The job of a project manager is like a roller coaster ride which is full of excitement, stress, fear, chaos and a lot of fun too. Even if you have never single-handedly handled a project, you still know that when the deadlines approaches, the nervousness reaches its peak and the anxiety to complete your work almost doubles. However, one cannot always afford to rely on the last minute adrenaline rush to fetch good results.
Being an amatuer project manager, you will have to take risks, expand your knowledge and skills, make mistakes and then learn from them. This article is not meant for professionals but new project managers who are looking forward to take on the big responsibility. Work like a NASA Engineer So, what if you have been handed over a big project and this is your first time? Not a big deal. Take this new challenge like a NASA astronaut, build your focus, and start working on the project. Start with big things first and don’t get stuck in minor details. Make sure you develop a plan first and then make adjustments as and when needed. But don’t forget to work with a pro attitude. Be Clear about the Goals Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. -Tony Robbins Before you begin working on a project, it is important to define goals. Defining your goals clearly will help you to channelize your thoughts, efforts, and time for accomplishing it. But there are few things you need to keep in mind while defining your goals. It is good to have an ambitious goal but make sure it is genuinely realistic and has a deadline with it. Unrealistic goals and the ones which are not bound by time are never accomplished. On the other hand, a well-defined goal enables you to visualize basic requirements, necessary dependencies, and milestones. Don’t Ignore Team Collaboration in Project Management "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." – Henry Ford You cannot even think of making your plans successful without a team. In fact, you would need a well-collaborated team at every single step of your project from completing tasks, answering clients, satisfying the stakeholders, and so on. However, handling a large team whether in a local environment or remote location isn’t easy. Using a good collaboration tool can help you in communicating with your team members about every little thing. Also, it makes it easy to share important information with them or track project status. Take Time to Define Requirements and Estimate Time Once you have discussed your plan with your team and received customer feedback, now it’s time to get into details. Surveys and feedback will help you know customer requirements clearly, set project milestones, and also estimate the time that would be required to achieve it. Don’t ignore the importance of time estimation for every task involved in a project. If you haven’t defined deadlines clearly then don’t expect your team members to deliver tasks in time. Deadlines are a powerful method for maximizing team productivity. I hope the above points will help you handle your new project with vigor and intelligence. Don’t forget to invest in a good online collaboration tool and avail maximum benefits of it.
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AuthorSharon Thomson is a project management expert and writer. Through the years she has written about a myriad of project management topics and has successfully managed countless projects on her own. A big believer in ‘work smarter, not harder’ philosophy; Sharon keeps including her own personal lessons in her writing from time to time. |