What Does Effective Project Management Require?
Effective project management requires a combination of skills that include:
Design the team, the tasks and the resources needed to complete the project.
Communication of the project plan with the team members and other stakeholders.
Estimating and budgeting time, costs and quality necessary to meet project goals.
Schedule and alter the timeline for the project to accommodate difficulties or changes in scope.
Documenting project results, assessing project effectiveness and planning the transition to the next project.
Determining the project’s roles and assigning a team member for each task.
Breaking big, overwhelming projects down into smaller, more manageable tasks and milestones.
Using tools like Gantt charts and a work breakdown structure (WBS) to create a visual timeline to plan out tasks or schedules, as well as to adjust schedules and link tasks.
Collaboration with various project team members and stakeholders to better get to know their needs, issues, and expectations.
Create a vision that is shared, and a communications strategy, to ensure that all team members are aware of the goals of the project and how they are aligned with the company’s goals. They must also be aware of their contribution to achieving these goals.
Ensure that all project team members, stakeholders, and other interested parties are included in the entire project from planning to completion.
Document and store all aspects of a project such as deliverables and communication, and risk management.
A competent project manager will follow-up on any outstanding invoices and schedule a wrap-up meeting to discuss the results of the project, or how similar projects can be improved.