Today, we’ll be taking a look at traits and elements of successful projects. This should help project managers see if their projects are on the right track.

  • Project team: Having the right resources working on a project will push the chances of it being successful and meeting the desired results. This is where it is crucial that the project manger chooses the right people for the team whether they are subject-matter experts, contract employees, or new employees. The project team can be dynamic in nature too, and it is crucial that you try and maintain core team members until project completion to avoid delays and disruptions.
  • Strategic planning: Clever planning sets the pace for a successful project run. Good planning is not only about having a realistic timeline and effective utilization of resources, but also checking time and again to see if it is on track to avoid task slippage. Project managers can utilize templates of similar projects carried out previously to sketch out a plan, as this not 0ony makes things simpler but also more accurate in gauging budget and timelines.
  • Alternative plan: Project dynamics can be volatile and it if up to the project manager to think one step ahead and anticipate these changes. Whether it is the changing dynamics in the market or project risk that causes this, the project manager should be ready to adopt an alternate plan instead of pushing the panic button.
  • Communication: Regardless of the size of the team, communication is key to project success. If one of the departments of the team faces an issue, it is likely that it will impact the other departments in the team. For instance, say the finance department that handles the project budget decides to trim expenses, then this should be immediately co-ordinated to the material sourcing and design departments. They may have to make changes in the materials sourced which may in turn call for design tweaks so that the end product meets the requirement and is within budget. Else, these departments may continue sourcing materials and designing the product which results in loss of time, money and resources.
  • Stakeholders: It is important that you keep the communication channels with your stakeholders open and transparent. This means more than just a weekly or monthly report on project status. If you anticipate that the project will face a delay immediately inform the stakeholder, rather than waiting till the agreed project timeline. If you will not be able to deliver what the client expects, tell them straight ups.