As a project manager, you may experience many internal and external elements that may cause a project to go off track. However, you can still lead your project to become successful with enough planning and by taking a few precautions.

Here are 7 strategies for successful project management:

Define the Project

Before beginning your project, you have to have a solid foundation and the buy-in from all key stakeholders. Make sure you have understood their interests and expectations, as this is essential in determining the success of your project.

You will also need to define the scope of your project, which includes the roles and the responsibilities of the different project team members.

Establish the project plan and check that the objectives of the key elements are well-defined and closely aligned. Create measurable and trackable success benchmarks, which includes task completion as per schedule, staying within the allocated budget, client satisfaction regarding the design and function of the product, and ensuring government or industry compliance.

Determine the Requirements

Next, roll-out your project by structuring your project team. As a project manager, you need to coordinate members’ skills, abilities, and personalities with the appropriate project requirements. Check that each member involved in the project understands what their role is about and what they need to accomplish upon completion.

Identify Critical Project Milestones

Include these four phases in the life cycle of your project: initiation, planning, execution, and closure. Evaluate and examine every deliverable at the end of each phase to ensure the final product meets your project specifications and your client’s expectations. Creating milestones will help you to manage project risk and monitor any project changes.

Always Maintain Documentation

You need to have documentation signed by the stakeholder on every phase of your project, especially during unforeseen events. Make sure that your documentation adds value to the project and does not contribute to unnecessary clutter.

Manage Project Risks

As a project manager, be aware that you may encounter risk anytime during the project. You can glean from your previous project management experience to detect when risk is impending and when corrective action needs to be executed. Having open communication with everyone on your team can help you understand when any risk is forthcoming and handle it before things get out of control. Since risk is only a probable challenge, it is vital managing it before it becomes an actual problem.

Avoid Scope Creep

Another strategy for successful project management is preventing scope creep. Scope creep usually occurs when new ideas or elements are added to a project that’s pre-approved, but no thought was given to budget increase, adding more time to the schedule, or additional resources to compensate for the updated project. If this happens, ensure you have the proper documentation and have stakeholders approve these updates before proceeding.

Evaluate Deliverables

Deliverables should be evaluated at every critical milestone. The final output must meet the project requirements and must be completed as planned. It should also meet client’s expectations to be considered a success. The last stage of the project is closure. As a project manager, this final step is a sign of achievement not only for you but for the rest of your project team as well. Once your project is finalized and the client is satisfied, your mission is complete.

A coach can help to guide you and your team to successfully manage and complete projects.