As Project Managers, our job is to help our Clients define their end goals, and then keep our teams on track to achieve those end goals. We work hard for months, years and sometimes decades on our projects, and yet we are still notoriously bad at ending them well. Too often, projects end abruptly and unceremoniously, amidst a number of outstanding issues and the remains of heated discussions amongst team members who have already partially moved onto their next project.
Really though, completing a project should follow the same due diligence as starting a project. Ending a project right allows lessons to be learnt, best practise to be shared and closure to be obtained. There is value in making sure we round our projects out properly, and us Project Managers can play an important role in making sure this happens.
So how as project managers can we make sure that our projects end right?
- Think about the end at the beginning. Project Managers need to be able to see the big picture for the whole project duration. So right from the start of a project, think about the project’s intended purpose. Question the timeline. Ask about longevity, resilience and legacy. Think about who needs to be consulted over the duration of the programme. Write a tailored Completion checklist that defines what needs to be done for the project to be deemed 'complete'. Set clear quality benchmarks. Think about the end of the project at the beginning so everyone is clear what they are aiming toward.
- Keep key Project Management documents updated. Changes happen at all stages of a project lifecycle - team members move on and get replaced, Client / end user requirements change and technological advances emerge. Project Management documents are only useful if they are relevant so do not be afraid to make changes.
- Think about the usability of the end product. Encourage the team to think practically about the end product. Ask the team to put themselves in the end users shoes. Imagine you are using the end product and ask practical questions about what will make the handover of the project seamless and what will make the functionality of the end product more user friendly.
- Manage stakeholders and end users. Involve them in the process. Make clear when they will be able to review the project and provide their input. Listen to their comments because end users have valuable perspectives on what makes a project fit for purpose.
- Stay on top of admin. This can be a hard one! When we are busy it can be easy to let the paperwork slip, but this will end in delayed stress and potential confusion or dispute. Stay on top of administration and you will save a lot of stress and extra work when it comes to completion.
- Make sure documents are issued in a timely manner. Follow through on your own actions quickly, especially items (like meeting minutes) which facilitate the rest of the team. Failure to do so will result in frustration and create the impression that you are not on top of your work.
- Create a Countdown to Completion document. This will help you and the team think proactively rather than reactively. Make clear what actions are due, by when and by whom and define the critical path items. Document the process and get buy in from the whole team.
- Avoid last minute changes. Last minute changes are often costly, time consuming, confusing and result in poor quality. If last minute changes are required, consider rolling these into a separate package of works that can be done as a follow on project to avoid distraction from the main contract works.
- Do a robust Lessons Learnt session. Get key team members together and ask what went right and wrong. Encourage open, honest, reflective and respectful feedback. Capture lessons learnt and share with your co-workers on other projects. We will get better faster if we learn from each other.
- Celebrate the end of the project. Project professionals are notoriously bad at acknowledging and celebrating our successes. Too often we drift over milestones ready to tackle the next problem or move onto the next project. But celebrating success allows for team bonding, stress release and constructive reflection, so get your team together for one last shindig.
As Project Managers, we need to be able to be both in the detail and outside of it. In order to end our projects right, we need to retain our ability to step out of the detail, ask the big questions and help keep the team moving. But at the same time, we need to be able to keep critical tools and documents up to date to avoid confusion and create a seamless transition to completion.
Try using the tools above so that from the start, you make a project easy to end well and facilitate a smooth handover. And do not forget to celebrate your wins – you and your team deserve it!