Practice Project Management Yoga
Tackling large projects can be very stressful - deadlines, clients, and insane workloads are just the start. If you don't have a process in place, you could easily lose your cool. So before you go all martial arts on your production team, consider practicing some Project Management Yoga and maintain some balance with your tasks.
Pick a Method (Position Your Mat)
You're just starting to plan your workflow, and you're fired up. You've got the yoga pants and all! Now it's time to position your mat, or pick a project management method. We here at Levelten have adopted the Agile method of Scrum. You can check out all kinds of different methods for project management and see which one might be the best fit. Here's a good place to start looking at some of the different methods for project management. Try to pick something that will go with your business goals and products.
Agree to Stick to the Method (Practice Your Poses)
It is important that once you have planned how you will manage your projects, you stick to that plan. Make sure every person on the team is well informed about the system, understands his/her role, and adheres to the process. You've already picked out the method that you think is best for you and your team. Don't try to go back on your decision and ultimately confuse people. Remain calm and trust in your chosen method, especially in the beginning.
Communicate Issues (Pay Attention To Your Breath)
The great thing about Scrum is the daily communication meeting. These morning updates, or Daily Standups as we call them, give everyone on our team an idea of where we stand in a project. If someone needs help on an item, or feels behind on a task, the Daily Standup is when they bring these issues up. No matter what method you choose, make sure your team is communicating daily.
Sometimes issues need to be communicated concerning the method itself. I know I said that you should agree to stick to your chosen method; however, the longer you work within a project management method, the more you can see that it may need to be tailored to fit your team and production needs.
Agree on Method Customization (Stay Flexible Outside of Class)
If problems arise within the process of the project management method, discuss the issues as a team. Sometimes a team member may find that a certain process is unnecessary, or less preferable to another, more fine-tuned process. Our team has come across issues like this before. It's important to remain limber and open to some adjustments to the method - as long as the changes are beneficial. Agree as a team to implement changes within your method. Once the changes are made, stick to them and don't try to revert. It's important to see if these differences increase production. If not, someone may communicate the need for another tweaking.
Important Take Away (Aummm...)
Don't let the project method that you choose stress you out. The reason you have put this system into place is so you and your team are able to stay more organized and aware of responsibilities. If something isn't working, let your team know and consent to a solution. Remember to stay focused, yet flexible! Namaste.
What kind of project management method do you currently use? Let us know in the comments below, and on Twitter or Facebook!
Photo Credit: lululemon athletica
