All of us aspire to achieve success in life. We set goals for our careers, our health, and our personal lives. It seems society is always encouraging us to think about the next milestone. However, it’s important to know where you’re going in order to create a roadmap to get you there. Stephen Covey suggests we begin with the end in mind. This is the second habit of his legendary book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Goal setting requires vision and forethought about the desired outcome. This involves the development of an action plan that motivates and propels an individual or group forward. The same principle applies to project management. To successfully implement a project, you must understand the deliverables.
A project, regardless of its size, consists of five phases which serve as a roadmap to accomplishing its goal. The five phases of project management include:
- Initiation
- Planning and Design
- Execution
- Monitoring and Control
- Completion
The smooth and steady development and execution of all the above phases increases the probability of success. Project planning is an essential step and necessary to identify desired goals, define scope, minimize risks and ultimately deliver agreed upon results. Yes, planning takes time and effort, and its not always fun or exciting. However, it’s pivotal for a favorable outcome.
Planning activities should be considered starting and ending points of a project. All roads lead back to this crucial phase. Adequate planning improves chances of project success, minimizes stress during the execution phase and increases levels of stakeholder satisfaction at the time of delivery.
The old adage “failure to plan is planning to fail” undoubtedly holds true when managing projects. After all, how can you manage a project without a plan?
I would love to hear about your experiences.
With gratitude,
