PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRODUCTIVITY CHECKLIST

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Checklist to help improve project management productivity

Initial project fact finding

Write a list of people who will have information you'll need & the types of information they're likely to possess

Build rapport with them by reflecting their preferred communication style

Prepare at least one open and one closed probe for every topic you plan to address

Gather information until you're sure about the project's (a) purpose, (b outcome, (c) value, (d potential problems, (e) your responsibility & authority, (f) the budget & (g) the deadline

Getting enthusiastic help from participants

Start building your overall influence foundation by sincerely & proactively developing a supportive network

Mini-max participant outcomes you'd prefer & you'd need, then mini-max a range of commitment you'll request

Use priority & ability probe information to determine whether a potential participant needs telling, selling, a delegated task or coaching/training to succeed

Planning the project

Get people involved in the early planning stages of your projects

Explore creative solutions when risk is low and upside potential exists

Develop draft goal & milestone sequences as early as possible to focus project team input

Prepare project charts that reveal enough detail so you can effectively spot potential trouble & proactively manage key dependencies

Prime mover review meetings

Keep your project prime mover up to speed on results & plan variances

Prepare an agenda & objective(s) for every project review meeting (initial, periodic & emergency)

Avoid meetings when another method will yield the same or a better result

Make time to prepare for & follow through on all project meetings

Have the tact & courage to exhort, present, control, summarize & to ask for specific commitments

Time management for the project manager

Load your planner with all key activities and outcome dates. Refer to it before saying "yes" to anyone

Prioritize planned activities &, when asked for help, clarify, calibrate, compare & either challenge or cooperate to protect your plan

Use milestones to reduce procrastination; hand off results when they're "business ready" to control perfectionism; use the next response rule to improve listening

Influencing participants & prime movers

Anticipate project changes & influence people to keep your project on line

Learn enough about team members to identify their wants/needs & to work participant benefits into your project

When influencing, ask more questions/probes than usual. Best case - talk 30% & listen 70%

Welcome resistance and discuss/problem solve objections in a way that builds partnering relationships

Aks for resources, support and commitments from project prime movers & milestone/time commitments from project players

Presenting project results

Find out about your audience's expectations, interests, familiarity with the project and their opinions of the project before preparing

Prepare a presentation goal first, then write enabling points that support the goal

Select facts, evidence and/or expert opinion that support each enabling point

Be sure to use the presentation for interaction - not core dumping

Team work from project teams

Identify your participant's team maturity level - do they identify with the project and each other? Are they motivated to learn and achieve? Do they trust each other and you? Do they communicate about the project frequently, meaningfully and/or productive

Find things that you, as leader, can start and stop that will help your team mature from dependence through independence to interdependence

Emphasize listening, trust building, empowerment and balance as team priorities

Follow through

Celebrate project team successes during and at the conclusion of the project

Write personal thank you notes to individual project contributors

Consider debriefing the team and prime movers - harvest and capture lessons learned

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