There are a lot of challenges that you will face as a budding project manager. Even if you have been doing this job for years, you are probably met with new and exciting challenges daily. We’ll show you the five main techniques and key concepts essential for better project management.
This is because the technology world keeps developing and changing – and so does how we manage clients and projects. But if you are starting – then you are in for a ride! Growing your business means constantly juggling various projects. Growing your business means constantly juggling projects.
However, you should not stress about this! There are so many things that you can do that will make your project management better! Essential techniques and new approaches are developed daily – but some things always stay true! For example, most of the tried and true techniques involve milestones and client project management tools.
Techniques For Better Project Management
1- Make Sure You Are Preparing For Your Projects
Sometimes, we tend to go to work head-first, especially if we have been managing projects for a while. But it is essential to step back and go back to the roots. Before every project, you should take some time to prepare for it. This way, you can develop it better and manage it more easily.
So first, meet with your team members and talk to them. You aim to learn more about who they are and what they can do. Do this even if you have worked with the same team. Maybe there is something new they are inspired to try doing to bring completely new energy into the team. It would help if you also talked to the stakeholders. Knowing what the expectations and the goals of the project are will help you better manage it.
The main point is to get everyone on the same page. Of course, you will need to be the mediator between the clients and the team members, but if everyone has the exact expectations, your job managing the project will be easier.
The type of meeting, though, depends on you. This can be over the phone or online if you are working remotely. You can do it face-to-face if you are working within a company. Whatever the case, this is one of the key concepts and old techniques many people forget, but it is essential for better project management.
2- Learn About The PERT Technique For Project Management
PERT, or Program Evaluation Review Technique, is how to calculate the amount of time you will need for each project you are dealing with. This technique is excellent for those who love visualizing stuff. The main parts of it are the charts which hold a lot of significant information.
For example, you will find an outline of your assignment on them. With it, you can better control the tasks in the project, set up the milestones and the deadlines, and much more! And since we mentioned them, milestones are presented as nodes. Then, you can connect them with lines or arrows to determine the order of steps and tasks. You should also add the time you need to reach each of them.
This technique is great for visualizing your project. Having things listed on paper is good, but putting them in space gives you a whole new dimension of project management.
3- Track The Team’s Progress At All Times
Tracking time is an essential part of every project management. There are many benefits to doing it correctly. First, this is one of the ways you can measure your team’s progress. Second, you can easily improve efficiency this way by focusing on the slow tasks – or improve the project as a whole, where you see ample time for work.
This technique will also help you meet deadlines and keep your team in check. This is important for client communication – no shareholders will be happy if you are late or your team is dragging along. Tracking the progress also helps to report and give feedback to the clients – sometimes even immediately as things happen.
Luckily, this is not hard to do. Nowadays, many useful tools can help you track time as things happen. Nifty, for example, lets you both communicate with your team and follow them along as they do each task or reach milestones. It also helps create Gantt charts and Kanban boards, which help organize your team’s timeline and workflow.
4- Use Good Project Management Tools
One of the best techniques for better management these days is to use a good tool. Unfortunately, so much software on the internet can sometimes be hard to choose from – but getting the right one will be essential to boosting your project management. Nifty, a savvy Wunderlist alternative – as we mentioned – is one of these tools.
With it, you can automatize a lot of project management tasks. Your clients can, for example, get an insight into the project on a deeper level, so you can skip on giving them overviews and reports. You can easily create milestones, track your team’s progress, talk to them, and get an immediate response. This speed is what makes a good project manager great!
5- Budgeting Is Another Important Aspect Of Project Management
The final technique you need to use for better project management might seem obvious – but it is still beneficial. To lead a project correctly, you must manage your resources. This is a lifeline of your project – once you run out of funds, you cannot do the project.
Experts recommend you access the budget at least once per week. This way, you will understand what is happening to your resources and how you spend them. In addition, you can adjust your later budget if you are keeping it on track and notice you have already gone overboard that week. This way, you are using your budgeting skills for better project management – and the stakeholders will be more than happy with that!
Final Words About Project Management
We hope that the tips we’re going to show you, with the five main techniques and key concepts essential for better project management, have helped you! Please leave us a comment!
