3 Tips to Conquer Big Projects Successfully

Everyone has those certain projects that could overwhelm you if you let them. Those giant projects that tower over you and intimidate you before you even start.

I have been working on one of those of projects for the last couple of weeks and have three tips on how not only to handle them without losing your mind, but also conquer them successfully.

1. Know the Scope of the Project.
   Get to know what needs to be done for the project. If it’s developing a website, some of the big pieces would be:
   • Understand the site navigation.
     • What are all of the pages and how are they connected?
   • How will the site be built?
     • From scratch, existing Content Management System (CMS), new CMS, custom template, etc.?
   • How the site will function?
     • User interface, functionality, sign-ups, forms, JavaScript/jQuery, etc.
2. Attack Strategy.
   Once you understand the scope of the project, you can develop an attack strategy or what may be more commonly known as a “To-Do List”. This list helps you pare down what needs to get done and in what order, and gives you a great overall picture of the job at hand. Some items that would get put on a website build to-do list would be:
   • Design what the site will look like.
     • Layout, colors, and content placement.
   • Build the site.
     • Build the site template, style the site to embody the brand, program slideshows, build forms, rework pieces of the user experience (how a user will go through the site) as needed, and populate all the pages.
   • Review and revise.
     • Go over the site after it’s built to see if anything needs to be changed and then make those changes.
   • NOTE: After you put together your attack strategy, prioritize that list. Consider starting with the easiest pieces and move towards the hardest and then start knocking items off of it. I like to highlight each item once it is completed. This helps me quickly see what has been done, what still needs to be done, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.
3. Call in Reinforcements.
   There may some items from your to-do list that you cannot do on your own and might require reinforcements. Reinforcements are people or resources, internally or externally, that you can go to for help. If you need to call in reinforcements, make sure there is enough time left for them to work on the project, and let them know how much time they have allotted to work on the project.

Along with these three tips, staying organized and focused during any project helps keep everything on track and run smoothly. A great filing system and beverages with caffeine always seem to do the trick!

Do you have any other project tips to add? Leave a comment and let us know.