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Projects can be daunting.

There are deadlines, budgetary concerns, contractual obligations and processes, among other moving bits and pieces that need careful wrangling if the project is to be termed a success.

Granted, some of the challenges in project management are out of your control.

It’s not all doom, however. Having strict systems and proper methodologies can significantly improve your chances for finalizing assigned projects successfully.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you execute your next project flawlessly.

Nail Down Specifics

Before beginning a project, ensure to fully understand each detail of the task, including its stakeholders’ interests and expectations.

Ensure that the scope of the project is clearly outlined, alongside the role of each team member.

Similarly, identify and understand project goals as well, as this will help you establish periodic progress trackers.

Ultimately, this tells you the health of the project and the changes to institute if you are to remain on track.

Identify and Manage Risk

All projects come with a level of risk, regardless of how thorough the initial planning process is.

Because these can crop up at any point, ensure to keep reviewing progress and to keep communication lines open. This is the best way to identify or anticipate problems.

Think of risk as a potential problem. The goal then becomes diluting a potential problem and lessening its chances of morphing into a full-fledged problem.

The latter is harder to resolve and may significantly impede your project’s progress.

Asses Team and Project Requirements

It is said that a project’s success is as good as the team.

This team has to be well equipped and committed to working towards a common goal.

When creating a team, put in mind individual talents, skills and personalities to ensure that you create a unit that can function as several parts of a whole.

Each member should then be clear on their role and what is expected of them individually when the project draws to a close.

Identify a Focal Point

A focal point, in this case, refers to a project leader.

This can be somebody with a project management background, experience in completing projects successfully or one with stellar organisational and leadership skills.

The incumbent will need to build positive team dynamics, provide leadership and coach team members for the duration of the project.

In addition to this, the project lead acts as the liaison person between the stakeholders and the team.

This person also handles communication in a way that is open and honest and keeps everyone on the same page through each step of the project.

Define Milestones

Milestones are defining moments running through the course of the project. These are just as important as defining the end result.

A project generally goes through four phases; initiation, planning, execution, and closure.

Identify two to three milestones in each step and outline the deliverables at each level, and measure them periodically.

This action will help eliminate or minimize risk, monitor changes and alert you to any challenges that might affect your ability to deliver as expected.

Minimize Scope Creep

It might be necessary to make changes to your initial work plan from time to time. This is allowable.

However, these have to be kept at a minimum and properly managed. Failure to do this and your project can get chaotic.

By and large, scope creep results from adding new components to a previously approved project but failing to consider the other variables involved.

These can be time scheduling, project finances and other resources required to accommodate the revised project.

Either way, scope creep requires you to rework your project schedule. New approvals might drag you behind schedule.

Yes, adjustments might be required, but strive to minimize these instances as much as possible.

Be Prepared for Anything

Projects have a level of unpredictability that makes each one different from the next. Still, there are recurring themes that you can pick out from one project to the next.

Your success depends on your ability to evaluate past projects, pick out valuable lessons and find better ways to run your next project.