As a project leader, you may face many challenges when leading complex projects. It is the same as walking through a complicated maze without a proper guide or map. Project leaders should have various abilities such as helping their team, picking the right choice to make effective decisions, and most importantly always staying calm. Leaders should always be ready to see surprises and get ready for changes. It is also essential for project leaders to adjust their plans when things change. By using the right approach, one can easily finish the project and lead to success. You just need to remain focused and work hard to solve problems.
If you want to learn more about how you can lead complex projects easily then stay tuned! In this guide, we discuss the effective steps that will help you answer your query and lead your team to win in the end.
What does the complex project mean?
A complex project has many complicated parts and details that make it more difficult as compared to a simple project. These types of projects require clear planning and good communication. Having effective decision-making and communication skills can finish the project with success. However, it is also essential to know that not always it is hard to complete complex projects. The word complex only means that a project has special features that differentiate it from other projects.
These features can include being hard to predict, having many steps, or needing to be done quickly. This is the reason that complex projects need extra care to manage well. People who handle complex projects must have abilities to handle various tasks at once and work closely with team members. Despite this, sometimes it is challenging to handle complex projects but adopting the right approach enables you to finish the project successfully.
What are the 3 key elements of a complex project?
Handling complex projects successfully requires understanding their key elements. Complex projects have the following characteristics:
1. Constraints
Some projects have certain limits such as completing a project with less spend or having limited resources to spend on the project. In such a situation leaders should make plans that fulfill the project’s needs. For example, if there is a short period to complete the project, the leaders must ask other workers to join the team. More people on the team can complete tasks on time. Furthermore, project managers should make a budget to finish the project and make efforts to complete the project within this budget. Using resources smartly can help meet project goals effectively. This way, even with challenges, the project can be successful.
2. Interdependencies
Interdependencies mean that different projects are related to each other. When projects are interconnected in a dependency situation it creates more difficult planning and timing decisions, because the person overseeing the projects must consider how the actions of one project might impact another project. When projects have dependencies that must be accounted for, the person overseeing the projects must place great care and consideration into the planning so as to not cause issues.
For example, if a manager has a mobile app that is slated to be released in the near term, and the mobile app has some dependencies on the company website development, the manager must be intentional about what they want to have after or rely on that impact (if any) affiliated with a project that may not even be impacted. This example illustrates that projects in a dependency relationship get special focus and care in planning because the relationship requires greater attention and care in planning and execution.
3. Multiple stakeholders
When more people are handling the project then dealing with them is also a challenging task. This is because leaders have to handle the wishes of all people. For example, if a new computer program is being made, there might be various groups that show interest in it. These groups are the people who invest money in the project, the users who will use the program, and the members who are working to create it. Every group has different demands of what they want from the project. So project leaders have to communicate clearly with all people.
Good communication ensures that all people are satisfied and the project moves forward smoothly. Lack of clear talks and updates might confuse or upset the people involved in the project which leads to many complications. So, talking well with all the people involved is key to a successful project.
Oxford Training Centre delivers the Leading Complex Projects Training Course Program for Project Managers. This course program led by the instructor will help you gain knowledge and experience in strategic leadership, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and allocating resources. Develop your knowledge and practice your skills with assignments, and certifications, so you can build resilience and effectively deliver complex projects with the best practices.
7 steps to follow to handle complex project
Completing complex projects is one of the most challenging tasks for leaders. This is because the project may include many unclear parts. Below we have mentioned 7 key strategies that help you deal with complex projects effectively.
1. Build the team for success
To complete a project successfully, you need a clear and effective plan for how the team will work. Handling complex projects needs clear rules and roles. Make sure that every member of the team has abilities to finish the tasks on time. For example, project managers should be able to move fast, and team leaders should be free to make decisions. In this manner, issues are resolved quickly and the work proceeds smoothly. The project is more likely to succeed when the team has unambiguous authority and support. The secret to completing large projects successfully and on schedule is an effective organization.
2. Make sure governance is effective
You may have rules for your project already, but do they work? Do managers simply review reports and concur without assisting or directing them?
Large projects have numerous individuals involved, so good rules are very necessary. You need to deal with office politics and ensure that there is a well-defined process to make decisions. This prevents personal agendas from creating issues.
Rules also address how to deal with changes in work, money, and time. Large projects usually require rapid changes. If your rules are good and you can communicate with the right people, it is simple to deal with changes effectively.
The best moment to review your project rules is prior to the start of the project. A simple scan can ensure your leaders possess the authority to make rapid, good decisions.
3. Lead decisively
In complex projects, everything that is not known is common but not picking the right choice can cause issues. As the project leader, you have to make effective decisions. Carefully listen to your team’s ideas, but don’t waste more time thinking without acting. Being sure and quickly making smart decisions helps your team feel confident and keeps the work moving ahead.
4. Manage small tasks as effectively as larger ones
In a complex project, many jobs need to be done at once. You might ignore the small things such as regular meetings or sending daily updates. For one reason it may prove good to ignore such little things but sometimes it could mean bigger problems are coming.
As we all say “Don’t worry about small things” But if you handle a complex project, monitoring every little thing closely is essential! Here you need to do smart work such as using simple tools to see the daily project updates. This helps you to watch whether everyone is on track or not.
5. Prepare the delivery team to face problems
Large projects feel difficult and slow. You’ve got lots of things to do and regulations to abide by, yet occasionally it’s not obvious how to accomplish them. Things change significantly, and issues arise due to the fact that you are attempting new things. Deadlines are distant, and you’ve wondered how long before things will slow down.
Being strong on the inside, or resilient, assists in these feelings.
Resilience is being calm and having another go when things are difficult. Discuss with your team what resilience means to you. Support each other by providing training, good equipment, and clear speeches. Trust each other by having fun team activities and getting to know one another.
6. Manage risks effectively
Give a high priority to risk management in running your project! Before you start, spend time thinking about whatever risks might happen. Have a risk register, the more extensive the better, and keep it updated, when new risks arise. If you continually examine rising risks (can you imagine being close to finishing a project and something emerges that ‘could’ result in many days of delay?) you will be able to do better at planning effective responses, reducing their occurrence, or keeping the project on track. Get used to dealing with new risks that may arise as you run your project!
7. Secure appropriate human resources
One major issue with complex projects is recruiting individuals to do them. Individuals in corporations typically have their work and are busy. Specialists have their daily tasks, so it is difficult for the project leader to enlist their assistance unless they are available.
If the project is extremely significant, you need to get the appropriate individuals. Find out who is doing what currently. This will enable you to identify who can come in and join the project and when they will be available.
This also reveals whether you have sufficient numbers or not. At times, individuals are available but lack the appropriate skills. You can train them or get outsiders to assist. Employ a good company to source these experts and educate your team prior to their departure.