Running better projects can be the key to getting a more successful and profitable business. However, too many companies drift along without their leaders putting enough thought into this area, even when many of their current projects fail.
It doesn’t even have to be a long, complicated process to improve your project success rates. By following just a few simple steps, it is possible to run projects that truly add value to your organisation.
Switch to a New Project Methodology
Not everyone realises that there are a number of different project methodologies that you can choose from. These include the likes of PRINCE2, Agile, Scrum, Lean and Waterfall.
Each of these approaches has different benefits that could be of interest to you. It is well worth taking some time to look into them before deciding which one is likely to work best in your business.
There is nothing to stop you from switching methodologies whenever you want to. Therefore, if you are currently using a way of working that doesn’t suit you or don’t have a clear methodology then it is time to make some changes.
Pick the Right Team
Having the wrong project team can also lead to disastrous results. For instance, a common mistake is to put in your long-serving technical experts to the project team. Yet, these are roles that require different skills from the business area.
Therefore, you need to look at what the business analyst and project manager roles involve before deciding. Do you have people in the business already who can fill these roles or will you need to bring in new recruits?
It can make sense to leave your best workers in place in the business areas and bring in project specialists. End users can always be called in on secondment if their knowledge is needed on any specific project.
Train Your Project Team
It is also important to remember that you need to train your team. This is something that comes naturally after you have decided on your future methodology and got a team in place.
So, if you have opted for PRINCE2 and now have a project team ready to go then you need to get them PRINCE2 weekend training london as well. This will ensure that they all stick to the same processes and techniques, leading to smoother and more controlled pieces of work.
These are wide-ranging roles, so it is important to ensure that your project team keep on learning. They can pick up extra skills in areas such as Excel, SQL, PowerPoint and other types of software they are likely to come across.
Set Guidelines for Reporting and Meetings
As part of their training, the team will learn the importance of reporting and holding regular meetings. The exact approach taken to these areas will depend upon the methodology that you have chosen.
However, it is also important to put in place some of your own internal guidelines. This will make sure that everyone works in the same way and that each project is easy to control.
Aim for Strong Relationships
Finally, one of the biggest reasons why projects fail is because of the lack of good internal relationships. The project team, stakeholders and end users all need to work together in order for you to achieve the results that you need.
Therefore, it is vital that you let everyone see how important this is to your business. If you can get everyone pulling in the same direction and aiming for better projects then it will be a lot easier to get what you need from them.
Don’t let failing projects hold you back when getting them back on track is a lot easier than you probably thought it would be.