7 steps to achieve an amazing project execution phase

The project execution phase is usually the longest phase of the project life cycle; and the most demanding. In the execution phase of the project:

• Your team carries out all the planned activities, builds the deliverables, and presents them to the project stakeholders.
• Your focus, as the project manager, shifts to performing and overseeing all activities to create deliverables as outlined in the project plan.
• You will need to continuously track the progress of the project and ensure that milestones and deliverables stay within the project schedule.
• You should back off a bit and let your team carry out the project plan.

In project management, there can be setbacks along the way, but if you spot them early on, it's easy to correct their course. For this reason, the execution stage always occurs at the same time as the following: control and monitoring of the project.

<<< Project management: Main problems, challenges, and solutions >>>

Most of the activities during the execution phase of the project will be handled by your team. It's a fine line to walk because you need to give your team enough autonomy while you make sure everything goes according to plan.

The project manager has three main goals during the execution phase:

• People management
• Process management
• Communication management

The advantages of a well-executed project are threefold:

• It can be completed on time and within budget
• Team morale can be maintained
• Stakeholders are satisfied with the overall progress of the project

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What happens during the execution phase?

Depending on the nature of the project and your organizational preferences, you will decide the sequence of activities that will happen during the execution phase.

• Execute project scope.
• Manage teamwork.
• Recommend changes and corrective actions.
• Manage project communication with stakeholders.
• Conduct team-building exercises.
• Celebrate project milestones and motivate team members.
• Hold status review meetings to make sure everything is on schedule.
• Document all changes in the project plan.

What challenges are you likely to face?

In his book, Filling Execution Gaps, Todd Williams identifies six gaps that companies must close to ensure project success.

• Lack of common understanding
• Sponsors not involved
• Misalignment with the strategic objectives and goals of the project
• Poor change management processes
• Ineffective corporate governance
• Poor leadership

What happens during the execution phase of the project?

The execution phase is where all the action happens and the plans begin to materialize. There will be scope changes and documentation will change as a result.

Deliverable projects

Project deliverables are the tangible results of the project. They must be reviewed, tested, and meet the acceptance criteria given by customers.

Change requests

When customer expectations change or there is a disconnection between the team's understanding of customer requirements, scope changes occur. These are documented in change requests, which are then reviewed and approved.

Performance data

The execution stage produces a large number of data points that you can use to optimize your team's performance. You can find out where your team spends most of their time and how you can reduce time and costs.

Problem record

Whenever there are bugs, issues, or defects, you should document them in the problem log. This will help you go back to problems and fix them.

Documentation updates

Any changes to the documents created during the planning phase, such as the project scope and schedule, will be documented.

Taking these processes into account, we recommend these 7 strategic steps to ensure that the execution phase of the project is optimal.

1. Take advantage of the project management tool.

Using the right project management tool can be a major differentiator for your team. The best tools on the market offer deep visibility into the status of work and reduce the need for manual tracking during the execution phase of the project.

In addition, they also provide the ability to generate periodic customs reports in an easily accessible manner.

At the end of the day, the right project tool for you should increase your efficiency without the need to overcome a steep learning curve.

2. Delegate tasks to get the job done efficiently

Task delegation does not mean that you abandon all aspects of the project and start relying on team members. Instead, it means you empower your team and build their trust by making them responsible for a small part of the project. It can be a repetitive task or something you feel a particular member is better at.

3. Empower your team to make decisions

An empowering environment is enough of a motivator for team members that encourages them to go above and beyond. Give them enough authority to make decisions and take the necessary steps to carry out the plan.

4. Stay open to new ideas

It is good practice to involve the team in decision-making. Even if they suggest a different approach than you had in mind, appreciate their input and be flexible enough to accept better suggestions. This will be a good motivator and will make the team feel valued and recognized.

5. Manage team communication

It is the responsibility of the project manager to consistently maintain effective collaboration between the project team and project stakeholders. You should share the progress of the project with all stakeholders throughout this phase regularly.

Schedule regular meetings with the project team to review its current status. Discuss the next steps in the project, the obstacles, and how to solve these problems during these meetings.

6. Measure progress regularly

There is no way to know if you are on the right track if you are not measuring the progress of the project. Your project planning process included setting measurable goals and KPIs (key performance indicators). This is where all the effort you put into the documentation pays off.

During the execution phase of the project, risks can materialize. By continually assessing those risks, you equip your team with contingencies and prevent project failure.

7. Control the scope

Almost every project suffers from a nasty monster called Scope Creep. It is when the project slowly grows out of your control and beyond the original scope of the project.

Now, you can't and shouldn't prevent all change requests. Most projects require you to iterate and adapt to change. Market conditions, customer needs, organizational priorities can change and need to be addressed.

Bonus point: Ensures quality of results and deliverables with stakeholders.

No matter how flawless your team is, there is no project without flaws. It is always a good practice to ensure that you have translated the customer's expectations into the deliverable. Test those deliverables and see if they meet the acceptance criteria.

Once you have the deliverables ready, you will schedule a formal phase review with all key stakeholders. All deliverables are reviewed, accepted, and approved. If there are any acceptable issues, they are documented along with your resolution plan and all relevant plans and documents are updated accordingly.

Una vez que tengas la luz verde de las partes interesadas, pasarás oficialmente a la siguiente fase: la fase de cierre del proyecto.

Conclusion 

With these steps, you can optimize the execution phase of the project and minimize risks and deviations as much as necessary, while taking advantage of the benefits of a cloud-based project management tool.

A completely manual or spreadsheet-based approach can be a hindrance during project execution. For this reason, this tool will cover the needs of your team during the hectic execution phase, and, being very intuitive to use, it helps you in the collaboration of all stages.