10 Principles of Project Management for New Project Managers

This article introduces 10 principles of project management for new project managers.

Have you ever had a project fail? I’m sure some happy people can answer: No, but most project managers and staff have experienced project failure to some degree or another. However, these failures can be valuable if you can apply them to the next project. Managing a project is the only way to achieve success. In particular, the larger the project, the more essential it is to manage it.

In this article, I’ll explain the basics of project management and introduce the ten principles of project management that you should keep in mind. No one wants to make a mistake, but in order to minimize the probability of failure, refer to the project management described in this article.

Table of contents:

• Project management
• 10 principles of project management
• Summary

Project management

First of all, a project is a business that develops and introduces something new to the world, such as a company’s new product development plan, software development, or system integration, or creates a product that the client wants. These projects tend to be huge, involving the entire company, and many of them can last more than a year. Of course, not all projects are large, and some relatively light projects end in a matter of seconds.

The PMBOK, the international standard for project management, defines a project as follows: A project is a fixed-term work carried out to create a unique product, service, or end product. In other words, normal operations, ongoing operations management, or improvement activities are not called projects because they do not have a defined beginning and end. However, doing a specific construction by a specified deadline, developing a product, building a system, etc., can be individual projects. 

So, what is project management?

In general, in order to achieve the final goal of the project, we comprehensively manage the procedures, human resources, equipment, funds, materials, etc. leading up to it, and refer to management work to protect the QCD (quality, cost, delivery date) of the project. If you have a system that says, “How much was the profit?” After you have completed each project, you will never know when a loss-making project will occur, and it will be difficult to maximize the profit of the project. Project management is essential to maximize profits with a consistent system from the start to the end of the project.

10 principles of project management

What does it take to make a project successful and not a failure? There is no way to explain everything, but here are ten principles that every person in charge must keep in mind:

1. Value people and their communication

Projects are driven by people, not by computers. Furthermore, since a project involves multiple people, there is always a need for communication. It is no exaggeration to say that people and communication all make up a project, and they are essential to the success of a project. That is why the person in charge must always value people and their communication.

Respect all members involved in the project, recognize their abilities, give them appropriate work, and evaluate them properly. It is one of the factors that will motivate members and lead the project to success.

2. Adopt the right project management methods

There are a variety of methods available for project management. The key to efficient and successful project management is to adopt the right one from the frameworks that are already available rather than inventing a new project management method.

Typical project management methods include PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) and CCPM (Critical Chain Project Management).

3. Share the purpose and goals of the project with the project members

In many unsuccessful projects, the final objectives and goals are not shared with the project members. 

The project manager needs to share the final goal and purpose of the project with all members.

4. Have an awareness of developing the team

As new teams are launched for each project, no matter how good the team members are, the team is still immature. Many project managers feel comfortable having highly skilled team members. But since projects are team-driven, relying on the skills of a particular member can be very dangerous.

Managing the project with the mindset of developing the team is necessary for the person in charge.

5. Obtain the support of management and stakeholders

The support of the people around you is essential to the success of your project. A vital factor in the success of a project is building trust with management and stakeholders.

If you can get their support, you can efficiently recruit talented members and persuade them to work on the project.

6. Clearly define the scope of responsibility for each member

It is necessary to clearly define the scope of responsibility to motivate each member to work on the project with a sense of responsibility. 

Clearly defining the scope of responsibility to prevent any problems from occurring will help motivate each member and keep the project running smoothly.

7. Don’t overlook the signs of problems

A project that seems to be going well may have many problems if you dig a little deeper. It is necessary to spot the signs of problems and eliminate them early to prevent a project failure.

8. Select and utilize the project management tools

Use a variety of project management tools to promote a project. The person in charge is expected to search for a method to effectively use the project management tools from the myriad of tools available.

9. Prepare the worst-case scenarios in case the project does not proceed as planned

Projects rarely go according to the original plan. Therefore, you should also prepare a worst-case scenario in case of problems and take measures to avoid failures and losses.

10. Thoroughly manage the cost of the project

You may be thinking, “Cost control for a project? ” However, to maximize the profit of the project, it is necessary to manage the cost thoroughly and achieve the budget of the project. There are many methods of cost control, so it is so important to choose the appropriate methodology.

Summary

What do you think? I hope everyone will refer to the ten principles of project management introduced in this article and aim for a successful project without failure.