For many project managers, it is a constant struggle to keep up. For them, meeting expectations on their projects is as much as they can possibly hope for.
Yet, other project leaders have loftier ambitions. What if are one of those people who want to exceed expectations? How can you how to deliver something that takes the breath away and delights your stakeholders?
Certainly, using the widely-trusted PRINCE2 methodology is a great start. So, how exactly can use this approach to go above and beyond the call of duty?
Plan It to Perfection
Planning is a huge part of getting any project right. Fortunately, this is also one of the main strengths of the PRINCE2 approach. You will put a fair amount of time and effort into getting this just right when you start a new piece of work.
This means that you can then start work, relaxed in the knowledge that you have everything under control. Having a terrific plan in place gives you the peace of mind that you need to feel truly confident about your chances of success.
Of course, your plan needs to be realistic and achievable. Some project managers like to add in enough contingency time so that they can get it finished ahead of the deadline without any issues.
Get a Strong, United Team
There is no doubt that having a strong, united project team is a massive help in producing excellent project results. This means that bringing together the people that you need for this should be one of your top priorities.
Once you have some team members that you believe will help you to get the job done you need to look at the skills they may need trained on. Do they need to undertake their all-important PRINCE2 Birmingham or are there specific software packages and techniques that should be a priority just now?
Having a strong, well-trained team to call on takes a huge weight off the shoulders of any project leader. Instead of having to do it all alone, you can turn to your PRINCE2 team to give you a helping hand.
Communicate in a Highly Effective Way
Communication is another key aspect of this way of running projects. You simply can’t afford to ignore this area if you are going to impress senior management and your stakeholders.
Good communication can be achieved in a number of ways. Maybe you will put the emphasis on regular project meetings or in sending out useful updates regularly. The exact approach will depend upon the individual project and the people that you are dealing with on it.
However you choose to do this, the better your communication the more impressed other will be. As well as appearing to be extremely professional, this will also give you a way of spotting potential problems, as they will get flagged up a lot earlier.
Learn from Each New Project
Lastly, even the most experienced PRINCE2 project manager is going to come across completely new things from time to time. Project work varies greatly, so there is no way of ever being able to say that you have seen and done everything.
Using the PRINCE2 way of working is great news if you plan on learning from each new project. By sticking to the same approach each time you will have something to hang your hat on while getting to grips with the rest of the work.
If you can keep on learning all the time then each new project should be better than your last. This is the perfect way of exceeding expectations consistently and for the foreseeable future.