The vital three things you need to do to

deliver a project

There are lots of ways to think about your project plan. You could think of it is a compass that will
point you in the right direction. Or that it is a living creature that will grow and change (although
hopefully not too much).
In fact, you could also think of it as a set of promises. When it comes to delivering the project you
have to make those promises a reality (while moving in the right direction and nurturing an
evolving organism).
As management guru Peter Drucker once said: Plans are only good intentions unless they
immediately degenerate into hard work.
In other words, the only way it will happen is by progressing each task. Then, before you know it,
youve delivered what you said you would.

If youve planned your project effectively, you should see the benefits when you start to deliver
the project. However, if youve not ticked the right boxes at the start of the process, for example,
if youve not included someone important in the planning stage or have not considered
something crucial before the project progresses well, you should brace yourself for some
trouble ahead. (Read more about planning and managing projects effectively The Six Step Guide
to Practical Projects).

Monitor the progress

Make sure you are on top of your tasks and, if other people have tasks, check with them
regularly to make sure they are on track. Pay attention to your milestones, such as the
completion of a phase or deliverable.
If you or other team members are encountering problems, make sure you address them as soon
as possible to minimise any delays.

Report on the status

Whether weekly or monthly, you may need to report on progress to key stakeholders such as
your boss.
You should only be reporting on the highlights the top level deliverables or milestones. A
colour-based system can help:
- green for everything is great and we are on schedule,
- amber as a warning (but stakeholders dont need to panic the projects team is dealing with it)
- red for there is a problem and you need help from the wider stakeholders to resolve the issue.

Deal with any changes

With the best will in the world, changes are inevitable. Even if youve done everything right when
planning, you may encounter unforeseen problems or spot opportunities and responding to
these will have an impact on your project.
You may need to draft in more people to help, reduce what your project will deliver or you may
have to accept that the project will run late. Crucially, you should let your key stakeholders know
and get their approval.
There may be occasions when a need for a number of changes hit you at the one time. In an
ideal world you would deal with all of them as soon as possible. But that isnt always possible.
The trick here is taking a step back and prioritising. To help you make the right decisions,
consider focusing your time on whats most important in terms of lasting impact and urgency.

Complete the project

Once the last task is complete, and youve delivered everything that is expected, then the project
is complete. Remember to congratulate yourself and the team on the big achievement. Youd be
forgiven for popping a bottle of bubbly. But spraying the team with that bottle like youve won a
Grand Prix probably wont be forgiven.

A simpler and easier approach to project

management
The above information is just one step in a six step process that makes managing projects from
start to finish simpler and easier.

The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management strips back professional project
management processes to the absolute basics without sacrificing the vital ingredients for a
successful project to hit your deadlines, stay on budget and deliver big benefits to your
organisation (and career).
Download the free guide