5 Questions to Consider for a Foolproof Project Plan

As a project manager, you’re always looking for ways to streamline processes and manage scope creep. While you can’t plan for everything, a dynamic and comprehensive project plan is your best armor when your project hits the battleground (i.e. the real world).

On that note, here are five questions to consider before you begin your next project plan so that you can deliver an outstanding project: 

1. What’s the goal of the project?

Whether it’s to provide quality work or stay within budget, understanding the main goal will help you plan your project's milestones accordingly. A hybrid approach to planning is a great option as it allows you to set deadlines while being flexible.

2. What are the expectations?

Making sure you’re on the same page as your stakeholders is crucial for a solid project plan. Clearly lay out for your team what the goals and expectations of the project are and then specify ways they can be achieved. Including things like due dates, the scope, and assigning people roles and responsibilities in a way that provides accountability and transparency is key.

3. How will I manage risk?

Being able to quickly see when your project is veering off course is less challenging when you have the right system in place. Your best bet is to use a project planning tool that’s flexible and dynamic so that you can adjust to ad-hoc changes. Then, with a smart project tracking tool, you can proactively manage deliverables and budget so that you can come out profitable.

4. How will I make the most of my team’s time?

Meetings and calls cause professionals to individually leak over $32,000 in revenue per year—so part of managing your project’s scope entails making the most of your team’s time. If you had a single place for shared tasks, discussions, and files, your team would be able to communicate openly and seamlessly (and you’d be able to ditch most of those costly meetings). When everyone is collaborating instead of working in silos, you’ll accomplish more (in less time).

5. How will I keep everyone responsive and accountable?

As a project manager, you know all too well how things can fall through the cracks with email, creating a lack of transparency and accountability. In order to keep everyone responsive and on point, you should investigate tools that would allow you and your team to collaborate in one centralized hub (think: things like email sync, a unified inbox, a full activity stream with a client portal, etc) and see which ones are a good fit for you.

If you’re looking for something to help you with your project planning, you might like this.