Don’t Shortchange Implementation Planning and Execution
It may be trivial to your team which tasks are design and which are implementation. In fact it may be a sign that your project is going smoothly. Regardless of which phase a task belongs to, as project leader, it’s likely your job to make sure they get done. That’s not the same as doing them yourself. It’s a matter of project management.
Just as designing a house is different from building a house, as you shift from design phase to implementation phase, you’ll notice the types of tasks you’re engaged in also shift: You move from architect to general contractor.
Planning your implementation is similar to planning any other part of your project.
- Define the tasks to be carried out and the deliverables they produce
- Sequence the tasks in terms of predecessors & successors
- Estimate the duration of the tasks and establish target dates
- Assign the tasks
- Follow-up
- Plan for contingencies
That’s the logistics challenge, but there’s also the towering task of communications. You will find yourself dealing with many more people, including ad-hoc team members with specialty skills, and of course, stakeholders. For any given individual or group, you will be managing communications and expectations. You’ll be repeating your long-term vision, sharing your near-term plans, asking for participation, taking questions, and listening to complaints.
