakeholders aware of the circumstances before doing anything that goes beyond a predetermined procedure.
Maintain constant communication with your team
No matter how well you design a certain project, it is practically impossible to create a plan that perfectly meets all requirements without a single snag. There will always be some circumstances you are unable to anticipate or prevent in advance.
According to Liz Helbock, CEO of Events.com, it is absolutely essential to understand that project plans and priorities could, should and must change, which means having to be prepared to deal with these situations. Her advice is to learn to maintain continuous communication with the team so that these changes do not catch anyone unprepared. The best method is to maintain a regular frequency of appointments, e-mails or instant chat.
Keep partial activities under control
Cindy Calvin, an experienced marketing project manager, believes ongoing control of partial activities provides an opportunity to maintain control over the entire project. This way, you will always know what project activities are currently underway and who is responsible for their progress. In Calvin's experience, it is never good to leave a team meeting without having defined a set of action steps and the people or teams responsible for each item of each sub-task of the project. It is also important to plan events according to the business owner's priorities, so for each event item ensure your deadlines are in line with project milestones.
You should also know how to filter out what is irrelevant to the success of your project or its current state. Whether the information comes from your boss or a member of the team, there must be a set of defined requirements and inputs that have no immediate value for your project goals.
Win the support of top management
Without strong support from "upstairs", your projects may simply not go according to plan. For this reason, Paul Naybour of Parallel Project Training suggests the project manager communicate with and receive support from top management.
Experienced project managers know that management is not very interested in your struggle to reach a certain milestone, especially if your problem requires more funding or any change that affects their plans. To get these people on your side, you should present your demands backed by benefits to the company, such as profit growth, market position and opportunities. Apply your requirements to the company, not to your project.
Being a better project manager means learning every day from both your own experience and that of other people. It is also a path that leads to personal and professional barriers, from which you should learn and create added value. These tips are just some of the "signs" you should know about, and then it's basically up to you.
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