The process of defining your objectives and scope, goals and milestones (deliverables), and assigning tasks and budgeted resources for each phase is known as project planning. A good plan is simple to convey with all parties involved, and it is most beneficial when it is examined on a regular basis. Simply sketching up a strategy and then not discussing it with your team is a recipe for wasted time and effort.
You can either plan your project in a basic Google doc or with project management software. You can usually store all of your documents and deliverables in one place with project management software, and you can avoid losing critical talks and decisions to the email or Slack abyss. It's simple to track progress and keep track of conversations and items that require collaboration with a few different people using a service like Basecamp, for example.
If you're considering project management as an entrepreneur or at a fast-paced startup, it may appear that it takes too much time at first. However, documenting your project plan from the start and using it as a roadmap to keep you and your team on track will save you a lot of time and resources.
To get you started, here are seven keys to good project planning.
1. Consider your strategy as a road map for your stakeholders.
Every project requires a plan with clearly stated objectives that should not alter after the first phase is done. During the initial project planning process, all stakeholders who will benefit from the project's outcome or who will be involved in its execution should be identified and their needs articulated.
The following are examples of stakeholders:
The project manager is the person who is ultimately in charge of the project's completion
The "client" that receives the deliverables could be a member of your team (internal) or a paying customer.
The team or individuals in charge of any tactic that is part of the plan.
Don't assume you know what each stakeholder's wants and objectives are. Before you begin recording your project plan, speak with them to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the project, as well as the abilities and resources of everyone on the team.
2. Create a list of deliverables for the project.
Make a list of all of the deliverables. This list should break down the overall project into smaller tasks that can be assigned to particular team members, with anticipated deadlines for each deliverable or task included.
Make sure you understand and document each deliverable's approval procedure. If you're working on a project for a client, make sure you understand their internal approval procedure so you're not startled by delays or slowed down by competing viewpoints.
3. Consult with your colleagues.
Individuals and/or organizations involved in each deliverable or task should be identified by name, and their roles should be described in depth. Otherwise, misunderstandings might cause delays and the need for team members to redo their work.
Hold a kickoff meeting with your team to discuss your offensive strategy. Request that they assist you in determining the best method for completing the task. This will not only make you more productive, but it will also help you get their support because they will feel more invested in the process. Using a project management platform like Basecamp to keep everyone on track and store papers and communications in one location might be beneficial.
Consider using a team inbox email solution instead of continually passing large conversation threads back and forth if you use email to talk about projects. This will allow you to delegate emails that require project-related attention to team members as appropriate.
4. Recognize dangers
Determine the dangers that your project entails. Consider what you'll do if anything takes a lot longer than you thought or if the prices end up being far more than you intended.
You don't need a formal plan in place for every possible negative event, but you should spend some time with your team brainstorming what could go wrong. Then, rather than being caught off guard afterwards, you may do everything you can to avoid such risks from the start. Risk considerations can also have an impact on your budgeting.
5. Make a financial plan
Information regarding the project cost and expected budget should be included with your list of milestones and deliverables. Refrain from allocating huge sums of money to large projects without first determining how the money will be used. This will assist your team in comprehending the resources available to them in order to complete the task. These amounts may be ranges rather than absolutes while you're creating your initial budget.
You may need to seek quotations from a few different vendors for particular things. If you need to make adjustments to the bigger project due to financial limits or if your vendor doesn't offer exactly what you expected, it's a good idea to mention the agreed-upon project scope briefly in your budget paperwork.
6. Include a timeline.
Use your list of deliverables as a starting point for adding milestones and tasks that must be performed in order to achieve the overall goal. Establish acceptable time frames, taking into account the productivity, availability, and efficiency of project team members.
Consider your milestones in terms of the SMART framework. Your objectives should be:
Specific: It must be clear, succinct, and written in a language that everybody can comprehend.
When it's suitable, use numbers or quantitative language. Avoid ambiguous explanations that leave success up to the individual's judgment.
Acceptable: Obtain stakeholder support for your objectives, milestones, and deliverables.
Realistic: It's one thing to set stretch objectives, but it's another to create targets that are impossible to reach. It's aggravating for your team and stakeholders, and it could lead your project to be delayed because achieving the impossible usually costs more and takes longer.
Set precise deadlines if you're working on a time-based project. If you need to adjust the deadlines for your milestones, make a note of when and why you did so. Avoid making changes in the dark, such as changing deadlines without informing your team and important stakeholders.
7. Establish guidelines for progress reporting.
These reports can be produced on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis. A collaborative workspace, either online or offline, should be set up for your project so that all parties can track its development. Make sure you have a communication plan in place—write down how frequently you'll update stakeholders on progress and how you'll convey information, such as during a weekly meeting or by email every day.
To guide your reports, use the structure you established when you selected your milestones. If you need to communicate progress, try not to reinvent the wheel or waste time preparing new reports. Remember that project management software like Basecamp helps keep stakeholders informed without clogging your inbox or losing conversations in protracted Slack sessions.
Staying organized and communicating effectively with your team and stakeholders are the keys to successful project planning and management. Whether you use project management software or not, consider where and how you'll maintain all of the materials and resources related to your project; if possible, keep everything in one location.
