Project Management in 5 Easy Steps

I just finished giving a 2-day seminar on Project Management Methodologies for Service Organizations. It’s a customized presentation that I tailor to the client’s needs. The company wanted to get their engineers into a PM frame of mind. There were 6 systems engineers who were making the move into project management.

I enjoyed it because the engineers were active, interested and very inquisitive. When it was all said and done, one of the engineers asks, “So, can you summarize what I’m supposed to take away with me today?” We had gone through quite a lot of details, so I thought I’d cast a wide net and came up with a Top-5 list:

• First and foremost, if your strategy is correct, any number of tactical errors can be made and yet the project proves successful. No doubt about it, not everything runs smoothly or as planned. Be ready to change your tactics when striving for your goal.
• Second and third, communicate and communicate again. OK, so I cheated. This one takes up two spaces on my 5 item list because it is so important. Communication can take place many ways including face-to-face, by phone, fax, email, or meetings. It is important to know that 90% of a PM’s time is spent communicating!
• Fourth, don’t wait until the end of the project to review the lessons learned. While every project will have a “post mortem” analysis, a great PM will review and learn from every tactical move performed during the project. The lessons learned will then be used in the next task.
• And finally, keep a cool head. Missed deadlines, out-of-control budgets, employee turnover and stakeholder scrutiny; It can be difficult to get the feelings of “impending doom” out of your head. It’s natural with the PM’s level of exposure to feel like your nerves are being tested; to wonder how you’re going to handle your own anxieties. Remember the project’s goal and continue to work towards that goal.