Being able to plan, execute, and close projects on time and within budget is essential for keeping a business running smoothly. It does not matter if you are running a hot dog stand or leading a team selling medical devices, these skills are the same. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at what it takes to develop effective project management skills and provide you with a step-by-step guide for how to improve your project management skills.
Project management is the process of planning, executing, and closing projects in order to achieve specific goals and objectives. If you need help, schedule a discovery call with Stev Stegner Consulting, otherwise, here are the step to optimizing your project management skills.
Planning is a critical step in project management and it's essential for ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. Many times there are timelines that are out of your control and several steps need to be completed in order to achieve the success you are looking for. We can agree that several of the steps can be done simultaneously and come together to finish the project. Meaning the project does not wait for one part to be completed before starting the second part. An easy example would be the hot dog stand. It will deliver an order of 5 hot dogs, 5 medium fries and five fountain beverages to the customer faster if one team member works on making and plating the hot dogs, one works on making the fries, one pours the beverages while another team member takes the order, collects the money and gives change. Think about the time it would take if one person was responsible for all the tasks. A project manager allocates labor/resources to make sure the best person is in the right position for each part of the process. This is often referred to as having the right person in the right seat on the bus.
To improve your project planning skills, start by creating a project plan that includes clear goals, timelines, and budgets. Then, identify the resources that will be needed to complete the project and assign specific tasks to team members. Finally, establish a system for tracking progress and make any necessary adjustments to the plan as the project progresses.
Let's talk about executing projects. Execution is the process of carrying out the project plan and it's essential for ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. To improve your project execution skills, start by communicating the project plan to the team and making sure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. Then, establish a system for tracking progress and making any necessary adjustments to the plan as the project progresses.
Finally, let's talk about closing projects. Closing is the process of finalizing all project activities and it's essential for ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. To improve your project closing skills, start by conducting a final review of the project to ensure that all goals and objectives have been met. Then, conduct a post-project analysis to identify what worked well and what areas need improvement. Finally, document the lessons learned and use them to improve future projects.
By focusing on these four key areas of project management, you'll be well on your way to developing the skills necessary to plan, execute, and close projects on time and within budget while inspiring your team. It’s not only about completing the project, but also to be able to evaluate it, learn from it and improve future projects.
Being able to plan, execute, and close projects on time and within budget is essential for keeping a business running smoothly. By understanding the importance of project management, planning projects, executing projects, and closing projects, you will be able to keep your business running smoothly and ensure the success of the business.
Stev Stegner Consulting has been helping businesses for over a decade. Feel free to schedule a free Discovery Call. Stev enjoys the helping owners and managers grow their businesses, solve employee issues, balance family and work responsibilities and create a business that is sellable in the future. He will help you make more money, give you the confidence you need to be content and create more time for you to enjoy life.
Stev Stegner, MBA Coaching, Mentoring, Training
Helping to bring your business to the next level by using your vision, creating goals, strategy and an action plan to get there. One of the keys to success is creating more profit while putting in less time. Business owners often find themselves working too many hours and feeling stuck.
