The Project Managers Book of Checklists: How to complete a project successfully, smoothly and on time

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Find him on Twitter here. Ben, thank you for your very interesting post. Some additions from my experience: I differentiate between 2 types of projects: Creating something new like in your example an e-book ; 2. Improvement project where there is a performance gap.

This stands for the following project phases: Define describe the problem and set the objective , Measure collect baseline data and check quality of data , Analyze brainstorm and select the most important causes of the current performance vs objective , Improve counter-measures and actions based on the most important causes , Control if performance is significantly improved compared to baseline, create new working procedures and checklist to make sure results are sustained.

All of these phases are carried out together with a multi-disciplined team who knows the most of this problem. To support this way of project management and execution we developed a software, HerkuLess. Thank you and keep up the good work!. Thanks for the tips! I may well end up including those steps in either an addition to this article or a new post down the line.

I would suggest you to add some of the project management tools available at https: If the planned time of the project extends beyond the plan how will you manage it? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Project Conception and Initiation The first of our project management steps is to settle on the idea of a project; to scratch out the concept and agree that it will be taken further than the drawing board.

Is it feasible, and is it valuable? Project Definition and Planning The second project management step is definition and planning. Specific — Setting goals to cover who, what, where, when, which and why Measurable — Making sure that you know how to measure the progress to and success of a goal Attainable — Lay out how to achieve your most important goals Realistic — Ensure that everyone is willing and able to achieve your goals Timely — Making sure that you can a timeline in which you can hit your goals Meanwhile CLEAR ensures goals are: Collaborative — Check that your team is encouraged to work together Limited — The scope of your goals should be limited enough to make them manageable Emotional — Your employees should be able to form an emotional connection to your goals by tapping into their passions.

Appreciable — Large tasks need to be broken down to make them more achievable Refinable — Goals need to be flexible to adapt and be refined as new situations arise Whichever method you choose, the basic principles which need to be set out are the cost of the project, the quality of the end result, the resources which are available or which will be diverted , and a reasonable timeline for each task to be completed.

Example Going back to our ebook, the planning and initiation stage would involve meeting with the marketing team and stamping out a timeframe for each chapter of the book to be completed.

The Project Manager's Book of Checklists : Richard Newton :

Project Launch and Execution The project launch and execution phase is next, and this is where things kick into overdrive. Assign tasks to the employees that fit them Put it this way; if you know that John from marketing is a whizz with data and enjoys that kind of work, consider assigning him a data-crunching task, as your goal will not only be achieved quicker from his experience but to a higher quality from his passion for the work. Project objectives, which are the measure of if a project is staying on schedule and on Project objectives, which are the measure of if a project is staying on schedule and on budget, according to stakeholder objectives.

Quality deliverables, which means looking to see if tasks are being completed to the right level of quality.

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Sure, there are some personality trends, but the simple truth is that good presenters have had lots of practice doing it and have been trained to present well. Templates are great because they give you the freedom from the waste of reinventing the wheel over and over again. Treat your projects as a roadmap, and don't be afraid to explore some back roads on your own. You may discover a better, faster, cleaner way of doing things — all on your own!

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2. Project Definition and Planning.
3. Account Options.
4. Table of Contents.
5. The Project Manager's Book of Checklists.
6. Brilliant Checklists for Project Managers : Your Shortcut to Success.
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Inevitably, your project sponsor is going to ask you the typical questions, "About how far along are you with your project? Are you on schedule? And are you within budget? If you have a system such as EVMS put in place, you will be able to report on the project status with more confidence and therefore earn more credibility among your team members and stakeholders. But remember, if you don't fully understand the metrics, neither will they, so make sure you are "up-to-speed" on how to obtain the data so you can convey the information effectively.

Some people have a knack for this; others have to work at it. It's all about getting to know people, their niches, and tapping into your networks for knowledge and experience. This takes a lot of hard work and putting your best face forward—even when you don't feel like it. It also involves connecting and conversing with people on a daily basis. Once you build the rapport and trust that is the foundation of any relationship, people will want to collaborate with you to get the project done on time and within budget.

It is imperative to communicate with your stakeholders early on in the project and often. This not only builds trust but you may also gain valuable insights about how you can increase the likelihood of success for your project; however, remember to be flexible about your methods of communication. Some people are more at ease in person, some over email or on the phone, and others one-on-one or in big groups. You'll find that the more comfortable people feel, the more they will be willing to cooperate with you to get the job done. For more information on this topic, as well as how Corporate Education Group can help optimize your organization's performance, contact us or call 1.

A problem may be the difference between your current state and your goal state, but it is also an opportunity for improvement. Be confident in your abilities to brainstorm and implement solutions. After all, a problem can be a real break, the stroke of luck, a chance to get out of the rut of the everyday and make yourself or some situation better.

Note that problems need not arrive as a result of external factors or bad events. Any new awareness you have that allows you to see possibilities for improvement brings a "problem" for you to solve. Having a narrow technical focus is not enough to be a successful project manager; you also need to possess other critical skills such as communication both written and verbal , negotiation and decision-making to help you do your job more effectively.

Skills such as these are imperative — for example, when you cross organizational boundaries to obtain support or get decisions formed and implemented — but tapping into these skills may not come naturally to you.

As you do this, pick out something new each day to apply on the job and in your day-to-day activities. Brilliant Communication Skills, revised 1st edition Gill Hasson. Brilliant Business Writing 2e Neil Taylor. How to Succeed in any Interview, revised 3rd edn Ros Jay. Brilliant Email Monica Seeley.

Brilliant Marketing Richard Hall. Brilliant Freelancer Leif Kendall. Brilliant Customer Service Debra Stevens.

20 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Brilliant Employability Skills Frances Trought. Brilliant Accounting Martin Quinn. Brilliant Manager 3e Nick Peeling. Brilliant Business Plan Kevan Williams. Brilliant Social Media Adam Gray. Back cover copy Everything you need to know to run any project - smoothly, successfully and on time. Brilliant OutcomesComplete your projects successfully, on time and within budget Understand all aspects of a project Run any type of project no matter what size 'A comprehensive and easy-to-use toolkit that will be helpful to all project managers.

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Table of contents Introduction 1.