Steps to becoming a [better] project manager
Whilst projects can be low in physical cost overheads, one of the greatest challenges that I face on a daily basis when trying to manage both the expectations of the client and the team is managing time.
It seems pretty obvious that managing time as an overhead is therefore a sensible place to re-evaluate with each project to ensure that you’re able to maximise both the client’s satisfaction and the generated profit.
Some simple steps in improving your project management is:
1. Don’t commit to memory
Throughout the day I am constantly bombarded with emails, discussions, changes of mind and my own sense of internal though. Attempting to commit to memory all of the tasks and subtasks I need to complete in order to achieve the final result is both impossible and impractical.
The most effective way to combat this is to keep a constantly updated, evolving and sensible to do list.
This will not only reduce the amount of things that you will forget to do, the embarrassment of forgetting and inevitable frustration but it will also clear some headspace and free up your mind to be able to better focus on the task at hand.
There are a number of applications that can help you do this, including Stickies, iGTD, RTM, and even a good old fashioned text file. It is important not to overcomplicate this step, as basic note and task tracking should be easy, so you’re more inclined to do it.
2. Communicate clearly
Because a lot of project management is done communicatively via email, and telephone it easy to miscommunicate and then waste a lot of time and resources as a result.
Part of communicating clearly comes down to some simple practices, like reducing the amount of jargon you use when talking to clients, ensuring your grammar and spelling is up to scratch — it is quite easy to misinterpret a message when simple things are missed.
Interpreting certain messages can produce differing results:
…I can see the student twice in the enrolments of the class, on active and the other failed but I notice on the student record the enrolment for the second one is not recorded.
Versus the grammatically correct
…I can see the student twice in the enrollments of the class, one is active and the other has failed, but I notice on the student record the enrollment for the second is not recorded.
The second provides a much more descriptive and clearer explanation for an issue that is being encountered, without having to write War and Peace.
Using a decent browser like Safari or Firefox that has built in spell check, or an email client that also has built-in spell check like Thunderbird.
3. Triage milestones (and achieve them)
An easy way of ensure that a project happens on time is to triage the larger aspects of a project into milestones, and be accountable for them.
Setting milestones can usually be surmounted into major tasks that have to be completed. Where websites are involved it is generally a good idea to break up the steps in completing a site into:
- Completing the mockup and reviewing with the client
- Coding the design and having a working beta
- Setting the site live after minor iterations
Everything in between is just a subtask of the hierarchal milestones, and should be completed in order of the milestones — putting the horse before the cart is never a successful move, and as a result you wont get anything done in a hurry.
4. Under promise and over deliver
Managing a client’s expectations is ultimately the most important aspect of any project. Constantly saying ‘yes’, ‘well do that straight away’, and generally undervaluing your own time is potentially the most detrimental thing you can do for a project.
In order to ensure that everyone working on the project has breathing space, can actually achieve the end result on time and budget it is always a good idea to refer to your triage of tasks, keeping priorities in order.
Whilst certain tasks might seem simple and like a ‘5 minute job’, there are an infinite amount of variables that need to be accounted for that can potentially hamper just five minutes worth of work, not to mention the break in concentration.
Under promising gives everyone the ability to over perform, justifies your time, and will educate your clients into not expecting everything at the last minute.
When the pressure is applied by a client, stop and think:
- Can we realistically get this done in a small amount of time
- Is it more important than current tasks being completed
- Can it wait?
- What will it be interrupting?
Getting a job done quickly doesn’t always mean that the job will done correctly.
Of course each project is unique and applying strict rules to each and every project you work on will ensure that they’re completed timely and efficiently. There are exceptions to every case, and being mindful of external influences, infinite variables and demanding clients is always encouraged.
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