Tip 1: visualize the entire project flow on one slide.
People want to know where they are, where they’re headed and if they’re progressing on schedule. You can summarize a project on one slide or image. Have the time line on top, add project phases in blocks below.
Putting it in one slide forces you simplify the phases. You won’t have to look at this everyday. Use this at the start of periodic team meetings, and then move on.
This works for any project, be it Agile, Prince2 or whatever. It’s about giving overview. This overview is transparant, and this transparency also increases ownership, and warns early one if you’re not on track any more.
Simplicity for project managers
Running projects can be fun as long as your team feels in control of it’s going. It’s up to you to make the team feel in control. Overview helps with that, and to keep overview you need to keep things simple.
Here are a few pointers on how you as a project manager can keep things simple.
Tip 2: define the minimim viable product.
Whether you’re doing Agile or not, having a sense of the absolute minimum you need to get the outcome your team needs, helps you reduce the work needed, and do away with unnecessary details.
Defining a mimimum viable product means you do less work, with less hours and costs, and get to launch sooner.
And because your launch sooner, you’ll also learn about how the product works faster, meaning you can improve better.
Tip 3: hand over responsibility.
Especially with larger projects, you shouldn’t be the one keeping track of all the details. You need ensure the details are being tracked, but is that really your job? And can you at all understand all the details of different topics?
Once you start tracking the details, your team will start handing over managing their details to you. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Only track the things that are essential for success.
