Iterate, Increment, Evolve
In any project that you are managing, you are likely to run into problems that could slow progress and dampen the spirits of team members. The temptation as a manager might be to dive into the problem, tackle it head on, and wrestle with it until it is resolved. This strategy may work from time to time, but a more systematic approach to dealing with problems will help you to be more successful as a project manager both in the short term and the long term. A key formula that you can remember to use as a manager when you encounter problems is: Iterate, Increment, And Evolve.

Iterate: No two projects are exactly alike, but as a project manager there is a good chance that a number of the projects you are called upon to complete are similar in nature. As you manage a greater number of projects, you will begin to notice a pattern in the issues and roadblocks that are being encountered. To iterate is to repeat an action, and when you repeat the actions that cause problems, you can more easily go about finding a solution to those problems. In future projects, this process will allow you to anticipate issues that may arise and create problems for team members.

Increment: To increment a problem is to break it into smaller compartments that can be dealt with more easily than taking on the entire problem all at once. For instance, if a factory manufacturing widgets is noting a high number of errors or defects in the widgets being produced, they would be wise to examine every aspect of the manufacturing process individually until the area creating the quality control problems is identified. The problem can then be isolated and addressed at its source, saving a great deal of time and effort and ensuring that a product of higher quality is produced in the future. Each problem is different, but breaking a problem into incremental pieces can help to identify chinks in the armor of processes being used on a particular project.

Evolve: It was Albert Einstein who said that the definition of insanity is, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Problems can make your job as a project manager difficult, but a failure to evolve and avoid making similar mistakes in the future is an even greater problem for some managers. Problems that we encounter can cost us time, money, energy, and resources, and making the same mistakes repeatedly is no way to get ahead. If you seem to be running into the same types of issues, you need to find a workable solution that can be used not only on your current project, but implemented on future projects as well.

Problem solving is not an isolated activity. It is a process that needs to be completed thoroughly each time a problem is encountered. Team members need to understand and be included in the problem solving process. Taking the time to do it right today will save a great deal of time tomorrow and beyond.

Stay On Track
Whether your project is big or small, you generally have an end product in mind when you start a project. Regardless of the size of the project, you’ll be much more successful in getting the result you want if you create a schedule for yourself and for your team and stay on track. There are three main areas that you need to manage in order to stay on track during a project—your timeline, your team, and your budget.

Manage Your Timeline: Each project you manage should have a defined period of time in which the project should be completed. Your responsibility as a project manager is to give your team enough time to get the job done right, but also to produce the desired result quickly enough to keep your other stakeholders happy.
Deadlines are essential in keeping a project on track, and team members should understand the importance of meeting deadlines. It may require late nights and the sacrifice of some free time, but the consequences of missing deadlines and falling behind can be very damaging. Falling behind early in a project could lead to rushing through important steps and getting careless later in the project timeline.

Manage Your Team: The people you lead are the most important asset you have in the successful completion of a project. The best project managers find a way to get the best results from every individual on the team that they manage. There is a temptation for ineffective project managers to give orders and tell the people around them what to do. The best project managers out there are constantly asking their team members to provide input and ideas that will improve the end result.

No one manager has a monopoly on great ideas, but team members may be reluctant to provide input unless asked. Take the time to know your team and find out what their individual strengths are. Once you know who you’re working with, you can match important responsibilities with the team members most capable of handling those aspects of the project.

Manage Your Budget: Nothing can derail a project faster than running out of money. Managing your budget is essential to the successful completion of a project. Cost overruns in the early stages of a project can cause a project manager to take shortcuts later or, even worse, can force a project manager to have to seek additional funding for the project. A project manager who fails to effectively manage a budget becomes a liability for any company. Keeping your budget on track will make a big difference in any project.

Staying on track is not difficult, it simply takes a conscious effort of the project manager and team members. Emphasizing organization and communication among team members and stakeholders will go a long way in making sure a project stays on track.

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By Rick Dearr
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This article first appeared in the February 2009 issue of the MarketingDotCom newsletter. You can get a free copy of the latest issue for the price of shipping at http://the7figuresecrets.com

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