- Resist the ad hoc. Announce that this is a project, and that it matters enough to be treated as one.
- The project needs a leader, a person who takes responsibility as opposed to waiting for it to be given.
- Write it down. All of it. Everything that people expect, everything that people promise.
- Send a note confirming that you wrote it down, specifically what you heard, what it will cost and when they will have it or when they promised it.
- Show your work. Show us your estimates and your procedures and most of all, the work you’re going to share with the public before you ship it.
- Keep a log, a notebook, a history of what you’ve done and how. You’ll need it for the next project.
- Source control matters. Don’t change things while people are reviewing them, because then we both have to do it twice.
- Slack is your friend. Slack is cheaper, faster and more satisfying than wishful thinking. Your project will never go as well as you expect, and might take longer than you fear.
- Identify and obsess about the critical path. If the longest part of the project takes less time than you planned, the entire project will take less time than you planned.
- Wrap it up. When you’re done, take the time to identify what worked and what didn’t, and help the entire team get stronger for next time.
July 15, 2014
