5 Components to Getting High-Quality Project Results
Tackling big projects requires a different way of thinking than just taking care of daily tasks. Every business has deadlines, target dates, and cutoffs. Getting great products delivered without burning out your staff or hurting your reputation takes planning.
1) Create a Timeline
If you’re a contractor and the building has to be ready to use by December 1, you will need to be adding the finishing touches in November. Starting with the deadline directly in your sights means that you can develop a pretty good idea of when each phase of the project needs to start.
While creating your timeline, make sure you also keep an eye out for roadblocks. If you need to pull permits in March for grading the building site, start in January. February permits could mean an early finish, which could mean a bonus. If you don’t go for permits until March, you may not be able to start until April, which could mean both a crunch time and a penalty.
2) Line Out the Small Projects
If you’re building an electronic business package for a client, you will need to determine the smaller elements that go into the package. For example, you’ll need to
● review their logo and colors
● review social media platforms for suitability
● determine a tracking method to address negative comments and take out trolls
● review existing website features for ADA concerns
The points above are, of course, just a starting point. Some can be worked on side by side with the website design, while others will have to be finished before anything else can progress. Getting the smaller projects lined up and assigned out will allow project managers to keep an eye on the bigger picture.
3) Create a Safe Idea Space
Successful people are creative. Keeping that creativity flowing will require that you create a space where folks can speak up and share ideas as they bubble up. Keep these meetings as open as possible; your designers and engineers may be more confident than the support staff that handles the simpler tasks, but each project is built of many tasks.
If your support staff can contribute an idea that will allow everyone to combine several tasks, you can easily reduce the work that will go into each of the smaller projects of the whole.
Consider these meetings to be an idea splash. Every drop of water in a splash is useful, and not all of them have to hit the target. Even if you can’t use each idea on this project, they may work well on the next one. Give credit where you can and don’t react negatively to any idea presented.
4) Provide a Flexible Work Environment and Schedule
Some people work better from home. Some people work better at sunrise, while others are night owls. Give as much flexibility to all of your employees as possible on individual tasks. Provide the tools necessary for connection without requiring all hands in the office at all times.
If you made this adjustment for the pandemic, keep pushing. You may find that this expansion allows you to hire world-class employees in different time zones and on different continents. For those just starting their businesses, global freelancers can offer a lot of value.
5) Invest in Non-Panicky People
Things are going to go wrong in every project. The wrong material is going to show up at your building site. Your creative team is going to get the old logo from the client and build website features that won’t work. As you build your team, carefully look for non-panicky people that you can plug in when disaster threatens.
A lot of what project leaders do can turn into running around and putting out fires. Panicky people often start fires, even if they don’t intend to. Having a few employees that are less inclined to hyperventilate when things go wrong can keep everyone a bit calmer. Keeping this mix in balance is an ideal method of creating high performance teams.
Good communication, great flexibility, and a shared goal are all part of completing a successful project. In the end, it all comes down to having the right balance of people
