The demands of running a business are higher than ever before. Having said that, choosing the right projects and running them professionally can help to make life a whole lot easier.
There are a number of ways of starting a project and keeping it under control. Among these, is that of using the PRINCE2 methodology. This is a way of working that brings a lot of interesting benefits that are well worth bearing in mind.
Always Do Things in the Same Way
Project work is fascinating because of the way in which each piece of work is different. Yet, this also brings with it some problems in terms of trying to control projects. The best way to overcome this is to use a tried and tested methodology.
One of the most widely used project methodologies is called PRINCE2. This is a framework that lets you deal with each piece of work in exactly the same way. Because of this, there is no worry about team members getting confused or each person just doing their own thing.
There is no need to guess about what your team are doing when you know that they are sticking to the PRINCE2 handbook and other guidelines for this methodology.
Get Training for the Team
It is generally best to have a dedicated project team set up. By doing this you make sure that they become experts over time and build up a powerful set of PRINCE2 knowledge that lets them handle any sort of project eventually.
The first step is to let them carry out their PRINCE2 Courses . After this is completed, they will feel ready to get to work in an organised, professional way. Naturally, there are other skills that they can pick up in areas such as programming languages, database management and other related areas.
It is worth bearing in mind that gaining PRINCE2 certification is also an important step in the career development of your team members. This will allow them to plan for a strong carer in project management following widely used techniques.
Keep Everyone Informed and Involved
An important part of the PRINCE2 methodology is the communication that it involves. By encouraging open and direct communication, the projects stand a far better chance of success.
On the other hand, when a project team communicates poorly it can have a damaging effect on the whole thing. By placing emphasis on the communication you can feel far more confident of guiding the piece of work through to conclusion.
There are several different ways of sorting out this communication. The most obvious methods perhaps are through regular meetings and reports. However, it is also worth bearing in mind the option of holding away days and sending out updates through newsletters.
Don’t Let Projects Affect Your Normal Business
With any project that you take on there is always the risk that the focus of attention on it leads to other areas being neglected. You certainly don’t want to ignore other business issues because you are concentrating so much on projects.
By setting up a project team that use PRINCE2 techniques, you will be able to run your project expertly without it having an adverse effect on the rest of the company.
Of course, you may decide to occasionally bring in people from other areas of the business to help out. It can be very useful to have someone on secondment who completely understands the technical issues being dealt with.
If you take all of these points into account then it becomes clear that running a smooth project becomes far easier when you use PRINCE2 methodology to do it.