Team members always want to know, where do things stand on a range of projects. Technology is helpful to share the status of projects, but often, the root cause of dysfunctional teams is a lack of project management skills and leadership.
Project management is like a traffic cop, keeping everything moving along with clear signals.
Like you, I sit in on lots of meetings and conference calls where we discussed a range of topics. But from a marketing perspective, I always share with my clients or colleagues, that a project isn’t a project until it makes it onto our work list. Just because we discussed an idea, doesn’t make it something that the marketing team will work on because it requires project status.
I’m indifferent to the software you use but having a project status report is critical to success. Generally speaking, It should be updated and reviewed weekly. Add projects, delete projects, update status, etc. I’m surprised how many companies operate on the fly.
Top Project Management Tips
- Keep a status report in one document. Update and review it together once a week at a regularly scheduled review meeting.
- Assign owners to tasks. Who is responsible for collecting the marketing assets needed?
- Provide deliverable dates. Be extremely specific. Thursday 9/26 by 10 am.
- Give a summary in a few phrases or sentences.
- Delete completed projects.
- If a project is on hold, mark it but don’t let it stay on the list forever.
- Excel works fine. If you need lots of people updating it, make it a Google Doc. Some of the project management software is overly complicated, requires training, and is a glorified spreadsheet.
- If it isn’t on the list, no one is working on it. Make sure this is clear to everyone who reviews the documents.
- Prioritize when the list gets too long. Have the top three most important projects at the top of the list. Put less important stuff at the bottom.
- Share the summary one day before the weekly review meeting so others can provide an update.
Complex projects require much more focus, especially if they are cross-functional, over a longer time frame and with more cost associated with it. But everyday activities need traffic management and an easy to follow workflow. Great managers keep traffic moving.
Who is the cop on your street?
Does your business need a marketing coach, guide or sherpa? Are you generating enough leads? Is your marketing underperforming? I can help.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash
