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5 Tips to help you start your project like a Pro
Ruth Phillips • Sep 09, 2019
Start as you mean to go on...
I was once asked what the most important aspect of project management was in my opinion. I gave this question a lot of thought before responding. Planning? Risk management? Good communications and stakeholder management? Yes, all of these things will contribute to a well managed and delivered project, but there is one thing above all others that will enhance your chances of project success - choosing the right project to do. Starting a project (or concept or feasibility as the process is often called) has a distinctly different purpose from other project management processes: it’s aim is to filter out the ‘right projects’ to do; other processes aim to do projects ‘right’.
As summer draws to a close and the long holidays are over for another year, the refocusing that September naturally brings provides a great opportunity to start new projects and initiatives. For many organisations September is also halfway through the financial budgetary cycle, giving greater certainty as to budgets remaining that can be committed to discretionary project work.
There are a number of mistakes that are frequently made when starting a project; two of the most common being:
Taking an idea for a project and not checking its viability prior to committing significant resource and expenditure; and
Not gathering sufficient key project information on which to base a thorough initiation of the project.
If you are about to start a new project, or would like to find out more about good practice when getting a project off the ground, read on to discover my top 5 tips.
Who is the Project Sponsor?
What’s the vision?
What’s the budget? Where’s it coming from?
What lessons can you apply from previous projects?
It’s ok to have more questions that answers!
So many problems experienced by projects during the delivery stages can be traced back to an inadequate start to a project. Don’t let your project suffer the same fate!
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