Project Management Steps

Last updated on Nov 24, 2021 2 min read project management

12-Steps to Managing a Project Successfully

The definition of a project is something complicated that you haven’t done before - projects are typically difficult.

Deliverables - are tangible or intangible goods or services produced as a result of a project, usually intended to be delivered to a customer.

There is a simple 12-Step Process that you can use to manage any project.

Define the project - unclear definitions are a very common reason for project failure.
List the tasks - break the project down into pieces. In this step, you are breaking down something you’ve never done before into a series of tasks that you have done before.
Estimate times and costs for each task
Add up all of the time and costs - this step can be tricky, because some tasks are happening at the same time (in parallel). So, you need to create a critical path diagram that will allow you to see how long the project’s going to take overall.
Shorten your project plan - when you add up the tasks, and you find that the time comes out as being too long (i.e. unacceptable), you need to shorten the plan until it becomes acceptable.
Draw a Gantt chart - using the acceptable length plan from step five, draw a Gantt chart. It uses a series of horizontal lines to show the amount of work completed in certain periods of time, in relation to the amount planned for those periods.
Calculate resource requirements over time - work out whether you have enough people to complete the project the way you want it done. You can also add up multiple projects to make sure that you’ve got enough resources to do all of the projects that you want to do.
Assess risks and prepare action plans - what might go wrong (risks)? How likely are the risks, and how serious would they be if they happened, and what can be done to reduce them?

Monitor progress - making sure that you are still on plan to finish on time.
Monitor cost (expenditure) - making sure that you are staying within budget during your project.
Reschedule - this is where the pain happens. It is where you have to admit to either your boss or your customer that you need either more time or more money or possibly both!
Project review (learn and praise) - the only way you and the organization will learn is through reviews.