Today, the definition of projects has also evolved into something more unique, which involves one-time efforts from a diverse, temporary set of workers. The set skills of the team vary from one project to another and, through technology, can even employ employees across geographical borders in order to render the service needed without physically meeting. This is an aspect of project management that is called collaborative tools, which enables team members to work together remotely but can use a single platform.
The way to do project management cannot be universally applied to all kinds of projects, but the fundamental or structural approach remains close to a certain “standard.” But as competition becomes tighter, and outputs are becoming more specialized and unique, it is possible that project management will continue to advance. Projects embody a big part of any business or organization, as long as there are needs to fulfill and challenges that are looking for solutions. There is a long way to go for project management systems to mature, and one cannot be fully satisfied with how outcomes are produced.
Best Practices for Project Management
There are good ways and bad ways to execute project management, but no one can single handedly define its specifics. One method may not work for one project but might be proven best for the other. What one can only assume is that there are certain, generalized best practices that an organization can adopt concerning foundational project management. The subsequent steps to take, including the methodologies and approaches to adopt, still boils down to the best judgement of the business or organization, and for the project manager to evaluate.
Nonetheless, among the different best practices that many businesses and organizations have tried and tested, there rise some broad concepts and applications, which include the following:
1.Shift of Focus on Benefits and Outcome, Away From Processes and Methodologies
By shifting the perspective of project management from methods and processes to the goal itself, one can formulate a distinct set of strategies to take, instead of adopting the traditional approaches to the latter. It can personalize the project management tools and techniques too, which also emphasizes the uniqueness of the project itself. This is what modern project management usually does, by putting emphasis on the uniqueness of a project and addressing it like such.
2.Collaborative Efforts
By empowering the communication medium to use with technology, collaboration is better executed because geographical boundaries can be bypassed, and team members can be located. This is a way of establishing a two way communication among the team, which cuts the time it takes to get the insights of each when using one way communication media like emails and reports.
3.Daily Engagement of the Project Manager to the Project
With technology, the project manager can manifest his presence all throughout the project, including all tasks and processes involved, most especially on the day to day activities. This is only possible through the use of a project management software, which lets a project manager gain a bird’s eye view of the whole project, and is also capable of “zooming in” to each individual task execution. Project managers nowadays are also becoming more informed, not only just because of daily engagement but also with the use of data gathering and analytics. This enables managers to capture useful data from each milestone, which can be useful for future engagements and crucial decision making with present endeavors.
4.Moving from Setting Objective Plans Into Doing Realistic Planning
Most project managers in the past, are coming up with a set of objectives, as if they are dealing with achievable outcomes with an “absolute certainty”. Although one may argue with having a countermeasure in terms of risk management and contingency planning, still many projects fail because of lack of insight about certain uncontrollable situations that may render all your project management efforts to be futile.
Setting a realistic plan instead, saves your organization from having unnecessary expectations, but still remains determined to push the project to become as innovative as possible. It actually lets your organization out of its “comfort zone,” and instead, encourages the project manager to think more critically in order to come up with realistic goals to pursue.
5.The Development of Project Risk Management
Project risk management allows project managers to provide sufficient attention to the risks involved in his project engagements. This is done by minimizing, if not to completely eliminate it, and modifying how tasks are executed and by deploying a backup program that will serve as a “safe cushion” when uncontrollable risks did happen.
Project Management Tips for Start Ups
As a first time entrepreneur, or an organization leader, it is essential to establish a project management system upfront at the beginning. This is to make sure that your business or organization will be built on a sturdy structure, which will encompass its objectives, in order to reach an expected outcome.
In starting an endeavor, it is usual to continually encounter ideas that pop out of your head to the point that you become so overwhelmed with the things that you need to do. This is called “scope creep,” where you reach a situation that you are unable to control the growth of the changes you make over the project’s scope, which can be more devastating when it will happen on the onset of project execution.
Scope creep, and a host of other management issues, can be minimized through the establishment of a robust project management system. There are so many things that a start up entrepreneur or leader may want to implement for his endeavor at once, but it is smarter to tackle each thoroughly and according to the sequence.
These are smart tips to keep in mind when dealing and implementing initial project management strategies for your startup venture.
1.Establish Your Project Blueprint.
To come up with a brief overview of the purpose of your undertakings, it is helpful to answer the following questions first:
- What is the need or problem you are trying to solve?
- Who is your client?
- Why do you need to solve the problem or need?
- How are your competitors solving the problem or need?
Your answers to the questions will determine how you will initiate the project in order to achieve the solution. Basically, this will serve as your starting point towards becoming more effective in addressing the requirements towards the best solution or outcome.
2.Use a Project Management Software
Incorporating technology in your project management tools and techniques can help you speed up your journey towards growth and expansion with your start up. Project management tools are capable of setting up the foundation of your project, and ensure that the project is directed towards its goals. Its user can input action items to be monitored and delegated. It can also produce reports about the initial efforts, and derive some useful information in order to improve the project as it progresses.
3.Establish Accountability Among Team Members
Upfront, you can instill accountability to your team members without the use of force or busting their morale. By modeling your own initiatives, you can let them see a role model in you. Live up to your own imposed principles and fulfill your tasks according to schedule. An effective leader is also able to give out a lot of understanding about the nature and limitations of your team members as humans like you. It is also important to establish respect within your working relationship with your members, which can bring a lot of benefits long term.
4.Pen Your Ideas
Write down all your ideas and come back to it when you need to supplement one of your working concepts. All may not be viable during your launch and initial efforts, but it may come in handy in the future. It is important to ink your ideas in order to preserve them and let it serve as references for future endeavors and growth/expansion projects.
Does Your Business Needs a Project Manager?
In your start ups initial days, you may resist other things that will entail additional costs. In project management, a project manager’s service may take up too much of your resources and might not be viable just yet.
Project management is crucial to businesses and organizations today. According to Price water house Coopers’ Current Programme and Project Management Practices 2012, 80% of those high performing projects were led by a certified project manager. Most businesses cannot afford to get a project manager in its early days, but here are the signs, according to Inc.com, that you should be wary, which can tell you if you need expert services from a project manager:
1.You Miss Deadlines (on a Regular Basis)
Despite its best intentions, a business can still miss deadlines. Being consistent in hitting the mark requires a lot of practice and exposure to pressing situations. In the beginning, the understanding for you might be tolerable, but as your business matures, you need to be consistent with your best efforts. If you are likely to miss your deadlines, you may lose your credibility in the long run.
2.Your Teams Disagree
As your project scales up, your team may grow in number and be broken down into smaller segments in order to put the right focus to each specific task requirement. Having a lot of units to manage may entail you to get some expert services in order to carry out the leadership and coordination work, so you can focus on other important matters.
3.You Are Dealing With Financial Loss
It may entail you with the additional cost of getting a project manager or project management services, but given the chance, the benefits can be realized in a matter of time. When the nature of your business involves living up to high expectations, then, project management software or the services of a project manager are a worthy investment.
Project Management Tools for Start Ups
For a startup, nothing matters much but to let their ideas fly, expand, and grow, but this entails efforts to make sure that everybody on board is on the right track.
As you grow, you also want your team to achieve success. Fortunately, you can partner with the best project management tools that will keep your individual efforts aligned with the designated objectives in order to attain a common goal.
Online project management tools are becoming a thing nowadays, and through the use of internet, one can easily access its benefits and be informed of the real time status of the project. A project manager and a project management tool are the best partners to help you be more efficient in managing project teams and resources and maximize their use.
For more information about the top project management tools in the market today, see CrowdReviews.com’s project management tool reviews.
Jeev Trika
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