1. You are the project manager, so don't spend your time doing non-management tasks. Your job is to steer the ship, not stoke the engine
2. Use the "honeymoon period". When you are first assigned/offered a project, take time in the first few days to understand everything about it
3. You own the plan. Always have a current plan which you believe in
4 Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more
5. Ensure your team is well structured and motivated
6. Don't just assume that "quality" will happen. Plan it in
7. Learn to delegate effectively and watch out for the next "Monkey" [potentially time-wasting or diverting task]
8. Organise the filing before the project starts, because there will not be time once things start happening
9. People work best if they are enjoying what they are doing
10. When all is said and done - It isn't a matter of life and death. Always be prepared to put people's health at number one, and family at number two - including your own
Parity specialises in training, project and programme management, and advice on managed services and outsourcing. Its clients include Ofgem, and Communities and Local Government, Serco, the Charity Commission the Ministry of Justice and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights
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Hi Tony,
Sometime it is necessary even imperative for the project manager to do non-management tasks in order to meet mile-stones and ensure that the project is an overall success. Could this one of the key differences, in approach, between a project manager running a project and a product manager running a project?
Refer to - Project Manager or Product Manager what's the difference? For more details.
Derek