When you are in charge of a project there can be nothing worse than when the project stalls and begins to hold up not just one part of it but every part of it. It is like you are renovating your house. You look around and there are half-painted walls, missing counters, and empty cabinets but you have to live in this situation for months as the work has ground to a halt due to logistics. This can happen in the workplace too. Here is a little advice on how to avoid this happening to you and your project.
Organization
When you are managing a project, you need to keep yourself organized. Make sure that you are the one with all of the answers. Ultimately the book falls with you. Having pieces of organization software can help you stay on top of your deadlines. For example, having a separate RFI project management software can make sure that those pesky requests for information don’t bring your entire operation to a halt. Make sure that you know your project inside and out and if you don’t have the answer, know where to go to get the solution.
Checking in
This does not have to be micromanagement by any stretch of the imagination. You are likely a busy person and don’t have time to be checking in on everything that is being done. However, it is too easy to just abandon your project to your staff and completely remove yourself from the process. Make sure that you set time aside specifically to do a check-in with those working on your project and make sure that they are achieving deadlines but also that they are okay with the work they are doing.
An open mind
One way that many projects come to a halt is to get stuck on small and insignificant details that take away from the big picture. The team that is working for you is likely full of professionals who know how to do their job. You need to be able to trust them and if you can’t then maybe you have the wrong people working for you. Let your team make decisions and be open to their suggestions. This will not only make the workplace nicer but may even help your project.
Prepare for obstacles
One way you can get held up in your project is by being blindsided by a problem. Before committing to any project or decision, you should spend time thinking about the ramifications of your decision and any problems that may arise from them. Then you should think about how you will deal with the problems. This should streamline any issues that you have.
Keeping on track
It can be easy to get pulled away from a project especially if it is not going the way you want it to. However there are plenty of tools out there to help you and there is a lot you can do to make sure your project continues. Try not to panic and deal with your problems one at a time.
