10 Tips for Better Project Planning

In David Letterman fashion, these tips will be counted down from 10 to 1.


#10 – Listen to what the client really wants. You like Escalades, the client wants a Prius. The best thing we can do as consultants is to listen carefully to what our clients are saying. By talking less and listening more, we can truly discern what the client is asking us to do.

#9 – Build in the quality. Quality management isn’t just a peer review at the end. It’s making sure the work is done right all throughout delivery. Make sure quality is built into the staffing and pricing of the project.

#8 – Discuss change management before there’s a change. Yes, that means you talk to the client during project kick-off on how she wants you to handle changes to scopes and fees if/when they become necessary. When this is decided up front, it’s easier to have that discussion later.

#7 – Think about what’s the worst thing that could happen. It’s not just for safety. An LPSA can also help you plan your project better. If there’s a large risk involved, make sure we have Plan B and maybe even Plan C in the works.

#6 – Build the right team. The best person for the job may not be in the next cubicle. It may be someone in another time zone. Make sure you’re using the resource sharing team to get the right skill set at the right salary level for the assignment.

#5 – Decide who can talk to who. Communication within a project context is very important. The PM may not want to be central to all communications, but you also don’t want 15 people calling your client. Same for regulators and other stakeholders. Discuss this at your kickoff meeting.

#4 – Tell your team their budget. If there are only 40 hours to do a report, tell your team member before they start. Waiting until 39 hours is already spent is too late!

#3 – Keep a change log. Things change during project execution. At some point you may need to write or call the client asking for a budget adjustment (euphemism for “more money”). You might forget all the changes she asked for or other conditions that require the adjustment. Keeping a change log with date, description of change, and what or who caused the change, will help making that request much easier.

#2 – Make your schedule detailed. A milestone table is a good start for developing a schedule. But you also need to work backwards from each deliverable date to account for quality management and peer reviews, addressing comments, printing and production time for the deliverable, and mailing or delivery of the final product. You might find that your schedule requires “pencils down” on a deliverable as much as two weeks before it’s due to the client.

And the #1 Tip for Better Planning…


#1 – Follow your plan! You worked hard to come up with a good plan. Don’t just file it away -- check it often to make sure you’re following it!



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