Want More Results? Hone Your Project Management Skills

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated with a project that just didn’t go according to plan?

Project management skills are vital to your success, and we don’t use them nearly enough. But the good news is, with just a few tips, you can immediately start honing these skills so you start seeing more of the results you desire.

WHO Shall Do WHAT By WHEN.

This valuable phrase that we use all the time, provides a valuable framework for everything from the end of emails to summarize tasks, end of meetings to clarify next steps and roles, at the end of letters, concluding different communications, etc. So let’s break it down.

WHAT.

Always confirm WHAT you want done. This is part of project management. You may not have thought of it this way, but it is truly a key element to what project managers do all the time. By defining WHAT, you provide an initial framework of what are you trying to accomplish. The clearer you can become on what it is you want and what the scope of the project is, the more likely you can choose the right people to do the right tasks in the right time frame.

So, spend a moment to gain clarity. What is the project? What is the scope? What are the time limitations?

Define some of those areas that describe what you want, and that’s going to get you more clarity.

WHAT: How to Define Clear Project Goals and Scope

Who can help you with this project? Different people are good at different things.

A good project manager is simply someone who’s orchestrating and managing different people, whether it’s vendors with a marketing team or team members. It’s about management of various people doing different tasks coming together to complete a project. Rarely is a project owned all by one human.

So define your who. Who on your team or vendors can help you with this project. Explain to them why you’re choosing them, and then explain the next element, what. For the what element, be really clear with that person, what do you need from them. Get really clear. Exactly what format do you want the end product in? Exactly what detail or level of content do you want? Do you want high-level broad brush? Do you want details? What end product do you want? As you are assigning the task give the person specifics that relates to why they are the right person for the job and what other tools and resources they should use.

As you share with the person the task, provide clarity on what level of authority they have for decision making versus coming back to you for problems or solving issues. Sometimes you just want them to take care of it. If so, let them know that they have the authority to make decisions.

WHEN.

The WHEN element is absolutely imperative if you want the project done on time.

A good project manager often cultivates a positive end-result by staying connected with the timeline and having milestones to check in. A gentle, “Hey, how are you coming along? We’ve got this meeting coming up to review your report so I’m just checking in.” These are the elements that are going to allow someone to understand how their piece of the project ties in with the overall project. The more you can give clarity of when should they come to you with interim questions, when should they give you milestone check-ins, when should they send you drafts, and when should they send you final elements, the more likely you will have a project complete on time.

So, when, when, when. . . it’s a big part of project management.

Set a deadline, get it on a calendar, and set reminders.

Anyone on Your Team Can Do This

The great news is that anybody on your team can use this framework to get results.

Take this example of a marketing assistant who was great with vendors and able to keep all together pieces moving together.

Marketing Asst to Vendor: “Hey, I’m just checking in. How are you doing? We’ve got this big team meeting on Friday. We’re so excited to get your intel so we can go over it and present it at our big meeting. Just want to make that you’ve got everything from us and you’re ready to get us your report by Thursday morning.”

Framed in this way, even the lowest level project manager, can help people see how their piece of the puzzle fits in with the bigger picture. This then motivates them to meet their deadlines on time… and give you the results you want so that your bigger project can proceed without unnecessary delay.

If you want more results, get every member of your team to start honing their project management skills and always remember, WHO Shall Do WHAT by WHEN!

This is going to set you up for more successes, and less frustration.