Most projects need a simpler process

Here’s a common scenario: you’re handed a project to start, which you have to juggle along with

lots and lots of other work (without having been given enough, if any, project management

training).

And you may find yourself cutting corners.

Or are you a manager who is trying to get your team of non-project managers to adopt consistent

processes?

Project management really doesn’t need to be difficult Whether you’re either of those (or someone who simply values their time and energy), it’s clear

that what you don’t need is the resource-heavy project management methodologies that demand

lots of training and administration. Unless that is, your project is seriously big.

What you do need is a process that is simpler and quicker. That doesn’t require training. That

doesn’t ask you to spend more time filling out paperwork than actually planning and delivering

your project. That will still help you hit deadlines, stay within budget and deliver big benefits to

your organisation.

All you really need is a handful of vital steps The good news is that you can strip back professional project management processes to the

absolute basics in just six steps (as this guide outlines with practical advice and templates).

These steps are:

Step 1: Discover what the project needs to achieve

Understand why your project exists (its purpose) and its objectives. This will guide your decisions

throughout the project.

Step 2: Find out who is involved and what they want

Identify your stakeholder and gather their requirements. Benefit from the collective knowledge of

the team.

Step 3: Decide on what you’ll deliver

Create your scope document and present it to your stakeholders in a meeting. Get everyone on

the same page and collect vital feedback.

Step 4: Schedule the tasks

List your tasks, find out how long they will take, assign them to people and get a realistic finish

time.

Step 5: Manage the work and complete the project

Monitor progress, report on the status and deal with any changes. Keep on top of everything and

keep stakeholders in the loop.

Step 6: Learn lessons

Run a retrospective meeting to learn lessons from the project. It’s a valuable opportunity to

identify improvements.

You need a practical process with a practical tool Using a complicated process, as well as an overly complex project management tool that

requires lots of training (such as Microsoft Project), just doesn’t work for most projects.

Put it this way: would you use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

Apply the steps in real - See more at: http://www.mindgenius.com/Resources/Articles/2016/Most-projects-need-a-

simpler-process.aspx#sthash.1U1JCOl4.dpuf

If the six steps outlined above are just what you need, you can read more about them in The Six Step

Guide to Practical Project Management.

Or, you can go ahead and apply the six steps in real life using a trial version of MindGenius and

templates that accompany the guide.

In other words, there’s nothing stopping you from getting that project started, and making it a

success.

→ Read the free guide

→ Download the MindGenius trial and templates