Missing the deadline for a project has far-reaching consequences on an organization’s output. A missed deadline tends to incur more charges, notwithstanding the development model (iterative or waterfall). Delays in activity cause delayed delivery and, by extension, other coordinated project schedules in place. 

Accordingly, this article concisely recommends practical ways for a project manager to evade obstacles on time to make sure deadlines are met as and when due. Below you’ll find information on how to take your project management strategy to the next level.

Define Feasible Project Expectations

An unrealistic project objective may remain unattainable, no matter how hard your team tries, thereby weakening morale. So, consider the following points:

  • Set realistic and tentative deadlines. Optimize the functions of automated reminders to keep your team accountable on a fixed deadline. Avoidable delays may be eliminated with some top project planning and scheduling software of 2020. 
  • Know your team’s specific ability range. Define the skillsets of each team member and measure how everyone is delivering within the group. This helps to forecast what your team may achieve with available resources, leaving no room for underestimation or overestimation.
  • Differentiate between “urgent” and “important.” Design a clear hierarchy for all activities making up the project and help team members understand your priorities. For example, mark “urgent” and “important” sales operations appropriately to avoid clashes.
  • Get your team aboard for a start. This is easier to achieve, having defined everyone’s abilities. Your responsibility here is to assign each participant to the areas where they may optimize their skill sets. Introduce reliable productivity tools to ease things. 

After defining the expectations, you should remove possible issues that may slow down the development of your project.

Eliminate Project Bottlenecks

An ignored project roadblock hampers your team efforts until it is removed. Try the following for that.

  • Practice guided delegation and allow autonomy. You may resolve your burnout issues by delegating to reliable team members. Increase their sense of responsibility but demand accountability. That way, you’ll get things done more efficiently. 
  • Have a clear outline for the project. Avoid ambiguous task assignments or deadlines in your brief. Have clear guiding protocols for your team’s semi-goals (short-term objectives).
  • Implement project management software. Smart use of any of these 20 best project management software & tools for 2021 fulfills numerous functions when working on multiple projects. Good software makes online collaboration more convenient and ensures resource allocation is efficient.  
  • Establish check-in and workflow deadlines. Set short deadlines that keep all team members in line for timely project completion. This serves as a constant reminder of the goal in focus. 
  • Reassign participants when necessary. Remove members from a task and involve new ones if the existing handlers aren’t performing to expectations. You may use multi-skilled participants for numerous roles or train employees for the specified duty. However, you may hire freelancers if the current team still doesn’t maximize results.
  • Manage resources collectively. Having all resources, such as information, in one place enables prompt discharge of responsibilities. Having all emails in one place may be helpful.

When the bottlenecks are eliminated, your project needs some reviews.

Retrospective Review of Every Project

A retrospect review provides your team with brainstorming sessions on how results may improve. Manage your time carefully for optimal results. 

You may achieve a retrospective through the following format:

  • Icebreaker (five minutes max). This initial stage eliminates the reluctance to talk and fosters informal, interpersonal relationships.
  • Address previous unique actions (five minutes max). Use this time to analyze if current test runs are productive and if affected members have resolved their previously outstanding singular actions. 
  • Retrospect (forty-five minutes max). Brainstorm with the team to find ways in which you may improve upon the previous week’s performance. This session also assesses the effectiveness of current techniques toward goal accomplishment.
  • Assign action items (five minutes max). Appoint team members to resolve all process experiments and action items that have been identified.

After defining project expectations and eliminating bottlenecks, you may ask if there’s software to help you improve your project management outcomes. The answer is yes. Let’s check it out.

How to Improve Project Management Results

Celoxis is an all-around project management software offering numerous solutions that may help achieve multiple project portfolios within realistic periods. The tool is available to both midsize and large-scale enterprises. 

Unique Features
  • 360-degree market surveillance with comprehensive reports and dashboards.
  • Easier online planning, tracking, and collaboration.
  • Efficient allocation of resources according to availability, skills, and demand. 
Final Thoughts

Project management has a significant role in the well-being of any organization. This is because productivity is directly dependent on the ability of groups to meet project deadlines when due. Stick to the template above to ensure your teams avoid the numerous portholes that may hinder timely project execution. 

Author bio – Victoria is a Content Marketer at Mailbird, an award winning email management app that allows you to save time managing multiple accounts. Victoria specialises in all things digital and content marketing.

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