Initially, the project time frame may seem plausible however little issues can start working their way into your project resulting in your project being off track.
Below are some areas to consider when it comes to good time management:
Be realistic:
Strive high but always be realistic when setting your timelines. You don’t want to put the team off the project before they even start. It is good practice to engage with the project team when setting the timelines – it also makes them feel more involved in the project from the outset.
Delegate properly:
Delegate your tasks properly. Putting the right people at the right jobs from the beginning will help ensure that the project runs smoothly. It is important that you are specific at this stage to ensure that the individuals associated with the different tasks know exactly what the task entails and also the time frame associated with it. Ensure you have a note made of who is doing what and the time frames connected to them for future reference at project status meetings.
Communication is vital:
Communication is the foundation of a successful project. Any barriers will allow problems to arise and escalate. It is therefore extremely important to have clear lines of communication between the project manager and the rest of the project team to ensure that everyone is on the same page at all times!
Consistently Review:
It is important to review each project frequently. How else are you expected to know where each person is on the project? Meetings need to be scheduled regularly and it is good practice to have updates sent out to the team at regular intervals. By actively reviewing the projects you can be assured that any lag in the schedule will be picked up before it becomes an issue ultimately affecting the finish date.
Conflict Resolution:
Conflicts or issues unfortunately can arise no matter how much you try to avoid them. Ignoring them and hoping they will blow over is not the approach to take. Ideally, the project manager should address the issue straight away to ensure a solution is reached sooner rather than later. Making the project team aware of what is going on will help. Many issues can be easily rectified once everyone is working together from the one hymn sheet.
Teamwork:
Don’t try and be a hero Project Manager – your team is there to help! By trying to do all the work on your own you are running the risk of letting the workload build up ultimately causing the project to veer off course. The project team is your backbone in terms of help and support. By having more eyes on the prize there is far less chance of your project schedule slipping. Keeping projects on track doesn’t have to be a headache for the project manager. Careful planning and management can ensure that the project runs smoothly within the schedule. Project managers that keep a clear head and delegate the work with intelligence should have an easier job keeping to the schedule.
See how we can help
Cora is a customized project & portfolio management solution which can be designed and implemented for any organization. To see how we can help with time management and much more, why not watch a recorded demo or request a personalized demo at corasystems.com/demos.
