All Marketing Projects

My mother called me in May and announced that she would like to sell her home in Goulburn and move back to Sydney.  I could hardly contain my excitement after years of unsuccessfully trying to nudge her out of Goulburnand back closer to me in Sydney.  I have never been a fan of the country life.

So we started with a bit of a scatter-gun approach – so many things to do – prepare a home for sale, find an alternative, what to do with 50+ years of accumulated stuff of four daughters – I am pleased to say that my year 12 text books are now landfill.

I quickly realised a bunch of enthusiastic people were making it impossible to keep track of  who was doing what.  So, I did what comes naturally and created a plan.  Yep, my mothers move back to Sydney is now known as Project Wendy.  And what a difference, having a plan has made - ensuring that everyone works efficiently and to our strengths.

It’s a classic case of working with stakeholders who are not dedicated to the project – my sisters all have ‘day jobs’ and have helped where they can by referring to the plan and picking up a task they are able to deliver – and there have been surprises – never in my wildest dreams would I have thought my baby sister would get so much pleasure out of a pressure hose! 

So what are the key lessons for any Project Manager we can apply to all projects? 

1. Start with a plan and scope
2. Engage your stakeholders and ensure they are able to deliver
3. Communicate clearly and consistently – so we all know what everyone is doing