C - stands for Control of your project’s time line. That sounds easy enough but how do you apply it to your team and your work? Below is a quick list of things to keep in mind when keeping control of your projects.

• It is important to control your time line, which can be done by developing a schedule. Using a schedule will keep you and your team on the same page and working towards the same goal.
• Using a project management system will simplify this task for you. A project management system will help to keep you and your team focused on the project at hand. It is very easy to get distracted and begin a project or tasks, only to realize later there is a deadline that must be met and you are not prepared.
• It is not easy to accomplish tasks or projects on your own, but with a team and a project management system the tasks will be accomplished more efficiently.
• Setting a goal and listing what will need to be accomplished to satisfy that goal is very important. More importantly is sharing this goal and list with your team. By sharing your project goals with your team, projects and task can be accomplished at a quicker pace with less stress.
• Sticking to a time line is extremely important and following the C.A.S.T. system will enable you to get your projects accomplished.
• As the team leader or person in charge of the project team it is your responsibility to set a time line for all to follow.

You will find with a bit of organization and time management your projects will be attended to and completed in a timely fashion. Controlling the project’s time line is one goal to strive for this coming year and the stress will be replaced with projects and a more organized team. Apply the acronym C.A.S.T. to your resolution list for the coming year and apply it to all your projects. You will find your time is better managed and tasks will be easier to finish. Be sure to watch for the next post to this series, where we will discuss always keeping you project’s scope in mind.

Image credit: Kim Beasley (creator) using an icon from http://Softpedia.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Project Management and the New Year, part 2

To start things off with a level foundation, I have created an acronym from the letters of C.A.S.T. to help you concentrate on the important things and not the distracting things. When managing projects in the New Year, just try out the C.A.S.T system to see if it will help you stay focus on your project goals:

• Control of your project’s time line
• Always keep your project’s scope in mind
• Stay focused and control your risk factors
• Teach your team to work as one

Let’s break these down further. First controlling your project’s time line. It is important to set a schedule for your project, which means that using a project management system is best to use in order to keep things timely. Using a project management system will force you to keep to your schedule and will keep you focused on the project. It is very easy to get distracted so determining a time line will keep everyone focused on the task at hand. Secondly, always keep your project’s scope in mind, it is very easy to wander and delve into more than one project at a time, but doing this will make you less efficient and the projects less than desirable. It is wise to outline your particular project’s scope and focus on that scope.

Thirdly, it is extremely important to stay focused and control your risk factors. Setting your goal to complete a project at a given time will help with keeping you focused. Remaining focused will ensure your project will be successful and will be completed in a timely fashion. Finally the most important of all is to teach your team to work as one. It is important to have a team where everyone works together to accomplish the final goal. Cohesiveness is very important when it comes to teamwork. It will make your project run smoothly and in the end be successful, which is what the ultimate goal should be.

Sticking to the C.A.S.T. system will not only keep you more focused but you will find that more projects will be accomplished in a timely fashion. You will be less stressed because you are following a system that will keep you and your team focused. Let this be the ultimate goal for the New Year, remain focused and your projects will be successful. Which in turn will make you and your team happier and more productive.

Image credit: Kim Beasley (creator) using an icon from http://Softpedia.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Project Management and the New Year, part 1