Taking on a huge new project is probably a sign that you are progressing well in your project management career. This type of demanding piece of work doesn’t get handed to just anyone.
However, it is easy to feel daunted by the giant task looming ahead of you. How will you ensure that this massive project goes as smoothly as you hope that it will? How can you avoid the problems typically found in larger projects like this?
Using the widely-respected PRINCE2 methodology is a great place to get started. Yet, you will also need to be aware of some other tips that will make life a lot easier for you.
Build a Strong Team
If you are taking on a large project then it is only natural that you will want a big team to help you out. You won’t be able to handle everything on your own, so it makes sense to choose your team members wisely.
With a lot of varied tasks needing done, you will have to build up a team that has a suitable mixture of all of the skills that are required. Of course, there are a few different ways of doing this that you will want to consider.
First of all, you could train existing employees to carry out all of the roles that have to be filled. This could mean arranging PRINCE2 Course Cardiff for some of them and other types of training course for those who are in need of other abilities.
The other option is to bring in freelancers or contractors to satisfy your short-term needs. Don’t forget that having team members spread out over various locations could make project management of this work even more complicated.
Encourage a Good Team Spirit
When you have a big team that is largely filled with newcomers, it can be difficult to get a good team spirit going. People might not even know each other’s name or roles at the beginning.
Therefore, it is important that you give them a chance to get to know each other. This can be done in an informal setting such as a fun away day, or during team meetings.
You will then want them all to work closely together. The stronger the bond that they achieve the better their results should be.
Split it Into Smaller Sub-Projects
Big projects can quickly become awkward and unwieldy to manage. It is easy to see how some milestones could slip under the radar until it is too late to do anything about them.
This is why it is a good idea to break the overall piece of work down into specific sub-projects. By doing this, you will also give team members the chance to take on more responsibility by leading their own sub-projects.
You need to be very careful when doing this, though. By following PRINCE2 principles you will be relying heavily on having an accurate, regularly updated plan.
Make Your Communication a Priority
Good communication is another key element of PRINCE2 projects. It goes without saying that this becomes even more important when you are in charge of a big team that doesn’t all work closely together.
You may set up a separate communication team to deal with this matter. Even if you choose not to do this, it is a smart move to publish some communication guidelines that everyone has to stick to.
You will almost certainly want to cover a good range of different ways of communicating too. This means that you can keep your messages fresh and also adapt your approach whenever you have to.
