For most modern businesses, projects are the lifeblood. But doesn’t it seem like business projects are getting more and more complex these days? It’s essential keep your head in the game and your mind properly focused on completing these projects, but it can really feel like an impossible task at times.
So with this in mind, here are you some tips for efficiently managing a mind-bogglingly complex project. It does not have to be overwhelming and the more that you complete, the easier it becomes.
Responsibility, authority, and points of contact
What does a big and complex project need? It will usually require quite a big team. And actually managing a big team can be quite a complex thing, let alone the management of the project at hand!
You need to ensure that everyone knows who to go to in certain situations. Everyone on the team should know their own role in the project plus the specific role of any other given person on the team. If people don’t have a clear idea of the abilities and responsibilities of the people they’re working with, then wires are going to end up getting crossed pretty quickly. And if there’s a problem that can only be resolved with help from someone else, then that employee should instantly know who to go to.
Improved software and skills
A complex project requires being on top of everything. This is why you should be looking into project management software. These resources can assist you when it comes to visualizing tasks and changing schedules. Of course, the best software out there won’t completely make up for a lack of skills.
This is why it’s important that project managers are truly prepared. If you know that a big project is on the horizon, it may be worth you dedicating some time to sharpening your project management skills. A lot of managers don’t actually have formal training in their pursuit. This training can assist you a lot when it comes to projects that are more complex than ones you’ve dealt with in the past. Consider looking into PMP training online.
Task prioritization
I’ve been involved in a lot of office projects, and this is one where most project managers seem to fail. They often seem to start prioritizing tasks quite late into the project. Don’t start making this same mistake!
Once you’ve all planned out the tasks during the initial stages of the project, the entire team should then collaborate and start prioritizing the tasks. This needs to be done on two levels. The first is ensuring that the overarching tasks are prioritized accurately. You then need to ensure that the week to week tasks are also prioritized. And then the day to day tasks. Atomize and prioritize!
This type of prioritization requires you to know how one task can affect other tasks. This consideration can reveal what appears to be small tasks to actually be incredibly important tasks that should be completed as soon as possible. In which case, as small as the task may seem, it needs to be considered a high priority. This is why you need to collaborate with all the experts on your team when prioritizing!
Photo Credits: Pixabay, Flickr
