I am a believer in the power of project management.
As a professional project manager for nearly twenty years, I have witnessed project success drive business results. I have also proven that project management can change lives and help achieve personal transformation. Now I am sharing some practical tips and techniques that you can use to help achieve your own personal goals, live your best life and become a PM Believer.
Checking In
Every project manager brings their own style to their projects. We each have different approaches, rituals, mindsets and other tactics when executing our project management process to deliver our projects. Expecting any two project managers to follow an identical project management approach is entirely unreasonable.
One component of my unique project management approach is my weekly touchbase meetings with my sponsors. Each week (or every other week), I have a one-on-one meeting with my project sponsors and select other key stakeholders. This meeting is an opportunity for us to have candid discussions about the state of the project, strategize how to resolve issues, and talk about ideas before we act on them.
My weekly check-in meeting aims to ensure that the project sponsors and I stay on the same page. It is a tool to ensure that we support each other and walk in lock-step towards our finish line. I have found this to be a tremendously valuable part of my project management style.
These weekly check-in meetings can also be valuable for our projects outside of the office.
In Go Fast Or Go Far? I talked about the importance of building a team of experts to help inform your project and goals. I said that thinking through our team of experts at the beginning of our project helps set us up for success from the start.
What good is a team of experts if you don’t talk to them regularly? Getting their input once at the beginning of your project is a great start, but you are squandering a vital resource if you stop there. You need your team of experts to join you for your whole journey.
To get the most value from your team of experts, find one or two people you trust and whose opinions and input matter to you. Then, work with them to establish a standing time each week, every other week or at least monthly to have a chat about your project and goals.
In your recurring check-in chats, share your wins and what has gone well. Tell your trusted partner what you are working on now and how it’s going. Talk about the things that haven’t gone well or the roadblocks you are encountering and brainstorm ideas together. Then talk about the ideas you have for changes you would like to make or things you would like to explore in the future. Use the input from your trusted partner to help evolve these partially formed ideas into actionable plans.
Don’t go it alone with your goals. Use your trusted partners as sounding boards, consultants and partners to help you reach the finish line for your project. They can make the difference between celebrating a successful project and giving up before your goal is achieved.
Are you ready to be a PM Believer?
Have you built your team of experts to provide you with the critical input needed to get your project started? Did you talk to them at the outset and then forget about them only to go it alone in your journey? There is another step to consider if you want to get the most out of your team of experts. This additional step could mean the difference between success and failure. Did you have your check-in meeting this week?
How have you applied project management for your personal success? Tell me about it at OperationMelt.com and make sure to join my email list to have updates delivered to your inbox weekly.
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Want to know more about how I changed my life with project management? Pick up your copy of my book Operation Melt: How I Used Life-Changing Project Management to Lose Over 100 Pounds In Under a Year.
About Operation Melt
Operation Melt provides engaging, practical content and hands-on coaching to inspire, motivate and equip you to achieve your big goals.
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