"The five basic steps you must do on a project" - Part 3

step 1 - Carefully define the outcome from the project.

step 2 - Defining and documenting requirements

step 3 - Creating a "doable" plan

Planning is an essential part of all project work. It is also more than a schedule or list of tasks. Planning needs to include the schedule, risk management, communication plans, contingency planning and other items depending on project size. There are many sources of information on how to create a plan including PMI. The important thing is that no matter what the size of the project, take the time to plan it out.

Project plans do not have to be onerous and if done right can help you achieve your project goals. At the minimum you should determine and document the following:

·Major deliverables
·Tasks needed to complete deliverables
·How long tasks should take
·Which tasks are linked or dependant on other tasks
·Who is doing which task
·What risks you need to watch out for
·Who do you need to communicate to and what do you communicate

Once you have documented the plan, make sure everybody has a copy. Review it daily and check off items as they occur or are completed. Don't worry if the plan changes, that is normal. Just document the change and make sure you know what else can be impacted by the change