Basics That Will Drive the Success of Your Project Management
⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛
It’s the beginning of a new quarter, and if you’re anything like me, you sit at your desk and wonder, “Where did Quarter 1 go?!” Each of us is busy trying to further our clients’ goals and objectives, grow our companies or careers in general, and attempting to achieve our own versions of work/life balance.
All in all, it can get relatively exhausting when you you’re grasping at straws with project management. This month, we’re focused on resources that will help you better plan for your goals at hand.
Most of us have a plethora of items on our plate. When we complete one task, there are several more that arise to take its place. I want to give you three tangible tips that aid me in terms of project management. After all, you will either sink or swim based on how much time, effort, and energy you put into a project.
Hourglass Media is in the midst of preparations for Huntington’s sesquicentennial, so we remain in full planning mode! Whether you are a seasoned event-planning veteran or a relative novice, these tips will allow you to plan your events and campaigns with ease.
Sign up for a content management system.
This is an essential aspect of any project management, whether you are at the helm of a multi-million-dollar effort for a corporation or you are just dipping your toes into the freelancing realm. You should begin your projects with organization in mind.
At Hourglass Media, we use Asana (this post isn’t sponsored by Asana -- Asana just works for us!). No matter the platform you use, learn it inside and out. Know its strengths, weaknesses, and any other pertinent information that will guide your planning and project efforts. Asana is great for creating color-coated to-do lists and specific project boards, establishing deadlines for team members, housing project files, integrating with other third-party apps, and visually showcasing progress along the way. A pro tip: Be very strategic about the CMS platforms you use. If they benefit you, that’s great, but don’t shy away from doing your research. What works for Hourglass Media may not work for you. And if you’re in a communications-based field, you know there are countless services that allow you to track specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), manage and maintain cloud storage for your files, and so many more. Streamline these to the best of your ability. For example, in addition to Asana, we use Google Workspace, Brand24, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, MailChimp, and a select few others.
Use a proven process to establish parameters.
We use the RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) process of public relations from the initial proposal stage all the way to project or campaign completion. RPIE is a tangible, qualitative, quantitative, and effective process to measure each step of the public relations journey. When you have a baseline, you can build your project plan as small or large as it needs to go in order to achieve your goals and objectives.
There are also five official phases of project management, which are as follows:
Conception and Initiation
Definition and Planning
Launch or Execution
Performance and Control
Project Close
No matter which way you slice it, you ultimately want to ensure that you have a successful project at the end of the day. Know your vision and plan right from the start. Most of us get caught up in the crosshairs of to-do lists and jump right into the implementation part. In public relations, event planning, and other realms, it’s vital to give enough love to the research and planning processes.
Get input from team members and clients.
It can be tempting to work and live in a bubble, especially if you are still working remotely. Have candid conversations throughout the entire project pipeline to assess what works and what doesn’t. Discuss expectations, deadlines, task lists, the overall scope and plan, any involved risks, and so on. Taking an hour here and there to talk about a project can save you a plethora of headaches down the road.
It can be challenging at times, especially if there needs to be conflict resolution. I will be brutally honest here, I don’t like conflict. I think most of us can agree with that statement, but it’s vital to address conflict head-on, especially if you’re in a leadership position. You owe it to your mental health, the project, others around you, and your reputation to manage each project with the utmost attention (this is where a CMS will come in!).
Please note: This blog post contains affiliate marketing links and advertisements.
Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV, with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, boy + cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.