What Does Effective Project Management Require?
Effective project management requires a mix of skills, which include:
Planning the team, work, tasks, and resources to complete the project.
Communication of the project plan with members of the project team and other stakeholders.
Estimating and budgeting the time, cost and quality needed to meet the objectives of the project.
Plan and alter the timeline of the project to accommodate difficulties or changes in scope.
Documenting the project's results, evaluating the project's efficiency and planning the transition to new projects.
Define the project's role and assigning each task to one of the team members.
Breaking down massive projects that are overwhelming into smaller tasks that are more manageable.
Use tools such as Gantt charts or a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to create an interactive timeline or plan tasks, alter schedules, and link tasks.
Working with a variety team members and others to understand their concerns, needs and expectations.
Establishing a clear, unified vision and communication plan to ensure all team members know the goals of the project and how they are aligned with the company's goals, and what their role is in delivering on those objectives.
Make sure that all team members, stakeholders and other interested parties are involved throughout the entire process, from the beginning to the end.
Document and save all aspects of a project, including deliverables, communication and risk management.
Once the project is complete, an effective project manager follows up with any outstanding invoices and arranges an end-of-project meeting to discuss the project's success, or to highlight ways similar projects could be improved.