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It won’t be wrong if we say — Project management is the engine that moves the business forward. According to PMI, 46% of businesses prioritize project management before anything else.
And the rest who don’t?
They struggle with deadlines, clarity, team effort, and whatnot.
The goal of a project manager is not only to manage a project but also to make it a success.
If this is the first time you’re managing a project, consider the following tips to create a great impression in the company with your project management skills.
7 Tips to make your first project management successful
1. Clearly understand the project.
To make any project successful, its foundation should be the strongest. For that, you need to clearly understand the interests of the clients and stakeholders regarding this project and what they expect at the end of it. After that, develop a project plan that defines the roles and responsibilities of people connected with the project.
2. Know the project requirements.
Project resources are the key ingredient in the success of a project. Therefore identifying the project requirements is essential. Once a plan is developed, create a team and allocate the tasks based on their strengths and capabilities.
If you think you need a person with skills that don’t exist already, talk to the HR department so they can look for the one you need. After all, the project’s success starts with making the right decisions.
3. Identify or create critical milestones.
You can only achieve success when you can measure your performance. Hence you must create milestones to identify the defining moments of the project.
This practice can be done by defining the project’s life cycle, such as initiation, plan, execution, and closing. And you can perform an evaluation test after each stage. To do this project beyond your client’s expectations, ensure to include everything in the project, from the smallest part of the product or service to the technical documents.
These milestones also show the team members’ dedication and efforts to make this project successful.
4. Maintain effective communication
This point can’t be stressed enough. Communication is very crucial during the project. Hence, smooth and consistent communication should occur between the client and stakeholders, and any change discussed should be shared with the team members to avoid confusion or surprise attacks.
Make sure you have permitted every team member to communicate with you at any point in time without hesitation.
One thoughtful communication can solve big problems, while on the other hand, ineffective communication may lead to project failure.
5. Leverage team members’ strengths and know their weaknesses.
A project’s success depends on the team members working on the project. And as a project manager, you must make some effort to know the strengths and capabilities of your team members and assign them tasks accordingly.
As some say – someone’s strength is someone’s weakness and vice versa. Therefore, if someone cannot do a task due to inexperience, don’t waste your and their time to try to make it happen anyhow; instead, focus on the field, which is their forte.
6. Use a tool for project management.
When you employ people to make your project management journey successful, why not leverage technology to make it easier? There are countless project portfolio management solutions available at your disposal. Choose the one that caters to your needs.
A project management software works as a data house to keep all the information relevant to the project. From documents to effective communication to collaboration, project management software acts as a master platform that everyone can use for everything related to the project.
7. Know the potential risks.
With full motivation in the project, it is also important to watch out for potential risks and pitfalls. The risk might come in many forms and kill the progress you’ve achieved so far. To ensure the success of your project, identify the potential risks or problems that may arise during the work so that immediate measures can be taken when they arise.
Summary
Managing your first project can be overwhelming as well as exciting. However, you can make your first project go smoothly and easily by preparing yourself in advance.
Define the milestone you can track as well as the problems that may arise during the project. And remember, your team members are your strength. So be open with them, and let them be open with you.
