Project management is a challenging field that requires you to solve problems, make decisions, and manage people all at once.
If you’re pursuing a career as a project manager or are working as one and want to hone your skills, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of the field and the roles each project manager must take on.
Many responsibilities come with being a project manager.
You will be the main point of contact for every detail of your projects from inception to completion. In addition, you will be in charge of setting deadlines and monitoring progress daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, depending on your organisational structure.
It may sound like an overwhelming amount of work but don’t panic!
Here are seven essential tips for becoming an effective project manager:
Define Your Project’s Scope
One of the first things you’ll need to do is define the scope of your project.
While the project’s scope is not the same as its objectives or goals, it is closely related to them.
The scope of a project is the work that must be done to accomplish the project’s goals. It can also be defined as the work breakdown structure (WBS), where all the tasks that must be done to achieve the project’s goals are arranged into smaller components.
Your team must clearly understand the project’s scope so that everyone knows exactly what they’re responsible for and what their expected deliverables are.
Whenever you are assigned a project, you’ll want to first determine precisely what is expected from the project and what will be accomplished.
This will help you to manage expectations and ensure that you’re delivering a product that meets the project’s requirements.
Communicate Effectively
Communication is a vital part of being a project manager, as you’ll be communicating with team members, clients, stakeholders, and other members of your organisation daily.
While written communication is essential, you should also make an effort to communicate with your team members in person. That way, you can better understand their needs and concerns and respond effectively.
You should also be making an effort to communicate with project stakeholders, such as clients or executives, to keep them informed and engaged in your projects.
You’ll want to be sure that your stakeholders feel that they have a clear understanding of the goals of the project.
Moreover, you should also keep stakeholders up to date on the progress of the project so that they don’t feel left in the dark about what’s happening with the project.
Set Deadlines & Milestones
Every project has milestones and deadlines that must be met, and it’s the job of the project manager to set these dates as well as assign team members to specific timelines.
You should be sure that each project within your organisation has a clear timeline associated with it so that there’s no ambiguity as to when something needs to be completed.
Be sure to communicate these timelines and deadlines to team members so that they stay on track with their work. Use employee time clock apps to keep track of who is doing what and when.
It’s important to keep the timelines visible in your office or on your computer so that everyone knows what the expected deliverables are.
You’ll also want to keep track of what stage each project is in and whether team members are on track with their expected deliverables so that you can take appropriate action if someone is falling behind.
Manage Risk
All projects come with a certain amount of risk. Some projects might have more risk than others depending on a number of variables, such as the type of product being developed or the amount of money being invested.
It’s the job of the project manager to identify the biggest risks that come with a project and come up with a plan to mitigate these risks.
You should have a risk management plan in place that you can use to assess the risks associated with each project.
You can then take the appropriate actions to mitigate these risks, such as bringing in additional resources, increasing project timelines, or increasing project budgets.
You should also be sure to keep track of the risks that come with each project and how they were addressed so that you have a record of your actions if auditors or executives ever ask about the project’s risks.
Find The Best Talent
While the project manager is in charge of setting up the project and seeing it through to completion, the rest of the team members play an important role in its success.
In fact, the choice of team members can make or break a project. You’ll want to choose the best team members for each project so that you can ensure the project’s success.
Finding team members who are committed to the project and are passionate about their role will take some things off your plate.
Look for team members who bring unique skill sets to the table. It can be helpful to have a wide range of experience on your team because it helps to break down barriers and promote creativity.
Hold Effective Meetings
Meetings are a standard part of project management, especially if your organisation has a project management board.
You’ll want to ensure that meetings are effective, however, so they don’t become a distraction. Y
Make meetings more productive by following these tips:
Wrapping Up
These seven tips will help you to become an effective project manager.
However, being a project manager is a continuous learning process.
New projects and team members will constantly challenge you, and you’ll need to find new ways to overcome these challenges.
When in doubt, seek out mentors or coaches who have experience as project managers so that they can provide you with advice and tips.
