Project management for the layman

I am sure many of us already mastered the use of Microsoft Project – we can produce good-looking Glant charts, critical path diagrams and even resource utilization reports. But I am also pretty sure that most (if not all) of us don’t know how to manage a project, even with the powerful Microsoft Project software.

So what can you do to manage a project, if you are not a professional project manager ? The books “Getting things done” and “The 4-hour workweek” both suggested one simple method to manage your projects … here is it:

1. Write down the name of the project;
2. Write down the goal or desired outcome of the project;
3. Then, spend some time, think about the project for a little while … then;
4. Write down the possible next step to do … to achieve the goal / desired outcome;
5. Lastly (!), go ahead to do that “next step” and repeat from the step 3 above.

Believe me, it is simple, it works, and it keep things moving !! Give it a try and tell me what you think.