As well as having a good work ethic to manage a group of people, being able to manage a project successfully requires having the right skills and information to identify and resolve an issue as quickly as possible. Here are just some ways in which you can identify and resolve issues before and during a project.

Foresee Any Risks

To define an issue, you’ll need to see if it has any potential risks attached to it. Be one step ahead of the game and foresee any issues before they happen. Managing a risk before it becomes an issue will ensure your project runs smoothly. During the planning stages, ask yourself: what could go wrong during the project? Write down any issues that would put a halt, negatively impact or surpass the budget of your project. This list should be communicated to all participants who can collaboratively come up with solutions or alternative avenues to take. From this, you’ll be able to predict the risks of any potential issue and solve them before a project begins.

Give Your Team a Purpose

One of the best ways to resolve an issue is to stop communication from breaking down. Working on a project is all about putting in the effort to work collaboratively and issues can occur if the team is not gelling. This is why your project team will need to consist of the right set of skills and personalities. Each person on the team needs to be irreplaceable and they’ll need to have a purpose. This will ensure that the right number of people are working on each task, as overcrowding during a project can cause confusion. Each member of the team will need to know what their role and responsibilities are. From this, they’ll know it’s their duty to monitor and communicate any problems within their remit. As well as this, you’ll be able to clearly see if you have a weak link in a team and effectively adapt your approach or give more training to the individual if needed.

Listen to Your Project Team

There will, more than likely, be a few surprise hurdles that you’ll come across, especially if you take on more complex projects. This is why it’s important to have regular meetings where your project team can update you with any problems they might face. Good communication at this stage is vital to solve problems efficiently. If you’re heading in a direction where you cannot clearly see how you’ll achieve success, or where the route will lead too, don’t run the risk. It’s important to enter a project without fear, but fear will need to be resolved with planning and organisation to build confidence. Good project management is all about staying prepared, doing your research and staying true to the original plan.

Taking Action

You’ve listened to your team and found an issue, so it’s time to take action. As more brains are better than one, sit down with the project team and work out three ways to solve the issue. With these solutions, foresee any new risks that may occur, just like you practiced at the start of the project. With this, you’ll be able to find out the best course of action to take. Next, make a decision and stick to it. A good project manager is able to take charge and show sound judgment. Make sure you, personally, are overseeing and managing the new solution. This will make sure the whole team is concentrated on effectively implementing the new solution.

Learn From Your Mistakes

As well as monitoring progress throughout the project, which is vital for progression, the ability to pick yourself up after a fall is an important part of project management. In order to learn from your mistakes, you’ll need to give yourself enough time to review what went wrong. Ask for feedback and notes from the wider team. This will present an overall picture of the project. Do remember that reflecting on the successes is as important as dwelling on the failures. Once your review has been processed, forget about the failures and bring the successes along with you to your next big project.