The Six Secrets to a Productive Project Planning

What do Roman generals and Wall Street tycoons have in common? Project planning. Yes, project planning comes a long way in history. In fact, the idea of managing work to achieve productivity and efficiency is very much needed than ever before. Although you don’t need to be like Julius Caesar or Warren Buffet to manage all your projects in clockwork precision, you only have to rely on project planning to keep everything up and running. Despite the benefits of project management, it takes a lot of meticulous record-keeping and time management so that some managers take it for granted. Without a proper plan, it is nearly impossible to get work done.

In this day and age, there are many project management systems in the market that offer solutions from managing every single task to generating performance metrics for evaluation. However, the secrets lie in the way project managers use the system to fit their business needs and preferences. Using such a platform means that you still have to rely on people to plan and facilitate the execution of tasks. Managers have to make crucial decisions when it comes to managing time, resources, manpower, and priorities in order to achieve a certain goal. Here are the six secrets to productive project planning:

1. Think outside of the box

Using a project management system can help facilitate the designation of tasks and the scheduling of work deliverables but when things go wrong, the system can go haywire. It means that you have to be prepared for such eventualities. Preparing a Plan B is always a good idea.

2. Focus on the end goal

Task management is always focusing on getting all tasks done right and on time. Always think about the things you need to do to accomplish your goals. Be prepared to face any changing needs and priorities so you automatically adjust your plans.

3. Visualize your project

Sometimes it is not easy to see the big picture especially if you are doing so many projects and countless tasks at the same time. Formulate a road map on a flow chart so you can plan ahead and prepare for expected bumps along the way.

4. Don’t plan too much

Sometimes, over planning will lead to confusion as you become entangled with all the tasks needed to be done fast. Create ideas and eventually develop these to serve their purpose.

5. Shutdown any form of distraction

When it comes to project planning, distraction can always slow down the progress of work. Sometimes distraction happens within the project team so it would be a good idea for a task manager to have a brainstorming session in order to iron out differences and settle issues before it goes out of hand.

6. Schedule it!

Before you forget something that is crucial to your project, schedule it immediately. Don’t let a small idea get away from your head. Once you put these things into your calendar, you have now the opportunity to think big and collaborate.