A country director for a global corporation spoke to employees about working together to make the company's crucial projects successful. He then told them of the story of a swan. A swan swims beautifully above water without showing that both feet are busy propelling underneath. That, he said, is the meaning of project management.
Project management involves the discipline of planning, organising, and managing the company's resources to bring about the successful completion of a specific project. Companies rely on successful project management because project failures are expensive, can dampen employees' morale, and can cause the business to recess altogether.
Successful project management is not complex. Here are six key items to ascertain a project's success.
Identify a competent project manager. This person works among the members of the project team and ensures milestones happen. This person also has the support of the investors and can confidently 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, prepare that will show the full project plan, delivery dates, project team members responsible for an action, milestones, and other key elements of 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 large it crosses countries and time zones. But even smaller scale projects require clear communication lines. A well defined communication path is key to keep the project phases going seamlessly. In contrast, failure of communication or miscommunication can cause the entire project to fail altogether.
Highlight the "How" over the "What". Answer the question, "How was the project accomplished?" instead of just answering "carried out?" Good project management ensures that successful projects mean those who worked on it are also happy and feel accomplished. In the long run, it is what project members affected by the project feel about it that really matters in measuring its success.
Conclude the project. Given a competent project manager who knows what is happening both in the front lines and in the upper management, and project workers who are process owners, a project can be completed according to given timeline and project budget. End the project by keeping a record of learning experiences and crucial achievements.
Celebrate success. During the project, celebrating milestone achievements is important to keep the people's motivation up. Towards the end of the project, celebrating success is one way to give back to the employees.
Project management involves the discipline of planning, organising, and managing the company's resources to bring about the successful completion of a specific project. Companies rely on successful project management because project failures are expensive, can dampen employees' morale, and can cause the business to recess altogether.
Successful project management is not complex. Here are six key items to ascertain a project's success.
Identify a competent project manager. This person works among the members of the project team and ensures milestones happen. This person also has the support of the investors and can confidently 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, prepare that will show the full project plan, delivery dates, project team members responsible for an action, milestones, and other key elements of 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 large it crosses countries and time zones. But even smaller scale projects require clear communication lines. A well defined communication path is key to keep the project phases going seamlessly. In contrast, failure of communication or miscommunication can cause the entire project to fail altogether.
Highlight the "How" over the "What". Answer the question, "How was the project accomplished?" instead of just answering "carried out?" Good project management ensures that successful projects mean those who worked on it are also happy and feel accomplished. In the long run, it is what project members affected by the project feel about it that really matters in measuring its success.
Conclude the project. Given a competent project manager who knows what is happening both in the front lines and in the upper management, and project workers who are process owners, a project can be completed according to given timeline and project budget. End the project by keeping a record of learning experiences and crucial achievements.
Celebrate success. During the project, celebrating milestone achievements is important to keep the people's motivation up. Towards the end of the project, celebrating success is one way to give back to the employees.
About the Author:
Click for further information on project management or project management training Singapore.
No comments:
Post a Comment