As a project manager, you spend a lot of time in planning, scheduling and setting a deadline for tasks. But changes in a project are a part of the project. And as time passes by there are a lot of changes that occur in the project management and its technicalities. So you need to do changes in your project too.
But doesn’t it seems difficult and hectic to make changes in already made plans? And to again make a schedule of such a big project? Yes, it is. So read this article till the end and get to know how you can deal with changes and what you can do when you need to do changes in your project.
How To Accept Changes In A Project?
You should always keep in mind that changes are a part of any project. They can occur at any time and in any phase of the project. You need to be prepared. As a project manager, you need to adopt an adjustable approach in planning and execution as to be able to accommodate changes in plans.
You put in a lot of hard work while developing a plan but you need to make sure that the plans you create have the potential to accommodate changes, even if last minute. You should be able to re-plan strategies to meet the developing needs of any project.
What Is Change Management Process?
“Change Management is an organized, systematic application of the knowledge, tools, and resources of change that provides organizations with a key process to achieve their business strategy.”
“Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization’s goals, processes or technologies. The purpose of change management is to implement strategies for effecting change, controlling change and helping people to adapt to change.”
How To Deal With Change Management?
Accommodating change in already developed plans can be hard at times. The following are a few ways to enable yourself to deal with changes.
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Communication
The first thing is to inform about the changes that took place or will be taking place to your team members and other stakeholders involved. This is quite essential so as to ensure that the team works unidirectionally and the effort involved in putting the plan into action is utilized properly.
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Documentation
It is important to document everything that is planned. But it is equally essential that the changes and updates included in the project are documented as well. If there is a lack of constant updating of the documents it will become hard to keep the team on the same page. The team would also take the decisions accordingly.
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Scheduling
According to the changes you also need to update the schedule of the plans made. The schedule has to be refined and the new deadlines have to be set. You need to make sure that a new schedule is drafted and is made available to all the team members so that the workflow remains smooth.
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Shorter goals & deadline
You should set small and achievable goals. Divide big tasks into smaller ones and set shorter deadlines accordingly. This helps in a more productive output as your team will not feel overwhelmed or burdened by the amount of work.
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Review and learn lessons
It is not always possible that your project turns out to be a success even if you included all the necessary changes. Hence, it becomes essential to learn from the mistakes so as to not repeat them in the future. Taking feedback from the team members and other stakeholders could also prove to be beneficial.
