Project Management Methodology

Managing a project can be hard work.

Though project management has traditionally been restricted to specialized professionals in technical fields, times are changing. Modern organizations are now applying the project framework across their workforce. Many of us who previously only had to deal with a relatively simple list of work responsibilities are now having to confront leadership issues of budget, time, and resource management. In many cases, we are being asked to deliver on these projects in addition to our previous responsibilities.

Given the new, broader implementation of the project paradigm, it is useful to define what it takes to consistently complete projects on budget and within the required time frame. A good project manager is not someone who sits in their cubicle all day creating pretty presentations and important-sounding business memos . The keys here are organization and communication. Any one who wants to succeed in this role has to go out and talk to people, staying on top of their team and motivating them to complete their tasks on schedule. It is important to take a step back from the work and look at the big picture, but also to get your hands dirty when necessary.

Four Phases of Project Management

An effective project management strategy is to break each project into phases. This creates an adaptable framework with which to tackle virtually any project. The research or initial phase is probably the most important, and certainly the most often overlooked. This is when a good project manager will make an honest assessment of the project, doing his or her due diligence to make sure the project is worth investing in and viable with the resources available. It is also the time to make sure that the decision makers within the company have been briefed about and support the project.

Ultimately, the point of this phase is to get management to sign off on a document describing the overall goals and limitations of the project. This way, there can be no debate down the line about whether it has been completed successfully or not. By meeting with all the involved parties and getting them to sign off on the document, the project is sure to be clearly defined from the get go.

Project Planning Phases

Once the initial phase is completed, you can move on to planning. This will have to begin more or less concurrently with the initial phase, as you will probably need at least an outline of a plan just to get the your sponsor to signed off, but it can not be completed until the boundaries of the project have been officially set. This is the time to plan out your specific objectives, both short and long term, to decide how you are going to allocate your resources to achieve them, and to make a schedule for their accomplishment.

While it is useful to put your project plan into document form, a Gantt chart is a popular and effective tool to communicate your plan. It provides an easy to understand visual relating task duration and interdependencies. Lots of different project management software available to simplify the creation of your own Gantt charts, and it would be a good idea to use the best project management software for the job, rather than relying on presentation software or a spreadsheet package.

If you have done your job well in the first two phases, then the final phase, execution, should be simple. It is important not to jump in to executing your project before the first two phases are complete. Though you may be under pressure to get to work, failing to set the groundwork will likely end up costing you more time and money in the long run. While your due diligence and planning should make this part of the project straightforward, they won’t make it easy; you still have a great deal of work to do. The effective delegation of tasks, constant communication with the higher ups, and generally making sure that everyone stays informed are all part of your job description.

Project Implementation Phase

The trick is to avoid surprises. Even the best planned project might slip behind schedule or over budget because of unforeseen circumstances; the important thing is to make sure that you know exactly when this is happening so that you can deal with it. If there is bad new to pass up the chain of command, make sure that you are the one passing it, and that it’s accompanied by a plan of action. A Gantt chart can really help here, as a measuring stick against which your progress can be compared.

But your job is more than just gathering and dispersing information, you also have to take control. Use all the tools at your disposal to constantly check your progress against budget, time, and production objectives. Produce status reports both to help you track your project and to show everyone else that you are in command of the situation. The hardest thing of all is probably managing people. You need to be able to recognize and head off any potential personnel conflicts before they undermine the project.

Project Management Life Cycle Phases - Closing

Finally, we come to the closing phase. This is mostly administrative, making sure that everyone knows that your project has been completed and all your goals met. That document from the initial phase really comes in handy here. Using it, you can prove conclusively that your project has been successful without having to rely on the vagaries of memory or opinion. A miscommunication about your project’s goals and completion can hurt your career, so it’s best to make sure this can not happen. It is also useful to get feedback at this point, so that you can work to improve your project management technique.

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