Being a leader can be a tough balancing act, especially in a large-scale organization. While you want to show that you trust in the capabilities of your team members, you also need everyone functioning according to their roles, completing tasks as expected.
Be lax in their management, and things might end up falling through the cracks. Be too involved, and you end up micromanaging. Either way, it’s going to be counterproductive for you and your team.
Here are some helpful tips you can use for keeping track of your projects, but without micromanaging your team.
1. Set Clear Objectives and Timelines for the Project
Before you hit the ground running on any project, you should first set clear objectives and make sure that everyone involved is on board. Not only does this set a clear mission for the team, but it also helps set and manage expectations.
Setting timelines is also important, because it helps the team be aware of their target goals. Having short-term milestones can also help make the project more digestible and less overwhelming, especially for long-term projects. Having this foundation in place also makes it easier to pivot in case any changes are made in the direction of the project.
2. Identify Stakeholders
Depending on the size and scope of the project, several different teams and departments can become involved. Being able to identify the stakeholders is therefore important for accountability.
Through this, roles are clearly defined, expectations are properly set and managed, and tasks are accomplished more efficiently.
Even though there may be many moving parts, each subunit ultimately reports back to you as necessary. However, as far as executing operations is concerned, team leads or project managers can take on the reins instead, so you can afford to step back and avoid micromanaging them.
3. Determine Priorities
Another crucial way to keep track of your projects is to determine priorities. The clearer they are, the better the implementation can be. You can set check-ins with the teams involved according to the urgency of their tasks. This makes the project load a lot more manageable both for you and the rest of the stakeholders.
4. Facilitate Workflows and Implementations
It’s easier to see how things are moving along the pipeline when there is an organized workflow running based on the hierarchy of priorities. Crafting a workflow is an intricate process that requires a lot of thought and foresight. Whoever is leading the project should be able to account for both to ensure continuity.
With a well-designed workflow that is properly implemented, a project can run smoothly like a well-oiled machine, with as little hand-holding as possible, if at all.
5. Maximize Resources and Platforms Available
While the occasional check-ins are encouraged, especially during important project milestones, it’s unrealistic to hold meetings at every turn. Not only is this unnecessary, but it’s also counterproductive for everyone involved.
A collaborative, modern project management platform is a much better option in this case. Here, the project members can provide detailed updates on their tasks as needed. They can also efficiently connect with those they need to help out in their task, while having other interested parties follow the conversation even without being directly involved in it.
This makes the workflow more efficient, it also helps create more transparency and better accountability.
A platform like SmartSuite.com, for example, offers all the necessary tools to plan, track, and manage any type of workflow. From routine daily tasks to ongoing processes, or even long-term projects, this collaborative platform makes project strategy and execution as seamless and as efficient as possible.
Conclusion
Leading an organization automatically means you have a lot on your plate. Being a good leader, however, depends on how well you can balance and delegate those tasks on your plate. Recognize the strengths of your team members, and play to it. Use available technology and resources to conduct projects more efficiently.
Avoid micromanaging while ensuring your team stays on point and on top of their tasks with these helpful tips.