7 steps to effective project management

Every manager and every company that wants to succeed needs to deliver its projects successfully. That requires the right methodology. A project is built step by step, in a precise order, with a competent team, defined and controlled costs and a relevant allocation of resources. It also requires organisation and management tools such as dashboards and Gantt charts to follow the progress of tasks in real time. Here are the seven steps to follow.

What is project management?

Project management covers all the actions that keep a project under control: managing constraints, meeting deadlines and keeping an overall view of progress. In concrete terms, it requires a good knowledge of the project's scope and the ability to monitor it easily, thanks to indicators defined in advance and dashboards.

It covers several aspects: controlling the budget and adjusting it if necessary, choosing a project manager able to lead the team, checking that the schedule is respected and that the project can be delivered on time, and taking the right decisions when risks are identified.

1. Define the project

Defining the project is the starting point. It must be clear, precise and realistic. A vision that meets the real needs of the company gains the support of the people involved, and a project whose objectives are understood and accepted by the team is carried out more efficiently. At this stage, determine:

• the stakes and the reason for the project;
• the objectives, measurable and realistic;
• the priorities and non-negotiable constraints;
• the resources available: people, equipment, money;
• the budget;
• the deadlines and main milestones;
• the skills required;
• the roles and responsibilities of each person.

2. Allocate resources

Allocating resources means assessing what is needed to carry out each task and matching it with what is available. What skills do you have in-house for the project? Do you need to recruit or call on external providers? If new people join, plan how they will be integrated. Human resources management is a decisive factor in the success or failure of a project.

Check the real availability of each person: a team member assigned to the project but fully occupied by their usual work will not be able to deliver. Clarify roles with a RACI matrix, especially when the project involves several departments.

3. Deploy an action plan

The action plan breaks the project down into concrete actions over a defined period and lets you track the progress of tasks step by step. Each action needs a clear wording, one owner and a deadline; the 5W1H method helps check that nothing is missing. Group actions by phase or workstream, and identify the dependencies between them: some actions cannot start until others are finished.

A Gantt chart shows the overall schedule; the action plan shows who must do what this week. The two are complementary. For the rules that make an action plan work, see our best practices for writing an effective action plan.

4. Set and control the budget

Budgeting allows better cost control. Unforeseen events often cause budgets to be exceeded. When you draw up the budget, include a contingency reserve, and set thresholds and alerts that allow you to react in time. Compare actual and forecast spending regularly, not only at the end of the project, and record the decisions taken when the budget has to be adjusted.

5. Hold regular follow-up meetings

Regular meetings are essential to follow the project. They review progress, upcoming tasks, risks and decisions to be taken. Two levels usually coexist:

• team meetings, frequent and short, to coordinate work and remove obstacles;
• steering committee meetings, less frequent, to arbitrate, validate milestones and decide on changes of scope, budget or schedule.

Each meeting should end with decisions recorded and turned into actions. Our example of an action plan to follow up your SteerCo meetings shows how to organise this.

6. Involve and motivate the team

Recognising the work of your team is a step that should not be skipped. In project management, the involvement and motivation of team members often make the difference between success and failure. Explain how each person's work contributes to the project, celebrate milestones reached, listen to difficulties and adjust the workload when needed. Regular, transparent communication with the team and with stakeholders also prevents rumours and misunderstandings.

7. Take stock and capitalise

Once the project is delivered, take stock: what worked, what was difficult, what could have been done differently. Formally close the project: check that deliverables are accepted, close open actions, release resources. Record the lessons learned and share them, so that they benefit future projects. This step is often neglected under the pressure of the next project, yet it is what allows an organisation to improve from one project to the next.

Which project management method to choose?

The seven steps apply whatever the method. The method determines how they are organised over time:

• Sequential (waterfall) approach: phases follow one another, each validated before the next. Suited to projects whose scope is stable and well known, such as construction or regulatory compliance.
• Agile approaches such as Scrum: the project progresses in short iterations, with frequent deliveries and adjustments. Suited to projects whose needs evolve, such as software development.
• Kanban: work flows continuously on a visual board (to do, in progress, done), with a limit on work in progress. Suited to teams handling a steady flow of requests.
• Hybrid approaches: a sequential framework for milestones and budget, with agile practices within each phase. This is common in practice.

Benefits of project management software

Managing a project requires a tool suited to your needs. It allows you to distribute tasks, organise work, better control delivery times and communicate well. With planning tools such as Gantt charts, work can be distributed fairly among team members within achievable deadlines.

Software also helps identify people who carry a heavy workload and those who have more capacity, so that tasks can be rebalanced. It allows close monitoring of the project and quicker solutions when difficulties arise. Finally, visualising tasks gives a better overview of the team's activity. To compare the options, see why invest in a project management tool.

To conclude, the launch of a project must be carefully prepared, with organisation and relevant choices. Surround yourself with competent, motivated and involved people, equip yourself with effective tools and use management methods that have proven themselves.