Project goal planning is the process of allocating time and tasks to successfully completion of activities. A plan is necessary to know clearly what needs to be accomplished, what results to achieve, and what deadline to meet so as not to spoil the company’s performance metrics.
To run a project successfully, it is necessary to divide the planning into several levels and sublevels. This model allows you to keep your finger on the pulse and be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
Planning Tasks
The main task of making a plan is the need to calculate the likely risks and prospects. Of course, it is impossible to take into account all the nuances, but planning allows you to create an algorithm of actions in the short term. On its basis, the main actions are already prioritized: what the main goals of the project and what results should be achieved at each stage.
In this case, the management will be able to foresee possible difficulties at each step of the project and prepare options for their solution.
The main tasks that are solved at the planning stage:
- Setting the desired results;
- The required scope and composition of work;
- Budgeting and scheduling of milestones
- Project resource plan;
- Risk assessment and options for risk reduction;
- Clarification of how participants will interact with each other;
- Define management procedures;
- Agree and approve the plan.
Project Management Objectives
The SMART system, an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound, is most often used for proper planning.
Specific
Implies setting goals with specific data. «Sell as many products as possible» is a vague goal. To make it concrete, it is necessary to describe the exact figures, how much to sell and how much money to receive, in what specific timeframe the work should be done.
Measurable
Their identification allows tracking the achieved result at each stage of the work. They motivate to work and fulfill the deadlines of tasks.
Achievable
Set goals that you can definitely achieve. Otherwise, employees lose motivation and the desire to work. After all, setting unattainable conditions leads to frustration and discord in the team. Don’t challenge difficulties, if your employees do not have the necessary resources.
Relevant
These goals should carry immediate value to the project and the organization.
Time-bound
Clear time limits need to be set. If there is no time limit for completion, it throws off the motivation and organization of employees.
How to Write a Project Goal
In order to formulate competent goals, it is necessary to follow the SMART multi-level system. It offers several standard steps for making project plans:
- Define the core concept
The project concept will inspire and motivate employees to work effectively. They will clearly know what to strive for and how much effort is needed to achieve the desired results.
- Specify the overall objectives
These are long-term and define what the detailed steps will be at each stage of the work.
- Formulate the objectives
This step is designed to detail the goals of each stage of work realization. It is necessary to clearly spell out all the details of the project, what goals are to be achieved during the activity.
Planning Project Goals With CRM Applications
You can use special applications to plan the essence of a project. For example, with Projecto you can gather all the necessary information, the employees involved in the tasks and the current work processes in one place.
- Formulate goals and attach specific tasks to them.
With this feature, you will be able to track the progress and assess which step is taking longer, the reasons for it and what can be done to improve efficiency.
- Set deadlines for goals.
In Projecto, you can mark the status of a goal: in progress, completed, irrelevant, or failed. When the status changes, a report should be entered so you can track the reasons for failure.
In Projecto you can structure personal and group projects. Each person will only see the information they need for their current work. Integrate Projecto – one of the best CRM solutions for small business into your business and every step you take will be a success.
