What do you do if your project management progress is difficult to track and measure?

Selecting the appropriate project management tools can significantly enhance progress tracking and measurement. Seek tools offering real-time updates, task tracking, and collaborative functionalities. Look for platforms enabling task assignment, deadline setting, and status monitoring for each project component. By centralizing this information, you can swiftly identify bottlenecks or delays and take proactive measures to mitigate potential issues before they escalate. Embracing such tools streamlines communication, fosters accountability, and promotes transparency within your project team.

Keeping a project diary is a useful way to track your progress without the use of ‘metrics’. Project diary’s are also a useful way to plan and structure progress meetings, as you can track your objectives, milestones, and feedback.

Measurable– It’s not enough to say “finish phase one in a timely manner” or “increase capacity” for example. You need numbers. Decide what date phase one should be completed and establish your baseline, acceptable, and ideal numbers for capacity. Ask yourself: Are there quantifiable indicators with which we can judge each goal?

Here's a steps-by-step approach to address this challenge: 1. Evaluate the existing tracking mechanisms, tools & processes. 2. Define Clear Objectives & Key Results. 3. Implement Robust Project Management Tools for real-time monitoring of tasks, timelines, dependencies & resource allocation. 4. Define KPIs & metrics that reflect the project's progress & success criteria. 5. Conduct regular structured & focused progress reviews. 6. Assess & mitigate project risks that may impact progress tracking.

Make it a team effort Everyone on your team wants the same thing: a successful project. With that in mind, get everyone involved by holding a kickoff meeting, sharing your vision and the client’s motivations, and soliciting input from your team. It’s especially important that your project team members contribute to establishing your goals since it is largely up to those individuals to meet the project goals.

Establish good goals You can’t track what you haven’t established. Good goals are realistic, clear, and measurable. Write down a rough sketch of your project objectives, and then examine them to see if they meet the following requirements: Realistic– Having lofty goals is good, and stretch goals can be a great way to challenge your team, but always keep things realistic. You don’t want to make promises to your clients that you can’t keep. Ask yourself: Can we accomplish this goal with the allotted time and resources available to us? Clear– Many project managers cite a lack of clear goals as the most common cause of project failures. Ask yourself: Do we know exactly what is being asked of us? Does everyone on the team understand?