Project Management 101

First presented at WordCamp Toronto 2014, on 16 November 2014.

Transcript

1. PROJECT
   
   MANAGEMENT
   
   101
   

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2. @ C H R I S VA N PAT T E N
   

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4. @ N A R J C A S T
   

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5. B L A S T O F FA P P. C O M
   

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6. PROJECT
   
   MANAGEMENT
   
   101
   

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7. WHAT IS PROJECT
   MANAGEMENT?
   

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8. Coordinating the various
   elements of a project to complete
   it on time and on budget
   

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9. WHY?
   

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10. We’ve all had those projects.
    

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11. It doesn’t need to be that way!
    

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12. PLAN!
    

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13. Plan the project before you win the project.
    

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14. Start with your proposal
    

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15. Not writing proposals? You should.
    

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16. Not writing proposals? You should.
    (You don’t even have to share them with the client!)
    

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17. Proposals help you set expectations
    

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18. Proposals help you share your process
    

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19. Proposals help you define success
    

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20. BE HONEST
    

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21. Bluster will come back to bite you.
    BE HONEST
    

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22. SETTING DEADLINES
    

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23. SETTING DEADLINES
    (or not)
    

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24. 1. Make a detailed list of deliverable
    components
    

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25. 1. Make a detailed list of deliverable
    components
    
    2. Get a calendar (or white board or whatever)
    and lay out the project components week by
    week
    

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26. 1. Make a detailed list of deliverable
    components
    
    2. Get a calendar (or white board or whatever)
    and lay out the project components week by
    week
    
    3. Better safe than sorry — always give yourself
    much more time than you think you need
    

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27. WORKING WITH A TEAM?
    

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28. Include them in the scheduling process
    

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29. Assign tasks early
    

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30. Spread out their deliverables
    

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31. REMEMBER…
    

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32. We haven’t even won the job yet!
    

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33. WE WON!
    

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34. How do you meet the expectations you’ve set?
    

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35. PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
    

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36. …will not solve your problems
    

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37. …but it can help.
    

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38. WP OPTIONS
    

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39. P2
    

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40. O2
    

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41. More…
    

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42. Just because you can use WordPress
    
    doesn’t mean you should use WordPress.
    

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43. NON-WP OPTIONS
    

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44. Trello
    

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45. Basecamp
    

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46. Asana
    

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47. TRY THEM ALL
    

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48. There’s no one right answer.
    

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49. Use what works for you and your team
    

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50. ESSENTIAL FEATURES
    

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51. 1. Ability to assign tasks
    

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52. 1. Ability to assign tasks
    
    2. Ability to set due dates
    

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53. 1. Ability to assign tasks
    
    2. Ability to set due dates
    
    3. Basic task discussion
    

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54. SHOULD GIVE MY CLIENT ACCESS?
    

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55. PROS
    

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56. 1. Keeps everyone on exactly
    the same page
    PROS
    

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57. 1. Keeps everyone on exactly
    the same page
    
    2. Saves you time in
    communication (email/
    phone)
    PROS
    

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58. 1. Keeps everyone on exactly
    the same page
    
    2. Saves you time in
    communication (email/
    phone)
    PROS CONS
    

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59. 1. Keeps everyone on exactly
    the same page
    
    2. Saves you time in
    communication (email/
    phone)
    PROS CONS
    1. Information overload for
    clients
    

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60. 1. Keeps everyone on exactly
    the same page
    
    2. Saves you time in
    communication (email/
    phone)
    PROS CONS
    1. Information overload for
    clients
    
    2. Limits your flexibility
    

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61. MIDDLE GROUND
    

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62. Share a “high level overview”
    
    project with broader tasks
    

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63. KEEPING CLIENTS HAPPY
    

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64. Sync-up meetings
    

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65. Communicate consistently
    

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66. Don’t overshare
    

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67. Raise problems early
    

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68. Let go of your pride!
    

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69. PLANNING FOR THE END
    

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70. Address hosting, passwords, and domains at
    the start of a project, not the end
    

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71. Get a launch list in place in the first few
    weeks, revising as necessary
    

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72. PLANNING FOR AFTER THE END
    

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73. Create a plan for website maintenance
    

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74. Who’s responsible for the project

    when you’re done?
    

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75. A LITTLE
    PLANNING
    CAN GO A LONG WAY
    

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76. You won’t solve every problem on day one
    

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77. (But you will solve many of them.)
    

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78. THANKS :)
    

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79. @CHRISVANPATTEN
    
    !
    cvp.me/wordcampyyz14
    

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