Project execution is the phase that follows initiation and planning within the cycle of a given initiative. During this stage, the team creates its deliverables and presents them to clients and key stakeholders.
Also known as project implementation, this third phase is the longest and most complicated of all. In it, your team will use all the work done during the previous stages as a basis, putting into action what was planned.
There is no set time to start project execution, as this will depend on the date agreed upon between the team and its leadership. However, implementation should occur alongside the monitoring and control phase, ending when the last deliverable has been completed.
In this article, we will discuss the main challenges of project execution and how to overcome them, as well as provide a framework for you to implement your initiative successfully.
Challenges in Executing a Project
Being the most difficult stage of all, project execution is often when most problems arise. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the main challenges you may encounter during the implementation phase.
To do this, we will discuss the most common difficulties encountered in project execution and how your team can overcome them.
1. Communication Failures
Having a good line of communication is essential for your project to be successful. If the people involved are not able to understand each other, your initiative runs the risk of not being delivered on time—falling victim to errors and misunderstandings.
A study by the Project Management Institute (PMI) indicates that, in 56% of cases, communication problems are the main cause of project failure. Language barriers, outdated information, and even very different time zones can cause understanding difficulties.
Solution: The best way to solve this problem starts with the project manager: this person should create a communication plan that defines a clear chain of message exchange. It is also essential to provide different means of contact for team members, facilitating the exchange of information among them.
2. Time Management Errors
Another point that demands a lot of attention is deadline management. Here, the biggest villains that prevent things from being done on time are sudden changes in priority and unexpected scope increases.
A problem that also often disrupts many projects is completely unrealistic deadlines, resulting in delays or loss of quality. Good project managers know their team’s capacity and negotiate with senior management to have a reasonable timeline for project execution.
Solution: Pay close attention to managing your work time. Plan correctly how many days or weeks are needed to complete each task, with extra time for potential unforeseen events. A technique that can also help is blocking time in the entire team’s schedule to work only on that project.
3. Scope Creep
Changes in project size not only affect time management but also hinder your team in many other ways. Scope creep occurs when the project expands beyond the original plan, causing your team to work on more tasks and complete more deliverables.
As expected, this practice often results in deadline delays and budget overruns. Another PMI survey recorded that 52% of project managers had to deal with scope creep in 2017 alone.
Solution: As the saying goes: prevention is better than cure. The ideal time to deal with scope creep is during the project planning phase. At this time, clearly define the size of the initiative and make agreements with management to ensure that your scope will not be increased.
If this is not possible, the way to deal with changes is through clear and frequent communication. Creating a change management plan also helps a lot in these situations.
4. Incorrect Resource Management
A highly important skill for project managers is resource management. After all, a common issue in many projects is the lack of means to execute tasks at crucial moments.
Another issue that keeps many teams up at night is the difficulty in identifying the right resources for each project. After all, the people with the most suitable skills are not always chosen to execute a particular task.
This becomes even more challenging when a manager has several different projects with competing priorities. Unforeseen events may also require the reassignment of people or tools from one initiative to another.
Solution: Learn what your team’s task execution capacity is and define how much time each member can dedicate to that project per week. Don’t forget that your employees will also spend time dealing with administrative tasks, unexpected requests, other initiatives, and, eventually, absences due to health issues.
Use tools like SoftExpert Suite’s Resource Control to have a clearer view of the situation of a given project. Through the platform, you can visualize the activities associated with each resource, manage their allocation, and check a unified activity calendar.
5. Stakeholder Management Failures
Another factor that needs to be balanced in this management juggling act is stakeholders. One point that can get out of control is the expectations of these people, who also become frustrated if they do not have access to project progress information.
A common point of contention that may arise is a conflict of interest from a stakeholder. Also, watch out for a lack of engagement from this group.
Solution: The main stakeholder management tactic is communication, so always keep them fully informed. This can be through daily or weekly updates, in the form of a WhatsApp message or a newsletter. The important thing is to maintain dialogue and address any questions.
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How to Successfully Execute a Project
You have already seen the main problems that can hinder project execution. Now it’s time to learn what you need to know to successfully execute an initiative.
1. Focus on the Final Outcome
Start by ensuring that your project execution strategy is aligned with the final goal of your initiative. For this, it is necessary that all the objectives and milestones of your project are clear and meticulously defined.
2. Get Your Team on Board
As we discussed earlier, project communication is extremely important. By establishing a clear and direct communication plan, you will be able to get your team and stakeholders to buy into the idea more easily.
Clearly explain your project execution strategy, providing the team with a better understanding of how each of them will contribute to the initiative, what their responsibilities will be, and what is expected of them.
3. Build a Talented Team
We are all familiar with the expression “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” The same goes for your project team. Make sure to assemble a team with high-quality members who can help you plan and implement your strategies.
Your team members should also be able to question you and help you see things from a different perspective.
4. Manage Progress and Performance
How do you know that your project execution strategy is progressing and being executed as planned? By defining metrics to evaluate your performance!
Tracking metrics is the most effective way to show that your plan is working, and communicating your progress is a way to keep the team and stakeholders engaged. Additionally, you will be able to correct errors along the way while there is still time.
5. Take the Lead
Remember: none of the above practices will make a difference if you do not take the lead on your project. This is crucial when implementing the execution strategy.
To lead your team, however, it is important to understand yourself and possess a certain level of emotional intelligence. This is because you may lose credibility with the group if you are seen as an “unpredictable and uncontrolled” person who is driven by emotions.
Also, work on your strategic and corporate management skills, as well as your ability to manage technical projects. This will be a differentiator that can greatly help in this process.
6. Make Technology Your Ally
It is never too much to emphasize how important it is to have the right tool for project management. It will not only help you execute activities but also monitor resource availability and manage all financial aspects, preventing deviations from compromising the achievement of results.
Conclusion
Project execution is a crucial and challenging phase within the lifecycle of an initiative. Overcoming the obstacles of this stage requires planning, effective communication, careful resource management, and firm and conscious leadership.
To ensure success, it is essential to align the team with the final objectives, make intelligent use of technology, and maintain a clear view of progress and performance.
However, the key to successful execution does not lie solely in following a set of best practices but also in adapting these strategies to the unique reality of each project.
Flexibility and problem-solving ability will allow your team to deliver high-quality results, meet deadlines, and keep stakeholders satisfied. Thus, with well-orchestrated execution, your project has everything to achieve the desired success.
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