5 Hacks Each Project Manager Should Know
In project management just like in every job you have the ups and downs.
No one likes to lose.
But what if I tell you that you can reduce the number of ‘downs’?
Here’s a list of simple but valuable advices each PM should know.
1. Don’t rely on people
Remember all those conspiracy TV shows? That’s right, TRUSTNO1.
When you’re managing a project that includes people (and basically any project includes people) make sure you have PlanB, PlanC, PlanD and, ideally, PlanZ.
PlanZ is for the projects that went completely the wrong direction. The worst case scenario.
People tell you what you want to hear. No more no less. And often happens that in pursuit of approval they can’t estimate the necessary time that they need to complete the job. They just can’t, and you should always remember that.
Do the estimation y o u r s e l f.
It doesn’t mean you should calculate the time, simply multiply their words by 2 and sometimes even by 3. Depends on a person.
Yes, you should be a bit of psychologist. And a good one!
People lie not because they are bad people, but often to meet expectations. It’s hard to admit that you can’t do the job quickly that you need more time.
We live in a fast paced society where the first one is the quick one and the snail trail far behind.
2. Be the excellent communicator
It’s simple here.
You need to be the driving force of a project.
It’s your responsibility to retrieve all the info you need from the client.
Don’t wait for a call, make a call.
Talk to your team mates and do it o f t e n.
Here, it’s important to know the balance between talking and making sure everything is going OK, or hang over a person who tries to do the job. Turn on your empathy, you need to know people who you work with and what they can do. Together and on their own.
Good manager helps those who need it when a great one doesn’t interfere when it’s needed.
Or one of those.
3. Break a big project into smaller ones
When you see a complex project in front of you, the idea of doing something about it scares. The only thing that you want is working on anything else but this project. Yet, of you divide it into smaller pieces and tasks it becomes manageable.
4. Prioritize tasks
It may seem obvious, but for some reason a lot of PMs forget about this. Pick the most urgent and important task and start from there. Never leave the most complicated tasks for the last day. Yes, they are the most difficult and complex ones and that’s one more reason to complete them as soon as possible.
5. Use project management tools
These guys will make your life easier and less stressful. There are plenty of them on the market: Wrike, Asana, Basecamp and so on. Choose the one that suits your needs best.
For example, Casual is perfect for you if you enjoy visual presentation, have recurring tasks and not too complex projects.
What mistakes project managers tend to make?
What’s the best way to avoid them?
Share your thoughts in comments below!
