2.5%
That’s the percentage of companies successfully completing 100% of their projects.
Bummer?
So, what really stops companies from hitting the sweet spot when it comes to project management?
Maybe most of them just suck at the navigation of creating the project management process, a.k.a the project management compass.
So how to manage your workflow better and navigate the workflow waters?
By understanding the workflow cycle.
Brace yourself for some project management success.
Welcome… strategy!
There are few greater joys in the business world than a project well strategized.
Whether you’re a project manager, the founder, the coordinator, or a gladiator who has been brought in to do this — strategizing is the cornerstone of success.
Strategize well to know the who, what, where, when, and how of the projects, the clients, the engagements, the retainers, and everything you can possibly think of.
More power to the plan
Despite its ridiculously ubiquitous influence, planning isn’t given as much thought as it deserves.
Begin your workflow well with checklists, assign people to the tasks, and get the milestones ready.
Pay attention to who’s going to do what
There shouldn’t be any surprises when it comes to accountability.
Deploy the work right.
And let people know who’s accountable for what.
Empower for high performance
Eh . . . I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news.
But your failure to empower people to take up tasks means you’re failing at the project management process.
You must aim to empower people to take on their particular tasks and projects and string along with them.
Mark your calendar
Set aside time in the calendar to review the workflow as it’s happening and QA the deliverables.
So yeah, I know you personally may not be queuing the deliverables. But make sure that they are getting queued.
When processes are reviewed well, whether internally by the team or externally by the client, you ensure they don’t clog up production.
Keep up with the workflow
Track your workflow against your timetables, milestones, invoices, and anything that holds significance to your business.
And as you do it, you might as well have to babysit the project.
That’s particularly true if there are dependencies in a project.
You have to make sure that people are doing what they said they’ll be doing.
Set the priorities straight
Once you feel that your workflow process is deviating the line, don’t forget to reprioritize things.
Whether it’s a client-led delay that’s making it impossible to achieve a deadline and pushing everything else off, or an internal anomaly — always make sure that your priorities are still in order.
Reweighting the projects, including scaling the new ones, is frigging crucial to your PM success.
Hey, what’s the scope again?
It would be great if a fairy workflow mother flew from the sky and set out a superb project scope for you.
But when it comes to rescoping your workflow, you’re on your own.
Remember that projects are kinda perpetually changing entities.
And you know what?
Whatever it is that you aim to create and what you finally deliver could be drastically different.
Which is why you need to rescope projects as you work to achieve the results. S
o, you’re not left wondering — what the heck happened?!
What TO DO Next
Frankly, I wouldn’t blame you for getting confused when it comes to navigating the crazy rollercoaster that is the project management process.
Between the umpteen tasks, the goal to create more capacity, and more profitability, things could go a bit haywire.
So, take the follow action points and ace your project management process like a pro:
- Strategize
- Plan
- Deploy
- Empower
- Review (Q/A)
- Track (Babysit)
- (Re)prioritize
- (Re)scope
While you’re at it, check this case study of how one of my clients built a repeatable, scalable process with ScaleTime. You can too!
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