Project management is often overlooked in the creative process but what we now know more than ever is that it’s the driving force behind any venture. Project management is a growing field used increasingly by businesses of all sizes. This post is intended for more for digital marketing agencies, but could be applied to any company that manages projects internally or with clients.
As entrepreneurs and big-time company executives deal with the daily responsibilities of managing an organization, it is important to use dedicated project managers to oversee projects from beginning to end. Understanding and implementing effective project management processes will help companies carry out any and all projects on time and on budget. Project managers also help create in-depth, long lasting relationships with clients that will keep a company growing.
The following are the duties and key steps for project managers to take to grow their company:
First, strategy is key and should be the basis of all decisions. It’s very important that both your team of people working on the project and the client have a clear understanding of what the project is and what the desired outcome will be. There should also be a consensus on important details like a project timeline. Get a calendar and create a project timeline at the beginning of the project with both your team members and client. The project timeline should outline what will be accomplished each week to reach the end of the week goal. This is where you plan your project progress from beginning to end.
It’s important to define critical project milestones. The deadlines of these milestones should come in the beginning of the project when you put together your project timeline with your client. Regular checkpoints are a great project management practice that lets you monitor the work at every step.
There are many digital project management tools that track projects and create clear timelines and milestones for each piece of the project. These programs help define specific tasks for each team member by organizing and reminding them of assigned tasks and deadlines. This keeps everyone accountable for their specific duties that they will be contributing to the project.
Communication is extremely important when it comes to project management skills that one should be able to do well. Good project management involves no shortage of dialogue between team members and clients. You want to be clear and consistent. Remember to always be honest. Be honest with your clients and always be honest with your team members. Being honest may mean you have to give your team members constructive criticism at times.
A project manager is the liaison between the client and the rest of the team. You want to make sure your team is staying true to the clients requests and everything that was initially agreed upon in that first meeting. This pushes your team to do their best and makes expectations clear. Always make sure your team members know about any changes to the project itself or the deadlines. Keep all forms of communication open with the clients. They need to feel like you are on their side and that they can come to you whenever they need to about anything they are thinking when it comes to the project they put in your teams hands.
If and when someone is producing an amazing amount of work in a short amount of time, or has completed a “milestone” or task, it’s important to make sure you recognize it and let them know; positive reinforcement and support are key to building strong work teams.
An important aspect to keep in mind throughout the life of a project is that changes will be made. Don’t let them derail you from the main purpose of the project or force you off strategy. Turn change into an opportunity. Reevaluate the state of the project and use it to motivate your team. When need be, change the timeline, reassign milestones if someone is overwhelmed, help where you can to meet deadlines, plan meetings when it seems appropriate to go over the status of a project or a major change. Ensure that you’re employing good communication so everybody is on the same page. That way, even if drastic changes come up—your project will end a success.
Good project management doesn’t end when a project is completed. Evaluating the results of your team’s hard work and your personal evaluation is an integral step in the process. Meet with your team after each project and go over what you can do better next time and what worked well. This way you are constantly learning from any mistakes so the next projects to follow will run more smoothly each time.
Implementing these effective project management techniques can help your company take a step in the right direction to success. Staying organized, creating a strategy and timeline, communication, staying positive, being encouraging, and reevaluating the project when finished is how a great project manager will help any company grow. Project managers keep everything in order and make sure things get done, it’s your job, make it happen! After all, we are the hidden key to company success!
Happy Planning!
