Have you tried to be the one responsible for managing a project and wondered how in the world you were going to succeed?
In simple terms, you can divide project management into 4 parts:
- Preparation
- Facilitation
- Implementation
- Evaluation
If you were to allocate time spent on the 4 parts, the general agreement among project managers is that you should spend around 40% on number 1 – preparation!
The key to success lies in the foundation. The reason is this:
- This is where you make sure that you understand the big picture
- This is where you define exactly what the task is, who is doing what, how and why.
- This is where you analyze and reveal challenges and obstacles and you make strategies for how to deliver the project you are asked to do.
- This is where you challenge the person who assigned the task to you on all the weak links in the project.
- This is where you set a common goal for the task and set the direction for the task.
Almost all projects that go wrong have flaws in the preparation stage one way or another, so even though it might be tempting to cut this process short, you will regret it later. If you want to build a house that lasts you need to start with a solid foundation.
