Your communication initiatives will have more impact, and be more successful, if you apply project management standards to them.
Project management is a major field with certifications and a library of resources. But you don’t need all that to improve your efforts.
If you hit all five phases with focus and purpose you’ll see a difference in your impact.
Three things to mention first:
- Remember the ‘triple constraint‘ of time, resources, and scope. You can’t change one without affecting the other two.
- Ignoring risk doesn’t make it go away. Be realistic about risks and prepare for them. A risk can be avoided, or minimized, or shared across multiple parties. It can also simply be accepted.
- Communication is perhaps the most important element in a successful project. Studies show that poor communication is the main cause of project failure.
Phase one: Initiating
Projects have a clear beginning. There needs to be a moment when everyone knows the same thing: We have now begun.
- Identify the need and the stakeholders
- Establish the scope and timeline and budget
- Acquire sponsor or client approval
Phase two: Planning
Plans are made and documented.
- Deliverables are defined
- Tasks are outlined
- Resource requirements are identified
- Risks are assessed
Phase three: Executing
The serious work on the project is launched.
- The plan is implemented
- Actions are taken to achieve the desired business goals
- Communication is key
Phase four: Monitoring
Keep an eye on progress.
- Track and report on key indicators
- Respond to risks
- Take corrective actions as required
- Changes to scope, time, or cost may require looping back to the planning phase
Phase five: Closing
Projects have a clear end. There needs to be a moment when everyone knows the same thing: We have completed this.
- Formally close the project
- Hand over deliverables
- Release the team
- Analyze lessons learned