How to keep your team engaged and your deliverables on time
Between delivering qualified leads on time and keeping team members engaged, campaign managers face multiple challenges. Strong project management skills are crucial to make the most of your time, resources, and budget. Read on for four project management tips that will help you stay on track.
1. Establish clear goals and end dates
Starting at the end can seem counterintuitive, but it will help you stay focused and ensure team members fully understand the goals you need to accomplish.
When starting a new project, focusing on your end goal allows you to create task cards that clearly outline what is to be accomplished while planning the necessary resources for each task card. You can also set mandatory end dates for each task and work backwards to establish workflow efficiency.
The next step should be to assign tasks to team members, brief them on key objectives, and hold them accountable. You can then work on developing a process flow that is easy to execute and makes sense for the scope and duration of the project.
2. Use schedule buffers
Use built-in schedule buffers! You can incorporate buffers in terms of days, hours, or minutes for single tasks or for the entire project. Use longer buffers for crucial tasks that need to be completed before you can move on to the next step of the project.
Ideally, you won’t have to use buffers, but these checkpoints are a valuable tool that will prevent you from getting behind.
3. Watch out for perfectionism
Taking pride in and ownership of one’s work is great but watch out for perfectionist attitudes that prioritize small details over the big picture.
There is no room for perfectionism in quick workflows. Instead, aim for a just-in-time approach in which team members focus on what they can realistically accomplish with the time and resources they have.
4. Rethink the way you communicate
Streamlining communication will help you save time and improve collaboration. You need a project management platform that allows team members to discuss each ongoing task, especially if you work with a remote team.
Scheduling daily meetings can give everyone a chance to share their progress. You should also work on creating an environment where team members feel comfortable asking for help and communicating about their workload. It will make you more reactive and improve risk management since you’ll be able to take action early if an issue arises.
Beyond regular meetings, successful teams do a quick follow-up at the end of the day so that team members can confirm they have accomplished their tasks. It’s great for visibility and closing the loop at the end of the day, allowing you to start the next workday knowing exactly where your project is at.
Summary
Project management is a balancing act. You need to accomplish specific goals with the time, resources, and budget available. It often requires making tough decisions and knowing what to prioritize. Adopting a strategic workflow that incorporates clear end dates, measurable goals and buffers will help you achieve better results that you can replicate on a consistent basis.
by: Desiree McLaughlin, Campaign Account Lead
About Desiree: An entrepreneur, world traveler, and kite surfing enthusiast who incorporates passion and creativity into her work. She loves learning, taking on new challenges, and helping customers achieve success. With a background in hospitality management and film production, Desiree switched gears in 2018, launching an eco-friendly lifestyle brand. Driven by results, Desiree is committed to achieving customer success and project excellence at Solutions Publishing by developing relationships built on trust, transparency, and exceptional service.