Project Management

For this step, I like to have at least two kick-off meetings. The first meeting establishes all "wants" and "needs". This helps illuminate the key driver/limiter of the project; Cost, Time, or Quality. The second meeting is conducted after some thought about the key driver and has the purpose of reaching a consensus with commitment.

Quality time spent on planning generates smooth transitions into implementation. Some speed bumps are foreseeable, while others are not. Proper planning mitigates the later. This step of management can be broken into multiple phases:

Task lists

This is the phase I "plan to plan", breaking down different areas of a project that need attention and scheduling time to focus on those areas. This is also a good time to give assignments to team members to aid in the process.

Order planning

This phase is necessary for optimal efficiency of the project. I always list out processes and keep a hard copy to reference.

Contingency planning

I can't think of a project that I was involved with that did not have possible hurdles to overcome. While some issues are unforeseeable, taking time to acknowledge the foreseeable potential issues and make alternative plans to overcome them can be the difference between scrapping or completing a project.

Chart anticipated progress

While each person may visualize the progress differently, using Gantt charts can solidify a team's understanding of what is expected. The charts should be as specific as possible with built in buffer times. I often share these plans with teams, but I may leave out some specifics depending on the project timeline needs.

Resource requirements

Resource requirements can vary, but I always create a list including time needed from team members. 

Prepare for action

I like to have a meeting to encourage my team and verify everyone is on the same page. If there is any confusion at this point it must be addressed immediately.

While implementing a project it is important to track costs and progress.

Costs: Monitoring the actual project funds are always important, but being sure to monitor wasteful practices is equally important. Whether it is inefficiency of a process or excess time spent in inappropriate areas, tracking how time is being used has been a major role of mine over the last few years. 

Progress: Holding incremental meetings throughout the project allows everyone to understand how close the team is to the original plan. Flagging trouble areas and announcing milestones aides in team engagement. 

Adjustments: If progress is appropriately tracked, then seeing if adjustments are needed can be easily spotted. When talking with my teams, I often engage with them directly about the feasibility of getting back on track.

Success is wonderful and should be celebrated! This is a great time to compliment the team in the areas they excelled.

Shortcomings are also important to review and brainstorm with the team on how to improve in those areas. Too often this step is overlooked as the team may be ready to move to the next project, but this is an essential portion of this step to continually improve.