“I need this done today!” We’re all tasked, or task others with projects every day. But what’s our plan? How are we getting there? Effective project management, particularly of larger scale projects relies on careful, thoughtful planning.

Our poll of eighteen budding project managers showed their top three concerns for disruption on projects currently underway, are resource management (people and things), communication (again people but also the physical constraints of the current COVID-19 crisis) and scope creep of projects. These concerns are no different to those often encountered in the professional world, with polls on the topic usually highlighting the same concerns.

Therefore for a project to be delivered in an economic, timely and successful manner, it is arguably more important to place emphasis on the planning of team members strengths and weaknesses as it is on the planning of budget and time constraints.

Experienced project managers say the 80/20 rule applies. Eighty percent of your woes result from failings in the twenty percent planning phase. Whatever your project, take time to make a plan and consider that the effective management of team members abilities will positively impact financial and time constraints.

Dom Conheady
2020 Participant