Project Management Productivity: 5 Steps to Start a Project Effectively

The success of each project relies heavily on well-designed project management. Managing a project productively and successfully requires various skills and efforts from the project team. It asks for intense research and knowledge, preparation, and the right team to put everything in place. Starting a project effectively starts with a few simple steps which involve smart leadership and perseverance. Moreover, various theories support one project management methodology or another. For example, there are voices saying that adopting the Waterfall methodology is the safest way to go. But, is it right or Agile methodology has actually the best results? Keep reading this article and find out more about project management productivity.

1. Set clear goals

If you want a project to be successful, you need to set a very clear objective and define the problem as detailed as possible. Both you, as the project’s leader, and your team needs to know what you are trying to accomplish with your project. It may sound simple to define your objectives, but it’s also very easy to get lost in details and miss setting a clear objective.

You should stay away from setting a vague objective which will make you end your budget without reaching your target. Thus, you will need very deep analysis and intensive research to make sure that you will approach the problem in the right way.

2. Define the deliverables and project planning steps

Once you have decided which is going to be your final goal, you will also need to clarify the path you are going to follow to reach that point. Moreover, it is very important to clarify how you are going to measure your results. Therefore, you should sit down with your team and decide which are the outputs you expect them to produce.

In addition, you will need deadlines for each phase of the project. This strategy will help you keep your team focused and involved in all the project’s phases. There are different ways to achieve this but creating a definitive project plan is one of the most effective. Write down all the key points of a project and who is responsible for them. Having a set plan with deadlines and all the details will help your team keep focused and productive.

3. Promote collaborative and open communication

If you want your team members to give the best of them, they need to feel comfortable working with you and sharing their opinion. Therefore, your project plan should also include the objective of promoting open and collaborative communication.

You should listen to your team’s feedback and get to know each member individually. Moreover, you will increase your project’s productivity by regularly consulting your team and sharing with them not only good results but also the worst.

Apply this method and you will be able to create a strong connection with your team and win their loyalty.

4. Smart delegation

A project leader shouldn’t try to do all the tasks by himself. You can work faster and be more productive if you learn how to smartly delegate. This strategy will also help you grow your team members. They will be able to develop new skills and be more satisfied with their work. You can rely on your experience or skills assessment software to understand who is the best fit for different tasks. But remember – even though you delegate, you should still keep an eye on the task’s progress and intervene if necessary.

5. Monitor progress

Even though you have clear deadlines and phases, you will also need to monitor your team’s progress. Thus, you will need various tools to help you save time and become more effective. There are plenty of project management tools that will help you understand how each task fits in the entire plan and which is the stage of each team member. You should trust the technology and choose one or two tools on which you can rely.