Ultimate cheat sheet to be a successful project manager

I know there are hundreds of ways in which project managers can improve their performance curve and do their job in the best possible manner. The challenge comes when it’s the time to handle the Millennials at work. They might be the majority part of your project and it is the duty of a project manager to know how to deal with them. Millennials are the generation with an inborn desire to make an impact on the world around them. So, project managers need to influence their Millennial workers by learning how to overcome the challenges of working with them and also the growing technology. But, what are those top-secrets that can really make a difference? What are the ways in which project managers can do more with less resources? Below, I have tried to put together a cheat sheet containing really easy and productive ways that can be immensely helpful for any and every project manager out there who wants to simplify his job and be more successful -

1. Write down everything: I simply cannot emphasize this point enough! Project managers are always juggling with so much information that it is hard to remember everything. The smart thing is to write everything down as soon as you learn it, so there is absolutely no chance of forgetting it, which may potentially cause a lot of trouble. Written information is always retrievable in its original form. When you try to remember something from the past, there is a high likelihood of its factual accuracy getting compromised in the process. But, what’s written is there to remind you exactly what is needed.
2. Never get started with a half-baked plan: If you don’t have all the project details ready, don’t get started. Invest good amount of time planning, so you know exactly where to start and how to get things done. Make sure the time line, goals, deadlines, tasks, and everything has been approved by all the stakeholders and important people associated with the project before you get started. A plan lacking details might need multiple revisions through its lifetime which is nothing but a waste of time. So, do make sure the plan has been well thought-out before you begin to implement it.
3. Keep the team short and smart: Another golden rule of being a successful project manager is to employ smart professionals in the right number. The key is to get the most competent individuals whose skills and knowledge match the requirements and the nature of the project. Employing right professionals alone is not enough. The team must be of the right size. There is a limit to the number of people one manager can handle. Beyond a certain number, manager could start losing his grip over the task details. To manage efficiency and productivity, keep the team smart and short one. Ideally, one team should have 6–10 team members, not more than that. But, again, to each their own!
4. Have a good Project management tool — Everyone knows how important communication is for project success. Often, when we think of ways to communicate, e-mailing is what comes to mind. But over the period of time, companies have realized that conventional mailing system does not qualify as ideal for managing tasks. With a quality project management tool, managers can assign tasks from a centralized place, and use the same for interacting with everyone. Online collaboration, discussions, and meetings becomes a piece of cake with project management tool. There’s a lot that can be accomplished with project management tools.
5. Know your management tool inside-out — So, you have a management software that everyone is comfortable using. But that’s not enough. You cannot make the most of any software, if you don’t know how to fully use it. The manager must know the software inside out. He/she must be thorough with it down to the very last feature. If you are practically aware of all the functionality of a management tool, you can get things done more quickly.
6. Avoid micromanaging — What do managers do? They create project’s outline, assign tasks, monitor progress, give feedback, and compare expected vs. actual performance. The job is to get things done, not getting involved in the ‘doing’ part. To avoid situations where team members are not able to do what is needed, discuss the expected outcomes at length right in the beginning. This will avoid manager from having to do things on his own in times when teams are not able to deliver what client really wants. Getting involved in others’ work can leave a manager with very less time for the actual management part. Besides, when team members feel they are being micromanaged, they may also feel suffocated. It does not take long before micromanaging starts to sound like unnecessary interference. So, first discuss things in detail and then trust people to do their best.
7. Learn useful keyboard short cuts — Why go through multiple steps to obtain a certain piece of information, when the same can be done in just one step? Time is both valuable and limited commodity. Use it wisely. A smart move is to learn as many useful keyboard short cuts as you possibly can. Sit with a computer savvy person to know about the quickest ways of accessing the most commonly used applications, tools, and their functions. Practice those short cuts everyday to make them a habit. This one can be a great time saver and is highly recommended!
8. Prioritize, and re prioritize — It is not uncommon for priorities to keep changing in a project. Do keep on organizing the tasks and to-dos accordingly from time to time. Keep on refreshing the list of requirements with newly set priorities. A successful manager is always aware of what the team members are up to. See to the fact that people are not stuck doing something that is no longer on client’s priority list. Keep revisiting the project scheduling and keep re-prioritizing tasks based on their updated priority status.
9. Always be prepared for technical failures — Technology! We all love it for it has simplified a lot of things. But, technical failures can happen any time. Machines can malfunction without any warning. Be prepared for uncertainties by creating multiple backups of important information. Power outage or sudden failure in sending e-mails should not cause any sort of downtime in project. Always have backup plans ready to be put in motion so everyone can pick up where they left off and resume their work. Think of the best, but always be prepared for the worst!

If you as a project manger want to stay ahead in the game, do stick to these golden rules. You can easily save a great deal of time and efforts by implementing these simple rules.

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