Ten Top Tips for Delivering Successful Projects

It has always been important to deliver projects on time and on budget, but these days there is no margin for error. Discover how to achieve project success with these top ten tips...
 
Feb. 23, 2011 - PRLog -- 1. Use tried and trusted methods: Follow standardised practices to maximise productivity, minimise redundancies and improve consistency. PRINCE2® for example, is a tried and tested, recognised method for project management. It means project team members will be able to hit the ground running as they will already be familiar with the terminology and processes, saving valuable time on the project and ensuring ease of communication amongst the project team and key stakeholders.

2. Know your target: How can you hit a target if you don’t know what it looks like? The best way to achieve your objectives is to produce a concise ‘project product description’ so that you have a clear vision of the end goal. This description should include measurable acceptance criteria that have been agreed upon by key stakeholders and, crucially, the project sponsor. Never lose sight of your target as long as the project lasts.

3. Accept change is a reality: A successful Project Manager will tackle change head-on rather than avoiding it. Change Management is an integral part of any successful project. Management of change means you have to think quickly on your feet - change should be justified, its impact assessed and as a result, an appropriate response proposed.

4. Keep stakeholders engaged: Anybody that has an interest in the project at all is a stakeholder; don’t underestimate the power of keeping all stakeholders engaged, regardless of their relationship to the project. Remember communication is a two way channel. Communication will help reduce stakeholder resistance to change and help manage expectations.

5. Risk; don’t take your eye off the ball: Realise and accept that risk management is unfortunately an ongoing, everyday part of a Project Manager’s role. Always build a risk management strategy into your project plan and communicate potential risks to all team members. Anything that could have an impact on your objectives requires attention – ignore at your peril.

6. Monitor progress regularly and frequently: Meeting project deadlines is challenging and the best way to stay on track is to frequently monitor progress against the plans. This way you will be in a position to apply controlling action at the earliest opportunity if progress is not as expected.

7. Delegate, delegate, delegate: It’s tempting as the Project Manager to get heavily involved in the actual specialist work of the project and not leave enough time for your own management activities. Remember that your principle role is as the Project Manager and you need to maintain a bigger picture perspective at all times.

8. Quality is key: All project deliverables need to meet success criteria; therefore, quality control is an integral part of any project. Build sufficient time for quality control into your project time-line so that you have an opportunity to iron out wrinkles before project implementation. Prioritising quality control will pay particular dividends in stakeholder satisfaction.

9. Don't hide the truth: As the project manager, you are charged with keeping the project on an even keel, within your boundaries of authority. As soon as it looks likely to deviate beyond those boundaries, don't keep it to yourself and assume that you can recover it. Escalate to Senior Management immediately and you'll receive their support for your recommendations. Senior Management does NOT like unpleasant surprises at a later date!

10. Learn from every project: Evaluate each project and turn it into a valuable learning experience. Lessons learned will lead to continuous improvement and impact both the success of your career and that of future projects.

Trevor Mirams is the Lead Project Management Trainer for REDTRAY Ltd., who are listed on the Arras People PM Training Directory @ http://www.arraspeople.co.uk/project-management-training-.... REDTRAY is a provider of PRINCE2, ITIL and an extensive portfolio of project management training. Trevor has worked in IT since 1969 for both the private and public sector, combining skills for IT and Management Training Provisions for 16 years. Founded in 2001, REDTRAY has experienced rapid growth and gained an excellent reputation thanks to its experienced team of professionals. REDTRAY are committed to saving their clients time and money.

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Project Management Recruitment Specialists, focused on programme management, project management and project support.
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