At BuildaTeam.io we use highly skilled and experienced Project Managers either based in the U.S or on the same timezone nearby, to manage clients’ projects and liaise with clients easily. As part of an ongoing series we’ll be asking our most popular PMs to tell their favorite stories from PM life on the job. Here’s our first entry, from Silvia who’s been working with us for over a year now. Straight from her mouth!
“I was managing a large research project for Latin America consumers, specifically the project nature was delicate itself because the outcome was to obtain data on a certain brand (Opinions and experiences). One of the major capital/equity partners was discredited from the company, so he needed good data to proceed legally.
In terms of contracts and expectations everything was cleared, however the client wouldn’t like to know anything until we achieved the goals. This is so very bad for any project, the clients need to be involved in the process. Most project Managers have had their fair share of this, I believe. It is very important to align the ideas, and to create a good communication channel
The goal of the project was clear, however the guidelines and specifications were never actually outlined, so every team did as they thought would be the right way… and this caused several versions of the information to go live, incorrectly. At this point all of the project collaborators were actually telling their own version (as they perceived it) and it was a nightmare, we needed to start from scratch (after a month).
The only thing that saved this project was that I was able to suggest starting “official” documentation , I realized how important it is to have clear written guidelines, so everybody can be on the same page. If this is not in place, the project can go off the rails in a second. Fortunately we (as a team) did a common practice called “war room” for an entire day where all of the teams were together in an organized way, and we were able to share our experiences. Several action items came out of this meeting, including going back to basics.
Final Project Manager Lesson: You can be in the foot of the canyon in a second if you are not careful, clear and concise. As a Project Manager that should be the first thing on your list. Get all the details written down and for everyone involved to see.
Do not be ashamed to ask two, three or as many times as needed, it’s better to deliver strong results by asking questions, than deliver nothing relevant. Always think ahead of time, Project Managers do not live in the present, you must have a clear vision of what it is going to happen, and you need to have backup plans.”
Thanks Silvia for being a great PM on our team! To learn more about how Buildateam handles outsourced web and mobile development for our clients, in a different way please visit our website at www.buildateam.io