Business processes can be seen as a series of projects that must be handled correctly for the sake of the company’s smooth operations. Every part of the workflow must be managed and executed correctly. This is why business leaders and mid- to top-level managers are expected to have good project management skills.
Project management is a valuable skill. Through good project management, you can handle projects of different scales, overcome obstacles along the way, and hit your objectives every time. To help you become better at managing projects and tasks, here are the top five business project management tools to keep in mind.
Start with Details
Getting the project details right is an important first step that determines how the rest of the project goes. Everything about the project needs to be defined properly and clearly. This includes the objectives of the project, the tasks in hand, roles and responsibilities, and key performance indexes that will be used to determine the success of the project.
Defining these details is only the beginning. You also need to be extra certain that all parties involved in the project, from the project manager to team members and external stakeholders, understand the project details. It is essential that every party has the same vision. Only then will the rest of the project fall into place.
Be a Leader
Every project needs a good leader. Even the best team cannot operate effectively without a leader or project manager leading the way. The key here is to be a leader, not a boss. A leader leads by example and brings out the best in every team member. A good project manager also inspires buy-ins and raises the level of commitment from team members and stakeholders.
Being a project manager is never easy, no matter how experienced you are. That said, the role gives you a lot of opportunities to influence the success of the project. While a great team with a weak project manager may not work, a great project manager can hit all of the project objectives, even with limited resources and weak team members.
Divide into Chunks
There are many great project management methods you can incorporate, but the Kanban method is one of the best methods to try. Through the use of Kanban boards and visualization techniques, you can divide the project into smaller tasks, organize your resources accordingly, and keep track of progress and changes without skipping a beat.
What is a Kanban board? A Kanban board is a visual representation of the tasks at hand. The board is divided into three stages: requested, in progress, and done. You add tasks to the Requested side of the board and move the tasks along the line as you and your team work on them. This method helps reduce the risk of tasks not being completed properly.
Implementing the Kanban method is now easier to do. You have services like Kanbanize providing digital tools for better project and task management. Using apps or web services is the way to go. It is more effective than the older method of a big board and Post-It notes. You (and team members) can access the board from anywhere, keep track of tasks at all times, and update the board in real-time.
Set and Achieve Milestones
Another important part of project management is maintaining momentum. Losing traction in the middle of the project may seem like a small issue, but the lack of motivation, boredom, lack of enthusiasm, and other seemingly mundane issues could turn a great project into a disaster.
There is a way to maintain traction throughout the project, and that is by setting smaller milestones along the way. In an app development project, for instance, you can set stages like UI development or backend development as milestones that must be met.
Add a good reward system for hitting those smaller milestones. Be sure team members are appreciated whenever a milestone is hit. The further you and your team are into a project, the more encouraged you will feel to see the project through.
Small milestones also add an extra layer of control to your project management routine. Whenever you hit a smaller milestone, inspect the deliverables and do a thorough evaluation of the things that have been completed so far. This simple approach lets you avoid and correct mistakes early.
Have Clear Deliverables
Speaking of deliverables, it is also necessary to develop clear deliverables as one of the KPIs of a project. When handling less tangible projects such as strategy development, a comprehensive report is your deliverable. With tangible projects, the deliverables are easier to define.
Combined with the clear details you set earlier, deliverables give you a finish line towards which you can aim. With a clear finish line in sight, the rest of the project will be easy to manage.