Project Management Advice From Actual Project Managers

…on the ground intel straight from where the action happens.

Want to know what’s really going on in a business? Get on the floor (no not literally, you can stand up now…). Seriously, though, you need to go to where the action happens to find out how the action happens. So that’s what we did!

There’s a whole lot of project management advice available to you right at your fingers: just ask Google. But is that a maze of deciphering real information from misinformation that you have time to wade through?

Yeaah…I thought not. I mean, sure, you’ll find some really great advice there and lots of it worth implementing. But right here is where you’ll find the real deal. Real project management advice from the PMs who do it day in/day out and can offer their input based on their learned personal experiences. These awesome peeps have taken time out of their work schedules to share some project management tips with you AND they’re accessible should you have any Qs or ever need to contact them in the future (maybe there’s a budding mentor/mentee relationship here, you never know!).

Start by Agreeing on The Project Deadline

Online Business Manager Heidi Setchfield works on multiple projects at a time and her most pertinent advice is to “plan out the project by first agreeing on a project end date and then work backward. Having a solution in place can help you effectively manage and transform their working days — working smarter, not harder.”

This is one of the most important bits of advice out there in my own opinion and it’s something we always try to instil in users of Buckets: work smarter. There’s nothing to gain from being busy simply for the sake of feeling like you’re doing something. You need work processes in place that will take you from A to B as efficiently and quickly as possible. This allows you to swiftly move on to the next thing on your agenda and ultimately take a ton of pressure off yourself and your team! You can do this with the help of a task management system which is what Hedi mentions in her next point.

Stay Ahead With Project Management Software

Heidi refers to project management software options like Buckets as “some of the most valuable tools available” as they help “businesses become organized and in control of their projects and tasks. Resulting in being efficient and having structure within your business so you can be one step ahead.”

Using project management tools, you can create an entire workflow for your project that contains every single thing that needs to be done in an actionable and transparent environment where all of your team can work together. The tools in Buckets, for example, allow you to add Cards (tasks) to projects with sub-tasks (i.e. the steps needed to complete a task) contained within a Checklist in each Card. You can add other helpful items such as Notes, Attachments, and Due Dates to these Cards to ensure that your team stays on track to hit deadline. It’s always very useful to review this process on a regular basis with your team to ensure it’s working for everyone to help them achieve the best outcome. Once the team is organized and on top of their workflow, the business will be too.

And it doesn’t end there, adding fun elements such as Gamification to the project management workflow can really boost team morale and increase productivity even more. Which is why we’ve done it! Check out Gamification: Making Work Fun if you’d like to know a little more about that.

Plan Regular Review Meetings

As a Segment and Channel Marketing Manager, Gillan McCarthy is actively managing multiple projects on a daily basis. Gillan’s primary advice is to plan regular reviews of how the project is progressing even when you work together on a daily basis.

“…it’s still important to sit down and review the project timeline and ensure that everyone is holding up their part of the project, especially if it is a side project. People are busy and get sidetracked. It’s your job as project manager to keep them on track”

One of the best things about using a task manager is the PM gets a birds-eye view of what’s happening on the project, so any “blockers” can be identified pretty quickly and dealt with, whether those are related to the efficiency of that workflow or performance of the team.

Underpromise, Overdeliver

Entrepreneur Emma Ward worked as a Project Manager for a number of years before deciding to focus on her current services in freelancing and coaching freelancers to success. During the course of her career in Project Management, one of the key things Emma took from it was to underpromise and overdeliver.

“It’s much better to give a longer deadline and finish earlier as a nice surprise than give a client a short deadline then scramble to hit it, or overrun.”

Transparency

“There’s no room for surprises on my teams.” — Elizabeth Dunne.

Elizabeth is a veteran in the freelance world and manages multiple projects in her daily business. She has developed a keen sense of how to best manage a project by working with various personalities and organization types over the years and believes that transparency is the absolute №1 must-have for a successful outcome.

Elizabeth recommends communicating consistently to ensure everyone is working at the same pace and on the same page with “weekly check-ins that you don’t skip — no matter HOW tempting — and constant feedback so you fault fast/succeed faster and can move at pace.”

Clarity is Essential

Marc Diamond spent the past few years managing many projects as a freelancer and has experienced what happens when a project is managed correctly, or when it goes very, very wrong. I asked Marc if he could offer one piece of advice to project managers, what would it be? And having thought about the work he’s been involved in, the very first thing that came to mind was “clarity”.

“Take time to communicate. Spell out the tasks carefully. Elaborate if necessary. Listen and read carefully. Understand the context of ideas and opinions (situational or personal). Otherwise, you’re screwed.”

He isn’t wrong. Studies show that 57% of failed projects do so because of a communication breakdown. Many crisis situations could be resolved and even prevented by simply improving communications within a company with a stronger project management system that’s customized to the actual needs of that company and its team members and how they work. Once you get that system in place and start communicating better, you’ll start to get that awesome “in the flow” feeling whilst getting through your task list.

Create An Environment Where Each Individual Can Excel

Eric Greninger, a co-founder of Buckets, believes that creating the right environment for each individual to excel is at the core of managing a project successfully. Taking the time to understand the role of each person, the challenges they face, and the value they contribute is a crucial part of this.

“Having empathy for someone’s role makes a difference. Understanding their process, what it takes for them to deliver successfully, and supporting them through it creates a more efficient balance within teams. Creating an environment where trust exists leads to more open communication and the ability for successful collaboration.”

There’s Always Room to Upskill Your PM Skills

I hope you’ve found some helpful advice in this post that you can implement to improve your daily project management! Remember, you’re only as good as the tools you use, and using a project management platform like Buckets is super important to help you successfully manage your projects.

Have any advice of your own you’d like to offer? Please leave a comment below to share with others also, we’d love to know your top tips!

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